The Golden State Warriors will play their Thursday home game against the Brooklyn Nets without fans, the team has confirmed.
The Warriors also announced that all events at Chase Center through March 21 have been either cancelled or postponed.
All events at Chase Center through March 21 will be cancelled or postponed at this time. We'll continue to monitor this evolving situation closely to determine best steps. We appreciate the understanding and patience of our fans, guests and partners.https://t.co/siFLC4Unjq
— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) March 11, 2020
On Wednesday, San Francisco mayor London Breed announced the city was banning all public gatherings with 1,000 or more people — including Warriors games, due to the growing spread of the coronavirus.
The Warriors played a home game Tuesday against the Los Angeles Clippers with fans in the crowd, but did so against the city’s recommendations.
After Thursday’s contest, Golden State plays five games on the road and doesn’t return home until March 25 against the Atlanta Hawks. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports that playing without fans at Warriors home games will extend beyond Thursday’s meeting with the Nets.
The Warriors playing in an empty stadium will be the first instance of such measures being taken in North America due to the coronavirus, though some soccer matches across Europe have been played without fans.
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