As a COVID-19 outbreak sidelines 10 of its players, the NBA has postponed the next two Chicago Bulls games to allow the franchise to start getting back healthy players and curb further spread.
In the first game casualties of the season, the NBA will reschedule the Bulls-Pistons game on Tuesday in Chicago and Bulls-Raptors on Thursday in Toronto for future dates.
The Bulls were eager to have the league grant them relief with the postponements and get the support of the Chicago Department of Public Health, which impacted the league’s decision, sources said.
After forward Alize Johnson tested positive and entered protocols on Monday, sources said, the Bulls were down to a league minimum of eight players — and some of those weren’t even among the top regular rotation players.
Johnson joins a lengthy list of Bulls in the league’s health and safety protocols that includes Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, Troy Brown Jr., Coby White, Javonte Green, Matt Thomas, Derrick Jones Jr., Ayo Dosunmu and Stanley Johnson.
Once players enter the league’s protocols, they must quarantine for 10 days or until they return two negative PCR tests within a 24-hour window.
The Bulls have added at least one new player to the health and safety protocols for three straight days since their outbreak started at the beginning of the month. The team did not hold an organized practice Monday.