Sports
Why are there no NBA games today? 2023 NCAA Tournament … – Sporting News
There’s a lot at stake during the final week of the NBA regular season. On a nightly basis, the standings will shuffle as teams look to secure spots in the NBA Playoffs and the Play-In Tournament.
As important as the last week of the season is, it begins with a schedule devoid of NBA games — each of the league’s 30 teams will be idle on Monday, April 3.
Why are there no NBA games today? The Sporting News explains the late-season pause in NBA action.
There are no NBA games today because of the NCAA men’s national championship game, which will be played on Monday, April 3.
This schedule quirk is far from unprecedented as it has become something of an annual tradition — since 2018, the NBA has only scheduled games during the 2021 men’s national championship, a product of the league’s truncated season.
More often than not, the NBA keeps its schedule clear in order to keep the spotlight on the NCAA finalists and, on some occasions, allows active alumni of those schools to attend the game.
San Diego State will meet Connecticut in the 2023 NCAA men’s basketball championship at 9:20 p.m. ET on Monday, April 3. The game will be played at NRG Stadium in Houston, home of the NFL’s Houston Texans.
After earning a thrilling win over Florida Atlantic at the buzzer, San Diego State punched its ticket to the national championship game. Connecticut moved on to the championship game with a convincing win over Miami.
San Diego State is looking for its first-ever NCAA title while Connecticut will go for the fifth title in program history, the last coming in 2014.
While San Diego State has yet to win a national title, one of its most esteemed alums is Leonard, a two-time NBA champion, two-time Finals MVP and member of the NBA’s 75th Anniversary Team. Leonard is one of three active San Diego State alums currently on an NBA roster.
UConn has produced a number of legendary NBA players, including Hall of Famer Ray Allen. Currently, the list of active Connecticut alumni in the NBA is headlined by veterans in Drummond and Gay.
