Sunday’s matchup between the Orlando Magic and San Antonio Spurs is getting a later tipoff than originally planned. The NBA has officially pushed the start time from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. ET due to ongoing weather-related travel issues.
This all stems from a winter storm that’s been sweeping through North Carolina - the same storm that already forced the Spurs' Saturday game in Charlotte to be moved up three hours. After that early-afternoon game, San Antonio’s plan was to fly home immediately. But nature had other ideas.
The Spurs ended up stuck on the tarmac for two hours before the airport shut down operations entirely. With no way out, the team spent the night in Charlotte, hoping to catch a morning flight back to Texas.
As of now, the league is banking on improved conditions to get the Spurs home in time for Sunday night’s game. But if the weather doesn’t cooperate, more scheduling changes could be on the table.
Meanwhile, the Magic have already landed in San Antonio. They arrived late Saturday afternoon, which means they’ll likely head into Sunday’s game with fresher legs and a full night’s rest - a rare luxury in the NBA’s travel-heavy grind.
This isn’t the first time weather has thrown a wrench into the league’s plans this winter. Just last week, Winter Storm Fern forced the postponement of two games - Nuggets at Grizzlies and Mavericks at Bucks - both of which have since been rescheduled for March. That shuffle also led to adjustments in the timing of two other games, a reminder of how interconnected the NBA schedule really is.
For now, all eyes are on the skies - and on whether the Spurs can make it back in time to host the Magic.