Suspicious Package Delays NBA Playoff Game Between Heat & Hawks

The Miami Heat and Atlanta Hawks were all set to take the court for game three of their first-round NBA Playoff series last night. Tip-off was scheduled for 7:15 PM in Atlanta’s State Farm Arena. Fans would have to wait nearly an hour for the game to start.

The game was postponed as Atlanta police investigated a “suspicious package” that was found outside the venue. The alleged box was located near a statue of Hawks legend Dominique Wilkins. The Hawks announced the delay to fans via social media.

“Prior to tonight’s Eastern Conference First Round matchup between the Hawks and Miami Heat, a suspicious package was found outside Gate 2 of State Farm Arena. Out of an abundance of caution, Gates 1, 2 and 3 were temporarily closed by the Atlanta Police Department while the police department, K-9 units and Arena security worked to clear the area and investigate the contents of the package. The contents of the package were not found to be explosive, and the package was removed safely by the Atlanta Bomb Squad.”

Fortunately, nobody was harmed and nothing was threatening about the package. The game did eventually get underway, albeit a little bit late. Images on social media showed that police took the situation very seriously. A street directly in front of State Farm Arena was blocked off and closed.

It was worth the wait for fans. The two teams played a stellar game, with the hometown Hawks taking a 2-1 series lead by a score of 111-110. Given Atlanta’s history of bombings at high-profile events, it only made sense to delay the game to make sure everything was alright.

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