Among a four-game slate in the NBA on Thursday night was a matchup between the 20-17 Miami Heat and the 17-20 Chicago Bulls.
The teams were set to meet at United Center in Chicago — until they weren’t. After a lengthy delay from the scheduled 7:05 p.m. Tipoff, the game was officially postponed.
Condensation on the court prevented the game from taking place Thursday, a rare instance of court conditions causing an NBA game to be delayed.
Here’s what to know about Thursday’s Bulls-Heat game being postponed.
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Why was Bulls-Heat canceled?
Bulls-Heat was postponed on Thursday due to inadequate court conditions in Chicago.
More specifically, the game was first delayed for around one hour and 46 minutes because of condensation on the court, per the Chicago Sun-Times, before it was officially postponed.
Truly bizarre scenes at United Center tonight. The Bulls - Heat game has been delayed for more than a hour as crews work to clean the court from condensation caused by the torrential downpours outside, warmer temps and high humidity levels. @WGNNews pic.twitter.com/iVi5nuZdzs
— Josh Frydman (@Josh_Frydman) January 9, 2026
The NHL's Chicago Blackhawks share an arena with the Bulls, the United Center, where they had played the night before.
During the delay to Thursday's game, workers at the United Center were trying to dry the court using mops and towels with visible moisture on the floor, per the AP. Maintenance personnel "pushed large mops across court while players from both teams milled about dribbling, shooting and chatting at the start of the delay."
No highlights yet...but there's this https://t.co/yGsikikLkq pic.twitter.com/Qs7vZhVZPm
— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) January 9, 2026
Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra spoke about the conditions after the game was postponed.
"We always want to try to go. But players were complaining about it on both sides," Spoelstra said, per K.C. Johnson. "Staff went out there and pretty much immediately we felt that it wasn't playable."
Johnson also reported that the condensation "worsened when fans arrived because the doors get opened over and over," and as humidity entered the building with the ice below the hardcourt, conditions only grew worse.
Did the Bulls Heat game ever start?
The Bulls-Heat matchup on Thursday night never started, as it was first delayed for nearly two hours, then officially postponed due to condensation on the court.
Why do the Blackhawks and Bulls share an arena?
There are plenty of NHL and NBA teams that share arenas, with Chicago’s teams being one example at the United Center. Because both sports are played indoors and only require a change of flooring between games, many owners have worked together to share a venue.
In Chicago’s case, the Wirtz family and Jerry Reinsdorf partnered to have the arena built, and both the Blackhawks and Bulls have called the United Center home. Ice and hardwood are swapped out on the floor between sports.
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Has Bulls-Heat been rescheduled?
A makeup date for Bulls-Heat is still to be determined. The NBA announced that the date for the rescheduled matchup will be announced later on. The Bulls also announced tickets for Thursday's game "will be valid for the rescheduled game."
The following has been released by the NBA. Pic.twitter.com/m1hlbnzPpn
— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) January 9, 2026
The game couldn't be played Friday because the Blackhawks will be hosting the Capitals at the United Center, and the Heat have a back-to-back in Indiana on Saturday and Oklahoma City on Sunday.