No halt but NBA may tweak virus rules

NEW YORK • The National Basketball Association (NBA) has no plans to pause the ongoing season due to Covid-19 and is looking at shortening the time players must sit out, NBA commissioner Adam Silver said on Tuesday.

The 59-year-old, speaking on ESPN, said the league, like society, must learn to live with the virus even with the Omicron variant causing a surge in positive tests - forcing five games this week to be postponed.

The latest was the Brooklyn Nets' home game against the Washington Wizards on Tuesday.

Seven games in total have been postponed since last week, with a report on the league's website saying at least 85 players from 20 teams had entered health and safety protocols as on Tuesday.

"No plans right now to pause the season," Silver insisted, following an announcement the National Hockey League will be having a hiatus starting from yesterday.

"We have, of course, looked at all the options. We have had trouble coming up with what the logic would be for pausing.

"This virus will not be eradicated and we're going to have to learn to live with it. It seems the right and responsible thing to do... is to continue to play."

ESPN reported that the NBA has told the 10 teams scheduled to play on Christmas Day to be prepared for shifts in game times coming as late as tomorrow.

But Silver said the league is moving ahead with plans regarding Saturday's games and beyond.

He also saw ways the league's perseverance might set an example much the way the NBA did when it shut down in March last year, a move emulated by the rest of North American sports.

"Maybe there's a way we can demonstrate people can move forward," he said.

"Our ability to find a way to keep operating is also significant for society, to show that there are ways, despite living in this Covid era, where we can find safe and responsible ways to keep going."

The NBA has relaxed rules on calling in replacement players from development squads, and Silver said the league might consider shrinking the number of days - currently a minimum of 10 - players are sidelined when entering the health and safety protocols.

"We're actively looking at shortening the amount of days a player is out before he can return to the floor," he said.

"We're comfortable with the protocols we're following right now."

He said 97 per cent of NBA players have been vaccinated and 65 per cent have received a booster dose, but he is not pushing for mandatory vaccinations.

"Many of the (unvaccinated) 3 per cent have gotten Covid and developed antibodies. For me, the focus right now is on boosters for the 97 per cent," he added.

In the meantime, he believes that it is safe for spectators to attend NBA games - if they have taken the proper measures.

"People should feel safe going to games," he said.

"I think it has a lot to do with following proper protocols, being vaccinated, getting boosted, wearing a mask of course makes a big difference. People under those situations should be comfortable living their lives."

As the NBA regular season continued on Tuesday, Devin Booker scored 24 points in his second game back from a hamstring injury as the visiting Phoenix Suns extended their latest winning streak to four games with a 108-90 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers.

The Suns, who recovered from a slow start to win for the 24th time in their last 26 games, are leading the league on 25-5, while the Lakers dropped to 16-16.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, REUTERS