Basketball

Doncic made history by scoring 42 points, the most by a player making his playoff debut, but was unable to prevent his team falling to a 118-110 defeat at the NBA's 'bubble' in Orlando.

Leonard and George were influential for the second-seeded Clippers, the former recording a double-double of 29 points and 12 rebounds, while the latter chipped in with 27 points.

Both men were keen to stress the talents of their 21-year-old opponent after the game, though.

"I mean, he's great. You know what I mean? He's very poised," Leonard said. "He's very trusted on that team.

"He can get to his spots, find his team-mates, gets them easy baskets. He makes tough baskets well. He's a great player."

George added: "He's the future. We didn't come into this thinking we were going to stop Luka but what we did expect was to make it tough on him.

"That's the thing about this series. These games add up, and we're going to try to continue to wear him down as much as possible."

It was not an entirely perfect night for Doncic, though, who had 11 turnovers to his name – including five in the opening three minutes.

"Terrible," was Doncic's own assessment of his performance. "I had 11 turnovers. I've never had that much. I just want to win."

Doncic was influential in helping the Mavs claw back from an 18-2 deficit early doors and they led 71-66 with 9:10 left in the third quarter when a contentious decision turned the tide.

A foul was called on Doncic for palming the ball and was then grabbed by Marcus Morris in his haste to retrieve the ball.

Team-mate Kristaps Porzingis came rushing over and got into a shoving match with Morris, earning him a second technical foul of the game and leading to his ejection.

"KP had my back. He did it for me. He did it for his team-mate. He had my back," Doncic said.

"Not just me, but the whole team appreciates that. I don't think it was fair to take him out of the game, especially in the playoffs."

Porzingis, though, said he should have kept his emotions in check adding: "I saw him getting into Luka's face and I didn't like that. That's why I reacted.

"That's a smart, smart thing to do from their part. I've just got to be smarter and control my emotions, especially on the first one [technical foul]."

Elsewhere on Monday, Donovan Mitchell racked up 57 points as the Utah Jazz fell 135-125 in overtime to the Denver Nuggets.

That return marked a franchise record and was the third highest ever in a playoff game.

"The biggest thing was just to try to make the right plays," said Mitchell, who was 19 from 33 from the floor and 13 for 13 at the free-throw line.

However, Mitchell took responsibility for giving up an eight-second violation with a rare miscue.

With 1:54 left in the game and the Jazz up by four, Mitchell was unaware the shot clock had started at 22 seconds instead of the normal 24 because Rudy Gobert had blocked Nikola Jokic's shot out of bounds, which brought the play clock down.

Mitchell started walking the ball slowly up court and did not realise he had failed to pass midcourt in time, leading to him being pinged for the infringement.

"That's my fault as a leader and as a point guard at that time," Mitchell said. "That's terrible on my part.

"I kind of put that [on myself] there's really no one else to put it on. I was just taking my time walking it up, and I've got to be more aware.

"I think that was a crucial part of the game. At the end of the day, I'm not going to put it all on that one play, but that was a crucial part."

Howard and fellow former Los Angeles Laker Danny Green were presented with their 2020 championship rings before Thursday's encounter, which the Sixers won 109-101.

That was little thanks to Howard, who was dismissed by referee Jane Fitzgerald between the first and second quarters after intentionally walking into the Lakers' Montrezl Harrell.

Howard and Harrell had already been called for double technical fouls and the former's punishment as the altercation resumed meant an automatic disqualification

"Clowns. Guys just joking around. It's ridiculous on both parts. I didn't like, it, bottom line," Rivers said in an immediate reaction on the court and victory over the slumping Lakers did not soften his view too much.

"I just thought it was a very selfish play," he said, per ESPN.

"You got one tech, you can't get another one. We just have to have better discipline.

"I get it. I know there's a lot of emotion. But we had one center on our team, and he got thrown out.

"I was not very happy with that one. I know it's an emotional game. But he's a veteran. We got to have better discipline."

Harrell joined the Lakers in the immediate aftermath of Howard's surprise switch to Philadelphia.

Although the source of their bad blood remains unclear, Harrell was unrepentant afterwards, having theatrically waved Howard off the court as he remonstrated with Fitzgerald.

"I'm not backing down from nobody, man. I don't take that lightly. I don't take none of that disrespect," he said.

"You're not gonna push me all around the court and just feel like you're gonna big-boy me and just attack me or whatever.

"It's not in my blood, it will never be in my blood. I don't care what nobody feels about it, I don't care who don't like me. It is what it is."

The Knicks had won seven straight ahead of Friday's trip to the Heat but looked set to see that streak ended as they trailed by a point with only seconds remaining.

But Randle somehow worked room for a shot after initially fumble the ball on the right sideline and drained a stunning effort from three-point range.

Randle finished with 43 points and eight made threes, but it was understandably that final attempt that so frustrated Heat coach Spoelstra in a 122-120 defeat.

"If you did that play 100 times, 99 times out of that it's going to end up in our favour," Spoelstra said.

"That's just crazy unfortunate luck on our part and good fortune for them. He made a heck of a shot."

"Crazy" was how RJ Barrett described it, too, saying of Randle: "He just went crazy today.

"When you're in a mode like that and you're just making shots like that, the basket just gets bigger. We needed it, for sure."

Randle himself added: "It was fate. It felt good honestly when it left my hand. I was in the zone, I guess."

The forward so caught up in the moment he knocked Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau to the floor as he ran the length of the court to celebrate.

"He's a little mad at me right now," Randle joked later. "I need to talk to him."

Clifford had been the Magic's coach since May 2018, initially overseeing an upturn in form.

After six seasons without making the playoffs, Orlando had a 42-40 record in Clifford's first season to finish seventh in the Eastern Conference, losing to the Toronto Raptors in the first round of the postseason.

The Magic bowed out at the same stage of the following year's tournament to the Milwaukee Bucks and then struggled to stay competitive in 2020-21.

Clifford had the team at 15-29 approaching March's trade deadline when Orlando cashed in on their assets, having already lost one-time first overall pick Markelle Fultz to injury.

All-Star Nikola Vucevic left the team, along with Aaron Gordon and Evan Fournier, prompting a late-season run in which the team went 6-22.

Clifford used 32 different starting lineups but none of them more than six times, contributing to a 21-51 record only good enough for 14th in the 15-team East.

The Magic are therefore in position for a lottery draft pick and could receive a second from the Chicago Bulls, but Clifford will not be the man overseeing the new team.

"We would like to thank Steve for his contributions to the Orlando Magic," president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman said.

"We appreciate the many sacrifices he has made as our head coach and understand the timeline of our new path does not align with his goals as a head coach in our league."

Clifford reportedly had a year remaining on his contract but "mutually agreed" his exit.

'Coach K' is leaving Duke at the end of this season, having been the Blue Devils' coach since 1980.

Krzyzewski was denied a 16th ACC Tournament title with defeat to Virginia Tech in the championship game last weekend, but the possibility of a sixth national title remains.

The coach's final March Madness begins with his number two seed facing 15-seed Cal State Fullerton on Friday.

"I'm just going to go for it, and that's what I've tried to do all season long," Krzyzewski said. "I just want to be in the moment. I'm excited."

While Krzyzewski is looking forward to his 'last dance', he acknowledges the emotion around each game is trickier for his Blue Devils players to deal with.

"That's part of the thing this week, is to get them mentally fresh, not just physically fresh," the 75-year-old said.

"There's a lot of emotion with all my stuff, and it's over now. That's a lot for those kids."

The East Regional section of the tournament saw a big upset on Thursday with a 15 seed beating a two seed – Saint Peter's stunning Kentucky.

And Krzyzewski is well aware of the delicate situation Duke find themselves in as they seek to prolong his coaching career.

"Most of the time, they don't realise it's one-and-done until it's done," he said.

Banchero is considered one of the top prospects in the coming draft class after averaging 17.2 points and 7.8 rebounds across 39 games in a single season with the Blue Devils.

In the final season of coach Krzyzewski's 42-year Duke career, Banchero played a key role in the team's ACC regular season championship triumph, as well as their run to the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament.

Duke's season was ended by rivals North Carolina, but Banchero had 20 points, 10 rebounds and two blocks in that losing effort.

Now, he will take those talents to the NBA, announcing his entry to the draft in a video message that included words of thanks for his team-mates, fans and 'Coach K'.

"To Coach K, it was an honour to be a part of your final season," the forward said. "Thank you for pushing me every single day and expecting nothing but the best out of me.

Banchero added: "It has always been a dream of mine to play at Duke, and it has always been a dream of mine to play in the NBA.

"Duke has prepared me for that on and off the court. I'm excited to announce that I'll be entering my name in the 2022 NBA Draft.

"It has been a great journey and I'm blessed to be a part of 'The Brotherhood' for life."

Krzyzewski expects Banchero to have an impact among the pros, saying: "Paolo had a truly incredible season and is absolutely ready to attack the next phase of his playing career.

"He put up remarkable numbers and won awards, but he always put the team first. Paolo is a great leader in that regard and someone all of our players admired, even though he was just a freshman.

"He is so dynamic, explosive and versatile – a model player in today's NBA game.

"He did whatever we asked at a very high level. I loved having him and his family in our program and wish him all the best as his professional career begins."

Krzyzewski – affectionately known as 'Coach K' – is in his 42nd and final season in Duke's top job, and is in search of his sixth National Championship.

While his strategy and coaching style has seen Coach K earn stints as the head coach of USA's national team, he is buoyed this season by the presence of three likely first round picks in this year's NBA Draft. All three came to play on the big stage against Arkansas.

Number one pick candidate Paolo Banchero was strong, finishing with 16 points (four-of-11 shooting, seven-of-eight free throws), seven rebounds and a team-high three assists, top-10 pick A.J. Griffin scored an efficient 18 points on seven-of-nine shooting (two-of-three from long range), and late-first round center Mark Williams was a perfect six-of-six from the field to finish with 12 points, 12 rebounds and three blocks.

Duke will play the winner of the clash between Saint Peter's and North Carolina, with the former trying to become the first 15 seed to ever make it to the Final Four.

'Coach K' is in his 42nd season in charge at the school, and is searching for his sixth national championship.

His Blue Devils took on Michigan State and fellow Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame coach Tom Izzo in the second round on Sunday, pulling away late to win 85-76.

Duke boasts three likely first round picks in this year's NBA Draft, and they showed exactly why, headlined by potential number one overall Paolo Banchero.

Banchero, who stands at six-foot-10, showed his all-round game, hitting tough pull-up jump shots, flashing an advanced interior passing game and defensive mobility to finish with a team-high 19 points on 8-of-14 shooting, including 2-of-5 from long range, and an equal team-high four assists.

The Lynx capitalised on a strong start, claiming an 88-77 win over Connecticut Sun in Game 5 of the semi-finals.

It will be Minnesota's seventh WNBA Finals, a record for a team in the league. They have previously won four titles, the joint-most in the competition's history, and a win over the New York Liberty would move them outright top of the list.

Reeve, who has led the Lynx to all four of those previous titles, was full of praise for how the team saw out the win.

"I'm so proud. I can't tell you how badly our staff wanted it for them," she told reporters.

"It's a really special group. The number of people who have reached out to tell me how much they enjoy watching them play and that they're rooting for them is incredible.

"I feel overwhelmingly proud. We played Lynx basketball, and it was good to get back to it."

Napheesa Collier led the team, tallying 27 points and 11 rebounds, with Courtney Williams also contributing 24 points to help them to the win.

Reeve was impressed by both players, but in particular by the work that Collier has put in this season.

"What makes [Collier] special is her consistency and the way she shows up every single day," Reeve added.

"She's always the same, her work ethic, her demeanour, her passion for improving. She's just been incredible.

"It's more than scoring how she helps this team. When she plays like the MVP, our team is where it needs to be."

The Lynx, who finished second in the league and two games behind the Liberty during the regular season, have won three of four matchups with New York this year. That includes the WNBA Commissioner's Cup on June 25 to take the in-season tournament title.

The Finals begin with Game 1 on October 10.

In the Bulls' 129-116 success against the Pelicans on Wednesday, White and LaVine became the first team-mates in NBA history to each make at least eight three-pointers in the same game.

The pair combined for 76 points, the third time they have accumulated at least 75 together – only Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen have achieved that on more occasions (six) for Chicago.

LaVine was 17-of-25 from the field, including 9-of-14 from distance, as he racked up a season-high 46 points. White went 8-of-17 from beyond the arc for 30 points, with the Bulls shooting 59.3 per cent overall as they made a franchise record 25 three-pointers.

"We were due for a good team shooting night. We haven't been shooting the ball well as a team, especially at home, so it was time for a good team shooting night," said White.

"Everybody contributed and everybody came out locked in. We knew we let a couple games slip away. Tonight was a much-needed win for us, so we've got to come out and play big. Come out and compete and play the right game."

White shot over 50 per cent from the field for just the fourth time this season and is trying to ignore criticism from outside and focus on improving his on-court relationship with LaVine.

"I just stay the course. Basketball's filled with ups and downs. You're never gonna please everyone," said White.

"I'm still growing and I'm still learning and I know that. I've just got to be who I am, come out and play and block out all the noise – that's the most important thing."

He added of LaVine: "We're continuing to grow. We're continuing to get better, we're continuing to figure each other out playing together. This is the first time we're playing together this year, so we're continuing to grow. We both never get too high or low, we're more focused on the winning part."

LaVine, who also put up seven rebounds, four assists and one block, was not surprised by his performance and was pleased to see White getting hot too.

"That's big. I didn't know that," LaVine said when asked for his reaction to the historic performance from himself and White.

"We're explosive to be able to do that, two really good shooters. Obviously you're not gonna be able to hit shots like that throughout the whole entire game but I'm glad and very happy for Coby that he got back on track. He showed that confidence in him again.

"Coby's a very explosive scorer. Sometimes he's just got to go out there and play his game to get back in rhythm."

On his own display, he added: "I expect to do that. I put in the time and effort. It happens that way. You hit a couple, get hot. You wish it could happen every game. Obviously, it can't. But when you get in a zone, you want to stay in it."

Cam Thomas scored 44 points from the bench as the Nets overturned a 23-point deficit at Barclays Center.

The Nets were without star players Kevin Durant, Ben Simmons and Kyrie Irving, the latter missing with a calf issue having this week requested a trade.

Irving was not in attendance, with Vaughn saying "we were all in agreement on him not being here", as the Nets coach hailed his team's mental fortitude.

"We stacked the deck, I think, at mentally challenging them tonight," he told reporters. 

"We didn't get off to the start that we wanted to, but we responded. We talked about it at half-time that it was more than the physical piece of this game that we were missing, it was the mental piece of this game.

"Definitely a shift in our mentality. And we got rewarded for it.

"It's proof, it's evidence of who we want to be as a team. We talked about what day of the week, what state we're in, how many guys are available.

"It just doesn't matter. You have the ability and the choice to lock in and play and the group that we had did that."

Thomas' points haul was a career-best tally for the 21-year-old, who has played 35 times this season but is yet to make a start.

Edmond Sumner added 29 points but used his post-match press conference to laud his team-mate's match-winning efforts.

"I'm watching him score after score. Cam's a guy that once he gets that type of rhythm, you've just got to let him go," Sumner said.

"He can run off 10, 15, 20 straight. In the fourth quarter, he really picked it up and got it. Get it going, Cam. Go to work my guy. I love it."

Saturday's game marked an 11th start of the season for Sumner, who can empathise with Thomas when it comes to a lack of opportunities.

Sumner added: "People don't see what we really go through every day.

"It's hard not playing games when you're busting your butt every day – it's hard. For you to always stay mentally happy, it's tough.

"I know how hard he works, how talented he is. We stay ready every day, we compete against each other almost every day, so that was huge.

"I love that everybody on this team was happy for him and then we let him go to work."

The Los Angeles Lakers do not know how long they will be without LeBron James but expect it to be more than two weeks, according to reports.

James' right foot soreness appeared on the Lakers' injury report on Monday as he was ruled out of Tuesday's game against the Memphis Grizzlies.

That will not be the extent of the 38-year-old's absence, however, having appeared to sustain the injury in the third quarter of Sunday's win over the Dallas Mavericks.

Replays showed there was no contact made with James before he went down.

The Athletic's Shams Charania reported James would miss "an extended period of time", and ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski added he would be reassessed in a fortnight with the expectation he would not be fit to return.

There are just shy of six weeks remaining of the regular season, of which James is likely to be absent for a significant chunk.

The Lakers are running out of time to rescue their season, improving following the trade deadline but still half a game outside the play-in places.

The Celtics won 126-110 on Thursday to move two games ahead in their Eastern Conference finals series against the Pacers.

Indiana were also dealt a blow when star player Tyrese Haliburton suffered a hamstring injury, which the Pacers will wait agonisingly on.

Yet with the Pacers having overturned a deficit to overcome the New York Knicks in the last round, Celtics coach Mazzulla knows the job is nowhere near done.

"The only thing we should be thinking about is, they were down 2-0 a series Tago and brought it to Game 7," Mazzulla said.

"They do a great job protecting their home court. They're undefeated at home. It's going to take a lot more than confidence to get the job done.

"We have to focus on the details and the execution and the mindset, the things that go into playing against a team like this at home.

"I know they're going to respond so it's up to us to do the same."

Jaylen Brown starred again for the Celtics, finishing with 40 points on the day he missed out on an All-NBA selection.

"We're two games from the Finals," he said when asked about that snub. "So, honestly, I don't have the time to give a f***."

Indiana, meanwhile, face the prospect of having to fight back against the NBA's best team without their key player.

"He does so many things for our team," T.J McConnell said of Haliburton.

"I think everyone has to move the ball more, get in the paint more. The ball movement has to be at another level. He gets 10 assists in his sleep, so it's hard for another person on our team to replicate that. It's a group effort when he goes down."

Pacers coach Rick Carlisle added: "We'll know more [on Friday] and then probably more Saturday."

The league sent a memo to teams on Monday outlining plans for them to open their complexes in safe and controlled environments. 

According to the stipulations set by the league, only four players would be permitted at a facility at a time, no coaches would be allowed participate and no kind of practices or scrimmages could be held. Players also remain prohibited from using non-team facilities. 

These rule changes also only pertain to those franchises that reside in a city rescinding its stay-at-home orders. For those teams in cities that still have social-distancing restrictions in place, the league said it will work with the club to develop an alternative.  

While the league pegged May 8 as a possible date for facilities to open, that date could be pushed back depending on the COVID-19 outlook.

Before the league contacted teams, Atlanta Hawks general manager Travis Schlenk said earlier  onMonday he had no plans to open the team’s complex  onFriday, the first day it was being reported that the NBA could open some facilities. 

The state of Georgia is loosening some of its restrictions, but Schlenk would prefer to see how things play out.

“We currently have no plans to open our facility on Friday,” Schlenk said. “Obviously the state is going to start opening up, but let’s see what happens before we open up. The last thing you want to do is have the state open up and have a second wave come through, so we’re going to see how the state reacts to being open first before we make any decisions about our facility.” 

Gobert mocked the measures in place to prevent the virus from spreading by jokingly touching reporters' microphones when leaving a news conference earlier this week.

The 27-year-old has since tested positive for COVID-19, forcing the Jazz's game against the Oklahoma City Thunder to be postponed on Wednesday.

The NBA was subsequently suspended indefinitely, too, although Gobert was not initially named as the player with a positive test result despite widespread media reports.

Gobert, whose Utah teammate Donovan Mitchell has also tested positive for coronavirus, took to social media on Thursday to confirm the diagnosis.

"I want to thank everyone for the outpouring of concern and support over the last 24 hours," he wrote.

"I have gone through so many emotions since learning of my diagnosis... mostly fear, anxiety, and embarrassment.

"The first and most important thing is I would like to publicly apologise to the people that I may have endangered. 

"At the time, I had no idea I was even infected. I was careless and make no excuse. I hope my story serves as a warning and causes everyone to take this seriously. 

"I will do whatever I can to support using my experience as way to educate others and prevent the spread of this virus.

"I am under great care and will fully recover. Thank you again for all your support. I encourage everyone to take all of the steps to stay safe and healthy. Love."

Gobert was named the Defensive Player of the Year in both the 2018 and 2019 seasons, and he was an All-Star for the first time this year.

NBA teams have been criticised after the Brooklyn Nets revealed four players – including superstar Kevin Durant – contracted COVID-19 amid the pandemic.

New York City mayor Bill de Blasio questioned the Nets, insisting "tests should not be for the wealthy, but for the sick" as the world struggles to contain the virus, which has claimed more than 8,900 lives globally.

The Nets defended testing players on Wednesday – citing the use of a private laboratory – while the Oklahoma City Thunder insisted they did not use state resources following the news that all players and staffers returned negative results for coronavirus.

"There's nothing irresponsible – if you've got that information [that you've been exposed] – about trying to get the tests," Roberts told ESPN.

"The problem that more of us can't get the tests – and I'm not apologetic about saying it – in my view, that rests at the foot of the federal government. They were responsible for making sure we were protected in that regard, and I think they failed.

"We shouldn't be fighting about this now... but once this is done and we get through it, and we will, let's figure out who screwed up and fix that."

The NBA has been on hiatus since Utah Jazz pair Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell tested positive for COVID-19.

The Jazz were scheduled to face the Oklahoma City Thunder before it was postponed on March 11, prompting the suspension of the league.

De Blasio took to social media after the Nets announced four players tested positive for COVID-19, including injured superstar Kevin Durant.

Durant's positive test comes after Utah Jazz pair Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell contracted the virus, which continues to disrupt sport around the globe, with the NBA on hiatus.

De Blasio questioned the Nets as the world struggles to contain coronavirus, with at least 7,900 deaths.

"We wish them [Nets] a speedy recovery," De Blasio wrote in a tweet.

"But, with all due respect, an entire NBA team should NOT get tested for COVID-19 while there are critically ill patients waiting to be tested.

"Tests should not be for the wealthy, but for the sick."

In response to testing criticism, NBA spokesperson Mike Bass told ESPN: "Public health authorities and team doctors have been concerned that, given NBA players' direct contact with each other and close interactions with the general public, in addition to their frequent travel, they could accelerate the spread of the virus.

"Following two players testing positive last week, others were tested and five additional players tested positive.

"Hopefully, by these players choosing to make their test results public, they have drawn attention to the critical need for young people to follow CDC recommendations in order to protect others, particularly those with underlying health conditions and the elderly."

As the NBA heads to the Walt Disney Resort in Orlando to resume the season, commissioner Adam Silver expressed concern for some of the league's older coaches such as Gregg Popovich, 71, Mike D'Antoni, 69, and Alvin Gentry, 65.

"There are people involved in this league, particularly coaches, who are obviously older people," Silver said during an interview on TNT on Thursday. "We're going to have to work through protocols, for example, and it may be certain coaches may not be able to be the bench coach.

"They may have to maintain social-distancing protocols, and maybe they can be in the front of a room, a locker room, or a ballroom with a white board, but when it comes to actual play we're not going to want them that close to players in order to protect them. So those are all issues that we are continuing to work through."

While extra safety precautions may be necessary to keep older coaches safe, having them stay away from the bench area appears to be one the league is considering.

Dallas Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle, president of the NBA Coaches Association, said he spoke with Silver.

"The health and safety of our coaches is first and foremost. It's entirely possible that an NBA coach in his 60s or 70s could be healthier than someone in their 30s or 40s," Carlisle said in a statement.

"The conversation should never be solely about a person's age. Adam assured me that we would work through this together to help determine what is both safe and fair for all our coaches."

The NBA was this week suspended indefinitely amid the spread of COVID-19, with league commissioner Adam Silver saying that will remain the case for at least 30 days.

In response, Kevin Love, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Blake Griffin all donated $100,000 to the arena staff of their respective teams to help those who will be hardest hit by the halting of NBA action.

Zion Williamson vowed to cover the salaries of all staff at the New Orleans Pelicans' Smoothie King Center for the next month.

Steph Curry, meanwhile, was influential in a collaboration involving Golden State Warriors players, coaches and owners pledging $1million to aid Chase Center employees.

Their efforts caught the attention of Obama, who praised them on Twitter.

"A shout out to Kevin, Giannis, Zion, Blake, Steph and all the players, owners and organizations who are setting a good example during a challenging time," wrote Obama.

"A reminder that we’re a community, and that each of us has an obligation to look out for each other."

Relief efforts have also seen Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban initiate a system to financially support the arena workers at his team's American Airlines Center.

Earlier this week, Obama had highlighted the impact cancelling large sporting events and other significant public gatherings can have in the fight against the virus.

He wrote: "If you're wondering whether it's an overreaction to cancel large gatherings and public events (and I love basketball)… these measures can slow the spread of the virus and save lives. We have to look out for each other."

Jerry Colangelo, the chairman of the board of the governors for the Hall, said on ESPN on Wednesday that the original dates of enshrinement weekend, August 28-30, and the proposed alternate dates of October 10-12, are "just not feasible" in light of the coronavirus pandemic.

The board of governors will convene on June 10, he said, to explore the exact dates for next year.

"We're definitely cancelling," Colangelo said. "It's going to have to be the first quarter of next year. We'll meet in a couple weeks and look at the options of how and when and where."

The 2020 class is headlined by Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett and Kobe Bryant and also includes former Houston Rockets coach Rudy Tomjanovich, 10-time WNBA All-Star Tamika Catchings, Baylor women's coach Kim Mulkey, Bentley College women's coach Barbara Stevens, former FIBA and IOC executive Patrick Baumann, and former college coach Eddie Sutton, who died on Saturday. 

Though both the 2020 and 2021 events will now take place in the same calendar year, Colangelo said there will be separate ceremonies for each class.

"We won't be combining them," he said. "The class of 2020 is a very special class and deserves its own celebration."