Ahead of their first game back from All-Star break, the Pacers arrived at the Wells Fargo Center to an unwelcome surprise.
Freezing temperatures.
A spokesman for Comcast-Spectacor, which operates the Wells Fargo Center, told VigilantSports.com that Philadelphia is having unusually low temperatures and when the facilities’ garage door was opened to let the team bus and other delivery vehicles in, the cold air followed.
The spokesman shot down the report that the heater is broken, saying that it is working just fine. “No issue,” he said, and reiterated that the game will go on as scheduled.
The Philadelphia 76ers do not own or operate the Wells Fargo Center, but are only tenants.
Pacers players and staff were unusually cold during morning shootaround. It was 13 degrees in Philadelphia early Friday afternoon, but felt like 3 degrees, according to weather.com. Players wore extra layers to combat the cold but it still was not clearly enough.
“So cold had to wear full sweats in shoot around this morning in philly,” Pacers guard C.J. Watson said in an Instagram post, along with a long list of frustrated hashtags. “#DamnShame #BadWorkingConditions #TheyTryingToFreezeUsOut #NoExcusesTho #BakToWorkTonight”
Seriously, it's legit cold in here this morning for shootaround in Philly! pic.twitter.com/9mLWYNpojz
— Krissy Myers (@PacersKrissy) February 20, 2015
Are things so bad in Philly that they can't afford to turn on the heat? You can almost see your breath in here. pic.twitter.com/Nx8R0xhdhE
— Mark Joseph Boyle (@Mark_J_Boyle) February 20, 2015