The NBA has postponed the Charlotte Hornets' next two games, against the Chicago Bulls and Denver Nuggets, due to COVID-19 concerns.
Four players with the San Antonio Spurs tested positive for the virus after the Hornets lost to the Spurs on Sunday. The Spurs have remained quarantined in Charlotte since the first player was diagnosed with COVID-19 Monday.
Under the NBA’s protocols, the Hornets will not be able to practice as a team until Friday at the earliest. Players can work out individually and get one-on-one instruction with only one player on the practice court at a time.
Hornets head coach James Borrego says players will be staying sharp from a distance.
"I think the stuff between now and Friday will be done through Zoom — so watching some film with small groups, which is something we’ve done in the past," Borrego said Tuesday. "I think that’ll be good for us. The individual stuff, you know, the guys will get what they need on the court as far as shots and some conditioning and making sure their bodies are still right.”
Borrego says that this pause can be a positive for the team going forward.
"We’ll take this time to heal some bodies and reset the mind," he said. "This is a good little reset for us."
The Hornets are scheduled to play the Golden State Warriors in the Spectrum Center on Saturday, pending team test results. It would be a homecoming game for the Warriors' Steph Curry, who grew up in Charlotte.