Nearly half the United States is currently enduring the impacts of Winter Storm Fern, which has also disrupted the sports calendar. The NBA has postponed Sunday’s games featuring the Denver Nuggets versus Memphis Grizzlies and the Dallas Mavericks against the Milwaukee Bucks due to hazardous weather conditions.
The Memphis game, initially set for 3:30 p.m. ET, was delayed because of severe weather affecting the city. Authorities urged citizens to avoid travel unless necessary, as Memphis is contending with snow, sleet, and ice, accumulating up to three inches of snow and experiencing sub-zero temperatures. No new date has been scheduled yet for this matchup.
Meanwhile, the Mavericks never reached Milwaukee for their Sunday game after being grounded on the Dallas-Fort Worth airport tarmac for over four hours amid snow and icy conditions. Their scheduled late Saturday night departure was postponed to Sunday following their loss to the Los Angeles Lakers. Reports suggest the rescheduled game may occur either Monday—when Milwaukee will face back-to-back games—or post-All-Star break on February 19th, contingent on the Mavericks’ arrival time.
Though not postponed, the game on Saturday between the Charlotte Hornets and Washington Wizards was moved up by six hours in response to the weather. College basketball games also saw time adjustments: matchups involving Duke at Wake Forest, Virginia at North Carolina, Louisville at Virginia Tech, and Xavier against St. John’s started earlier. Georgia’s game against Tennessee was rescheduled from Tuesday to Wednesday.
In women’s basketball, No. 1-ranked University Union advanced its game against Seton Hall from Sunday to Saturday, while No. 14 Baylor postponed its home contest with Houston from Sunday to Tuesday. These changes are part of a growing list of postponements and rescheduling triggered by the storm.
Fan Take: This wave of weather-related game changes highlights how external factors can profoundly affect basketball schedules and team preparations. For fans, it builds anticipation and uncertainty, but also demonstrates the sport’s resilience in adapting to unforeseen challenges, keeping the excitement alive despite disruption.
