Spurs-TWolves clash delayed due to fire in arena.
The encounter between the San Antonio Spurs and Minnesota Timberwolves has been postponed after the teams were forced to evacuate the arena in Mexico City on Wednesday night.
The evacuation was called 45 minutes before the start of the game as smoke began to appear inside the arena while the teams were warming up.
NBA spokeswoman Sharon Lima has revealed that the smoke was coming from a generator fire outside the arena, which has ultimately forced the game to be re-scheduled, as announced by the NBA.
Tonight's @Spurs/@MNTimberwolves game has been postponed due to a generator malfunction which produced smoke inside Mexico City Arena. 1/2
— NBA (@NBA) December 5, 2013
While the teams were out on the court going through their preparations, the lights went out in certain sections before smoke began to pour out of vents in the upper deck.
The players were then ordered to board their team buses which were parked outside of the arena, while fans and the media were also told to evacuate.
San Antonio arrived in Mexico City looking to improve on their 15-3 start to the season which leaves them tied for first place in the Western Conference along with the Portland Trail Blazers.
Meanwhile, the Timberwolves are currently sat in 13th place with a 9-10 record, but remain one of the more dangerous teams in the West given the players on the roster.
Minnesota have gone 3-7 in the last 10 games but with the likes of Ricky Rubio and Kevin Love available for selection, they will look to bounce back from what has been a grueling schedule.
In contrast, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich has been able to manage the minutes of his stars so far this season, with the likes of Tony Parker and Tim Duncan regularly coming out of games having only played around 25 minutes.
At this stage it has not been announced as to when the re-scheduled meeting will take place, although it has been confirmed by the league that it will take place at the Target Center in Minneapolis.
COMMENTS