NEW ORLEANS — In light of severe winter weather that led to historic snowfall in some southern regions, the NBA and several college basketball conferences have announced the postponement of multiple games.
The NBA had to cancel the matchup scheduled for Wednesday night between the Milwaukee Bucks and the New Orleans Pelicans, as Winter Storm Enzo left nearly a foot of snow in New Orleans — an area unaccustomed to dealing with such weather conditions and lacking in the necessary equipment to clear snow effectively.
Additionally, LSU’s women’s basketball team, currently ranked fifth, faced travel difficulties as they were unable to reach Columbia, South Carolina, for their game against the No. 2 Gamecocks. Consequently, the Southeastern Conference opted to move the game from Thursday night to Friday evening.
The Sun Belt Conference also noted “hazardous travel conditions,” resulting in the rescheduling of four men’s basketball games. Georgia Southern’s game against Coastal Carolina and Louisiana-Lafayette’s match against Texas State were postponed from Wednesday to Thursday. Two other games, originally planned for Thursday — Southern Mississippi at Troy and South Alabama at Louisiana-Monroe — will now take place on Monday.
As for when the Bucks and Pelicans game will be rescheduled, the NBA has not provided an immediate announcement. It remains uncertain whether the Bucks can make it to Miami in time for their Thursday night game against the Heat. The Bucks managed to arrive in New Orleans ahead of schedule, flying in on Monday to potentially sidestep weather-related travel disruptions.
However, temperatures in the area remained low, hovering in the 30s, which resulted in several main highways and bridges being closed, alongside icy surface roads throughout New Orleans. Schools and businesses in the region also suspended operations on Wednesday as a precaution.
Louis Armstrong International Airport canceled all outgoing commercial flights on Wednesday, increasing the likelihood that the Bucks would have to attempt to make their way to Miami on the day of the scheduled game — should travel conditions permit. An NBA spokesperson indicated that while there were currently no plans to postpone Thursday’s game, the decision would ultimately rely on the Bucks’ ability to depart from New Orleans on time.
Meanwhile, the Pelicans are set to face the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday evening. After breaking snowfall records in both Texas and Louisiana earlier in the week, the storm continued its erratic path, delivering heavy snow, sleet, and freezing rain across the Florida Panhandle, Georgia, and parts of the coastal Carolinas.
An LSU spokesman confirmed the university’s decision to cancel classes through Thursday due to treacherous road conditions. However, athletic officials expressed confidence that the women’s basketball team would manage to depart from Baton Rouge by Thursday.
