NZ Breakers' Australian NBL game against Perth Wildcats has been postponed, after several of their travelling party reported being unwell.
The Breakers are now unable to travel from Adelaide to play at the RAC Arena on Sunday.
"We are following the NBL's strict protocols," says NBL commissioner Jeremy Loeliger. "The team is unable to travel, because it can't meet pre-boarding health requirements and so its travel has been deferred."
The ill have since undergone precautionary COVID-19 testing and will remain in Adelaide, until they receive their results and are able to travel.
A new date for the game has yet to be decided.
The game was meant to be the Breakers' season-opener two weeks ago, but was delayed, when the Wildcats were locked out of their home state by border closures between Western Australia and Queensland, where they had played pre-season games.
The Auckland team were forced to move to Australia due to COVID-19 travel quarantines between Australia and New Zealand, and have been based at Hobart.
Coach Dan Shamir has taken a glass-half-full attitude to the restrictions.
"There are a lot of challenges in being away from home, but it's an advantage that we are in Australia, we don't need to travel a lot, and we get to train in an amazing facility and prepare for the game," he said earlier this month.
"In my personal vocabulary, I don't use the word 'hard' too much. The COVID protocols, being away from home... all these things require adjustment and present challenges to all of us, but we have no reason to complain about our pre-season."
So far, the Breakers have had a winless start to the season, after two losses to Adelaide 36ers.
