NBA cancels game between Celtics and Pacers after Boston Marathon blasts
A Celtics game set for Boston's TD Garden on Tuesday has been canceled. (Randy Belice/Getty Images)
The NBA announced Monday that a game between the Pacers at Celtics set for Tuesday night at TD Garden has been canceled in light of the Boston Marathon explosions. The game will not be rescheduled.
"The NBA expresses its sympathy to all those affected by the tragedy in Boston earlier today," an NBA spokesperson said in a statement on Monday.
Earlier Monday, The National Hockey League postponed a game between the Boston Bruins and Ottawa Senators set for Monday night at TD Garden.
CNN.com reported Monday that multiple people were killed and more than 100 were hurt after two bombs were detonated near the finish line of the Boston Marathon.
The blasts occurred a few seconds apart, shrouding downtown Boston's Copley Square in smoke. Paramedics were treating several victims at the scene, and police ordered onlookers to back away from the area, CNN Producer Matt Frucci reported. The explosions occurred about 2:45 p.m., about an hour after the first runners had crossed the finish line, Frucci said.
At least 132 people – including eight children – have been injured in the bombings, according to Boston-area hospitals. Boston police earlier said that two people were killed. At least 17 of the injured are in critical condition, and at least 25 are in serious condition, area hospitals said.
President Barack Obama addressed the attack on Monday.
"We don’t yet have all the answers," Obama said, according to a transcript posted on The Daily Beast. "But we do know that multiple people have been wounded, some gravely, in explosions at the Boston Marathon. ... We still do not know who did this or why. And people shouldn’t jump to conclusions before we have all the facts. But make no mistake -- we will get to the bottom of this. And we will find out who did this; we'll find out why they did this. Any responsible individuals, any responsible groups will feel the full weight of justice."
Tuesday's scheduled game did not not carry any playoff implications. Indiana, currently the No. 3 seed, cannot catch the Knicks, who are in the No. 2 position, and cannot be caught by the No. 4 Nets by virtue of a tiebreaker. Boston, currently the No. 7 seed, cannot be caught by the Bucks, who are in the No. 8 position, and cannot catch the No. 6 Bulls because Chicago holds a tie-breaker.
Boston is currently 41-39; Indiana is 49-31. Both teams will conclude their 2012-13 schedules having played just 81 games. The NBA's 2012-13 regular season ends on Wednesday with the postseason set to begin this weekend.
