Abnormally warm temperatures inside Chicago’s United Center produced visible moisture on the floor last Thursday. Geoff Stellfox / Getty Images
The Miami Heat-Chicago Bulls game that was postponed last week due to condensation on the court has been rescheduled for Jan. 29 at 8 p.m. ET.
Last Thursday, abnormally warm temperatures both inside and outside Chicago’s United Center resulted in visible moisture on the floor. The humidity indoors was almost two times the normal rate for a typical NBA game. Temperatures outside in Chicago were unusually high, with a listed reading of 55 degrees at 8 p.m. The conditions cased the ice rink under the floor, used for Chicago Blackhawks games, to start melting along the edges.
Arena workers tried to clear the moisture off the court, but after multiple delays, the decision to postpone the game was made about 25 minutes after the originally scheduled tip-off time.
It was the first time an NBA regular-season game had been rescheduled due to slippery conditions since 2017, when it happened at a Minnesota Timberwolves home game against the Portland Trail Blazers.
Chicago and Miami were originally set to play in Miami on Jan. 30, but that game has now been moved to Jan. 31 at 8 p.m. ET.
The Heat (20-19) and Bulls (18-20) sit eighth and 10th in the Eastern Conference standings.