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Dec. 13 (UPI) -- The NBA has postponed the Chicago Bulls' next two games to give the franchise additional time to overcome a recent COVID-19 outbreak that has sidelined 10 of its players. In a statement released Monday, the league said it is rescheduling the Bulls-Pistons matchup Tuesday in Chicago and the Bulls-Raptors game Thursday in Toronto for future dates. The coronavirus-related postponements are the first of the 2021-22 season for the NBA.
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The Bulls were down to the league minimum of eight players after forward Alize Johnson tested positive for COVID-19 and entered the health and safety protocols Monday. Among those remaining eight, many of them weren't among the team's top regular rotation players.
Johnson joins a lengthy list of Bulls players in the NBA's protocols that includes DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine, Coby White, Troy Brown Jr., Javonte Green, Matt Thomas, Stanley Johnson, Ayo Dosunmu and Derrick Jones Jr.
Once a player enters the league's health and safety protocols, they must self-isolate for a minimum of 10 days or until they return two negative PCR tests within a 24-hour window.
The Bulls have placed at least one new player into the protocols for three consecutive days since their outbreak began at the start of the month. The club didn't conduct an organized practice Monday.
