Oklahoma City has postponed the high school state basketball tournaments at the State Fair Arena.
Several parts of Oklahoma suffered through wildfires on Friday, and the current situation has sparked evacuation orders for threatened residential areas. According to the reports, nearly 75,000 residents were without power on Friday. Oklahoma wildfires can now impact the OKC Thunder’s home schedule as well.
Oklahoma City has already postponed the high school state basketball tournaments at the State Fair Arena. As per the authorities, the situation will remain the same on Saturday. Fueled by 120 km/h winds and dry conditions, the wildfires caused road closures and severe structural damage.
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Both the NBA and the Thunder franchise are monitoring the situation in northern and western Oklahoma, which are reportedly the most affected areas due to fires. The OKC Thunder’s next home matchup is scheduled for Mar. 19, and it will be followed by one more game on Mar. 21.
Earlier in January, the NBA postponed the league games due to the LA wildfires, and if the same situation occurs, then the league might take a call. Meanwhile, the intensity of the LA wildfires was high compared to the Oklahoma wildfires. There are high chances that the situation will get better before the next home game on Wednesday.
Paycom Center, OKC Thunder’s home arena, is located in downtown Oklahoma City, and it’s 19 miles from the affected area like Norman. Some Leedey and Norman residents were asked to evacuate to safe areas on Friday. The state also suspended any transportation of oversized loads.
A low visibility was reported on Friday afternoon in western Oklahoma. The National Weather Service and Oklahoma Forestry Services advised people to stay home and prepare for an evacuation if the situation got out of control.
As per Oklahoman, the northwesterly winds would be moving at an average of 15 to 20 miles per hour, with maximum wind gusts up to 28 miles per hour on Saturday. “Fires are still ongoing and damage assessments are not yet complete,” the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management said.
OKC Thunder will go on a two-game homestand next week and will be back again for another four-game homestand in the final week of this month. Oklahoma City are already in the playoffs with an overall record of 54-12. They are sitting at the top of the Western Conference.
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