Jazz’s Donovan Mitchell positive for COVID-19 after NBA suspends season
Mar 12, 2020, 8:29 AM | Updated: 11:31 am
Donovan Mitchell #45 of the Utah Jazz at American Airlines Center on February 10, 2020 in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
(Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
The National Basketball Association and NBA G League are suspending gameplay after the conclusion of Wednesday night’s games until further notice, the leagues announced in a press release.
The NBA will use the “hiatus” in order to determine the following actions for advancing the remainder of the NBA season in regard to the COVID-19 (coronavirus) outbreak.
The announcement comes after the league also announced that a Utah Jazz player had preliminarily tested positive for COVID-19 prior to tip-off against the Oklahoma City Thunder in Oklahoma. The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported that player was Rudy Gobert, and ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported on Thursday morning that Donovan Mitchell now also has tested positive for the virus.
The NBA did not identify Gobert by name as Charania’s report did, but said that the player was not in Chesapeake Bay Arena on Wednesday night.
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The NBA said that the test result was reported just prior to tip-off, as players were on the floor for pregame warmups when they were told to return to their respective locker rooms.
After a 30-minute delay, it was announced that the game was postponed “due to unforeseen circumstances.”
Charania also said Thursday morning that Mitchell’s positive COVID-19 test was the only positive result among 58 tests administered on Wednesday night.
The league expects the suspension to last at least two weeks, but that the timeframe is very fluid, according to The Associated Press.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
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