Week three of the 2021 National Basketball League has been postponed due to the extension of the nationwide level four lockdown.
On Friday, the government announced the entire country would stay in level four until at least Wednesday, August 25, which severely impacts the NBL's schedule.
The league postponed round two's fixtures earlier this week and have now made the decision to go a step further and suspend week three, with games scheduled from August 26-29.
"The League’s priority is to complete the full 2021 season in a safe environment," says an NBL spokesperson.
"Ideally we want our athletes, the six teams, our commercial and broadcast partners, and the fans to enjoy a full season, but understandably this is subject to government regulations.
"We are fully supportive of the current lockdown and everyone in the Sal’s NBL family is firmly focused right now on doing our bit to support Aotearoa and our team of 5 million."
The league is contemplating a shorter season to enable as many games to be played as possible, but they say they need "four uninterrupted weeks" to complete the entire season and full, which remains the priority.