ATLANTA — The highly anticipated NBA game between the Houston Rockets and the Atlanta Hawks, originally set for Saturday, has been postponed due to a severe winter storm affecting the Atlanta area.
The league announced the decision, emphasizing their commitment to ensuring the safety of players, fans, and staff amid hazardous icy conditions. A new date for the game will be announced in the future, allowing fans to plan accordingly.
Before the storm led to the postponement, the Rockets had already landed in Atlanta. As the winter storm moved in, it brought substantial snowfall and freezing rain, leading to concerns about road safety as temperatures were expected to drop overnight.
Residents in the Atlanta area are grappling with power outages, with over 110,000 customers affected as falling trees have reportedly damaged power lines.
In addition, the storm has caused disruptions at Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, the busiest airport in the world. On Friday, a Delta Air Lines flight heading to Minneapolis had to abort its takeoff due to an engine issue, resulting in four passengers sustaining injuries. They were evacuated swiftly from the aircraft and transported back to the terminal, with one individual requiring hospitalization.
As the city deals with the aftermath of the storm, the postponement of the game highlights the meticulous attention that the NBA must pay to environmental conditions to safeguard the well-being of everyone involved.
