Well, this is one of the weirder moments in Nets lore.
It’s not often you get a rain delay in basketball, but that’s where we are: referees delayed Nets-Heat with 1:47 left in the first quarter for 31 minutes, after the roof began leaking water (presumably from the rain outdoors) onto the court.
go nets pic.twitter.com/UBfm6C35P9
— Dane Carbaugh (@danecarbaugh) December 17, 2014
More, from a cut via YES Network:
The arena released this statement via their Twitter account, saying that the leak was due to the installation of their new “green” roof:
Tonight's delay was caused by a water leak due to the installation of our new green roof. We've taken all necessary steps to rectify.
— Barclays Center (@barclayscenter) December 17, 2014
While a few players stayed on the court to shoot around, the Heat went to the visiting locker room to watch the Warriors play the Grizzlies, as did most of the Nets, including Joe Johnson.
“I didn’t even know it was raining outside,” Johnson said after the game. “I was like, ‘how the hell we got a leak and it ain’t even f***ing raining?”
“It was a little weird, but it’s part of it, man. Things happen. It was just a little break for us. Just trying to get back to it.”
Both Johnson and Deron Williams said they’d never been a part of something like the rain delay, but Lionel Hollins — who’s been around the NBA for almost every year since 1975 — said delays like that, though not usually rain-based, are not that uncommon. “Happens all the time. It’s part of the NBA. I was in a game, not playing, but coaching, when Shaq broke the basket in Phoenix. I was in Portland when David Thompson broke the backboard on a dunk, and they had to bring in the other one.
“Lights cut out, it happens. It’s nothing — It’s not often, but it’s not so unusual that you would be shocked that it happened.”
Barclays Center staff began with putting towels down on the court, trying to limit the damage, but had to bring out two separate trash cans when the leak wouldn’t stop.
