| The Detroit News
The only predictable thing in the NBA season during a pandemic is unpredictability.
Another layer of that uncertainty came Monday, when the Pistons’ game against the Denver Nuggets was postponed just before game time because of contact tracing, the NBA announced.
“Because of ongoing contact tracing within the Pistons, the team does not have the league-required eight available players to proceed with tonight’s game against the Nuggets,” the NBA said in a statement.
If there’s a positive test or an inconclusive COVID test, the traveling party goes into contact tracing, and depending on which person is affected and whom that person came into close contact with, the Pistons could be left with fewer than the minimum number of eight players available before a game.
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the test in question traces back to a Pistons player.
“Detroit returned a positive/inconclusive coronavirus test on a player, sources tell ESPN,” Wojnarowski posted on Twitter. “Pistons were watching pregame film, preparing for game with Nuggets when they learned of postponement. League’s recently made decision to park teams in this situation over a single test.”
It’s the second Pistons game this season to be postponed, along with the Washington Wizards game on Jan. 15. That postponement was due to contact tracing within the Wizards organization before they traveled to Detroit for the game.
The Pistons were on the second game of their five-game western trip, after having played at Golden State on Saturday. They were scheduled to face the Utah Jazz on Tuesday, the Phoenix Suns on Friday and the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday.
Rod.Beard@detroitnews.com
Twitter: @detnewsRodBeard