Bulls-Heat game delayed because of condensation on United Center court

Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune on Jan 8, 2026

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CHICAGO — The Chicago Bulls-Miami Heat game Thursday night is under an indefinite delay because of an unsafe playing surface at the United Center.

Condensation on the court — caused by a combination of warm, rainy weather outdoors and humidity indoors following a Blackhawks game the night before — created a slick playing surface that game officials deemed unsuitable for competition. Outside of lowering the temperature inside the arena and consistently mopping the floor, solutions for the problem are limited. The game was scheduled to begin at 7 p.m., but the initial delay lasted more than 45 minutes.

This isn’t the first time humidity forced the delay — and eventual rescheduling — of an NBA game. A 2017 matchup between the Minnesota Timberwolves and Portland Trail Blazers was postponed because of condensation on the court at the Target Center in Minneapolis after the arena hosted a hockey game and Disney on Ice concert. In that instance, a nearly 90-minute delay preceded the decision to reschedule the game to a later date.