Which NBA games will Hurricane Milton affect? Full list of postponements and cancellations
The 2024 NBA preseason is unfortunately suffering from the effects of Hurricane Milton. After Hurricane Helene had devastating effects, people in Florida are bracing to see a bigger and more dangerous storm in the next few days.
The Orlando Magic made a decision about their upcoming preseason game against the New Orleans Pelicans, announcing the suspension of the matchup on Wednesday with a statement.
"The safety of our community and fans is our top priority. As such, the Orlando Magic game against the New Orleans Pelicans on Oct. 11 at Kia Center has been canceled," the statement reads.
The game will not be rescheduled and fans who purchased tickets will get a refund. The storm is expected to make landfall somewhere on the Gulf Coast of Florida between Wednesday and Thursday, which forced the Magic to suspend their return from San Antonio, where they play the Spurs Wednesday night.
Orlando enters the 2024-25 NBA season with renewed expectations after a busy offseason. They landed two-time NBA champion Kentavious Caldwell-Pope in free agency, as well as Goga Bitadze and Cory Joseph, while re-signing Moritz Wagner on a two-year, $22 million deal and Gary Harris on a two-year, $15 million contract.
Now, the attention isn't on the court but off of it, as many fans could be in danger when Hurricane Milton lands.
Are other NBA games suspended due to Hurricane Milton?
A game between the Miami Heat and Atlanta Hawks scheduled for Thursday has been suspended until Oct. 16.
In addition, the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers left Florida ahead of Hurricane Milton to practice the rest of the week. The Bucs left Tuesday and went to New Orleans, as they're set to face the Saints on Sunday. The Lightning traveled to Raleigh, North Carolina, on Monday, as they continue preparations for their season opener against the Carolina Hurricanes on Friday night.
According to the AP, "countless college and high school events" in Florida have been suspended due to this storm. A Memphis versus South Florida college game was rescheduled this week to be played on Saturday.
Hopefully, this storm isn't as dangerous as experts foresee and sports at every level can be back soon.