NBA Sets New Date for Bulls-Heat Game, Creating a Very Rare Scenario in the Process

The NBA did the Chicago Bulls and Miami Heat no favors on Monday.

When the two teams met at the United Center last week, they were met with a bizarre situation. Warmer-than-expected temperatures in the city led to a huge condensation problem inside the building. The ice rink below the hardwood floor was melting and causing a slick and unsafe surface for players.

While they attempted to solve the issue during a nearly two-hour-long delay, the league eventually called the game and sent both teams home. With a busy schedule ahead before the All-Star break for both squads, it felt unlikely that a make-up date would soon be announced. However, the NBA acted fast.

The league has announced that the Bulls and Heat will replay the January 8 game on January 29 at 7:00 p.m. CT. This scheduling change will move the Bulls-Heat game that was previously set for January 30 to January 31. Not only is this make-up date far earlier than most expected, but it also creates an incredibly brutal stretch for both teams.

Bulls & Heat Now Faced with Grueling Schedule After Postponement

The new game date will force the Chicago Bulls to play two straight back-to-back sets. In other words, they are now faced with a daunting four games in five days.

One has to imagine they pushed pretty hard to avoid this outcome, but how much say they had with the league remains unclear. Nevertheless, the fact that the NBA chose to tighten its schedule this severely is a pretty big head-scratcher. You would think they would want to avoid putting this much stress on the players.

Even stranger, the updated date gives the Bulls and Heat three-straight matchups. Chicago was already set to face Miami in a rare mini-series at the end of the month. The two were going to battle at the Kaseya Center on both January 30 and February 1.

For a better idea of what the Bulls are dealing with, here is their new schedule to end the month:

Jan 28 -– @ IND
Jan 29 – vs MIA
Jan 30 – Off Day
Jan 31 – @ MIA
Feb. 1 – @ MIA

The good news for Chicago is that Miami has been dealt the same grueling hand. They are also set to play on January 28 with a game against the Orlando Magic. Erik Spoelstra's crew will now have to fly directly to Chicago after that outing instead of returning to Miami for a day off.

Again, why the NBA would put any team in this bind or set them up for three straight against the same opponent is beyond me. I suppose they at least ensured that both teams were put in the same difficult position. However, it feels like they could have landed on something slightly easier for both sides, especially if they were willing to move another game to fit it in.

Oh well, get those ice baths and massage guns ready!