Unexpected Delay: Mysterious Condensation Forces Bulls-Heat Game Postponement at Chicago’s United Center

Well, the buzz around Chicago last Thursday was anything but game-ready — the face-off between the Bulls and Heat got sidelined thanks to a slippery, condensation-soaked United Center floor. The NBA threw in the towel after nearly two hours of shooting for an 8 p.m. tip-off that just couldn’t happen. You know it’s weird when January in the Windy City feels more like early spring—temps nudging the 50s, humidity sky-high near 90%, and rain cascading outside. Here’s the kicker: the arena, which also moonlights as home ice for the Blackhawks, was dealing with melting ice beneath the hardwood edges, turning the court into a no-play zone. Players tried to keep spirits high—shooting hoops, chatting, even duking it out with games of HORSE—while Benny the Bull delighted the crowd with some cheeky halfcourt wizardry right in front of Heat’s Tyler Herro. It was a bizarre scene of delayed drama and unexpected downtime that had fans and players alike tapping their feet. For the full rundown and latest updates, check out the original announcement right here: LEARN MORE

Thursday night’s game between the Chicago Bulls and Miami Heat was postponed because of condensation on the United Center court, the NBA announced after a nearly two-hour delay for a scheduled 8 p.m. ET tip-off.

On an uncharacteristically warm January day in the Windy City, temperatures hovered in the 50s with close to 90% humidity and rain coming down.

The arena doubles as the home of the NHL’s Chicago Blackhawks. The ice underneath the floorboards was melting along the edges of the hardwood, per The Athletic’s report.

Around 8:50 p.m., the teams returned to their locker rooms for the first time, as the delay continued to drag on, according to The Athletic’s Joel Lorenzi.

Before players made that trip back to the locker room, they hung out on the floor, chatting with each other and getting up shots, per Chicago Sports Network’s K.C. Johnson, who reported that Bulls wing Isaac Okoro and guard Jevon Carter were even playing a game of HORSE or PIG.

At one point, Benny the Bull banked in a backwards halfcourt shot in front of Tyler Herro, earning a dap from the Heat star to the tune of some cheers from the crowd.

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