Ahead of the playoffs, the National Basketball Association on Saturday informed the head coaches of the respective teams that they may start working without masks during games if they have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19. 

However, according to the prescribed protocols, assistant coaches and players will still be required to wear masks in the bench area. But head coaches may choose to go without masks after pre-game introductions through halftime, then again after halftime until the game concludes, according to a memo sent by the league.

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Although head coaches will have to wear masks even during halftime and warmups and shootaround before the start of the third quarter and postgame. 

The league said it was making the mask change “to facilitate in-game coaching duties, and in light of vaccination rates among NBA head coaches” along with recently updated guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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For the playoffs, the NBA is going to see its largest crowds of the season. Miami Heat announced Saturday that, starting with Game 3 of its series against Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday, it has increased capacity to 17,000 fans. 

The Heat said the NBA, along with local government, approved increased seating capacity, and it would remain in place for the rest of the playoffs.