Bucks to resurface new floor at BMO Harris Bradley Center
The Milwaukee Bucks will have to wait a bit longer to be able to play on their newly designed floor at the BMO Harris Bradley Center.
After an inspection and review with flooring industry manufacturers on Wednesday, NBA officials determined the floor needs to be resurfaced. The refinishing is expected to take three weeks. In the time being, the Bucks will play on their old court, which was most recently used during last year's playoffs.
The slippery surface of the new court caused Milwaukee's preseason finale against the Toronto Raptors to be canceled with 5:58 to play in the first quarter. Multiple players slipped and fell early on, causing the officials to halt the game for 20 minutes before calling it off.
"We (the officials) concluded that the floor was just unplayable," NBA referee Danny Crawford said after canceling the game. "We went out beforehand, because it's under the control of the Bucks to make a decision initially. We went out initially and tested the floor, and we thought floor was OK.
"Once the players started slipping, we said we should end this just to make sure we have no issues later."
Crawford said the issue was not caused by condensation, which was confirmed with Wednesday's decision to resurface the floor. Unveiled at an event at the Milwaukee Art Museum in September, the Robert Indiana-inspired court features a matte finish rather than the usual glossy or shiny finish of most basketball floors.
The Bucks also announced a unique ticket deal for to guarantee fans to be in attendance when the new floor is back at the Bradley Center. Any fan who purchases a “New Floor Guaranteed” ticket for select upper-deck seats for the home opener on Nov. 2 will receive a complimentary ticket for every subsequent home game until the new floor returns.
Milwaukee plays four home games in the next three weeks, not including Saturday's home opener against Toronto.
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