Los Angeles wildfires urge sports teams, fans to respect first responders | American Soccer News

Los Angeles’ three major sports teams paid tribute and comfort to first responders returning to action in the fire-ravaged city.

The Los Angeles Rams advanced to the second round of the NFL playoffs, while the Lakers and Clippers played NBA games on Monday.

“Sports are a lot of things, and sports can certainly be an escape and a distraction,” said Lakers coach JJ Redick, who lost the home he shared with his wife and two sons when the Palisades fire broke out last week.

“I hope the sport can bring a little joy tonight,” Redick said.

More than 90,000 people remained internally displaced as of Monday, seven days after the surge wind-driven flames flared up.

At least 24 people have been killed and thousands left homeless, and authorities warned that winds forecast to pick up again on Tuesday could lead to “extreme fire behavior and life-threatening conditions”.

Two Lakers games and one Clippers game were postponed before Monday’s kickoff, and both teams dedicated the night to the public and first responders.

The Lakers fell to the San Antonio Spurs 126-102 at the Crypto.com Arena in downtown LA, while the Clippers beat the Miami Heat 109-98 a few miles south at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood.

Meanwhile, the Rams beat the Minnesota Vikings 27-9 in an NFL wild-card playoff game that was moved to Glendale, Arizona due to fires.

The home stadium of the Arizona Cardinals has been changed to the colors and logos of the Rams. The team chartered a caravan of buses from Los Angeles to bring fans, people arriving at SoFi Stadium early in the morning to begin the six-hour journey.

Fans held up flags and signs thanking the firefighters, and Rachel Platten sang her anthem, “Fight Song,” at the pregame ceremony.

The song, which celebrates toughness, fits the “LA Strong” message sent by the city’s favorite teams on Monday.

Earlier in the day, multiple Los Angeles pro clubs pledged $8 million for wildfire relief and announced plans for three events to distribute supplies to those affected by the fires still ravaging the second-largest US city.

In addition to that particular support, quarterback Matthew Stafford said he hoped the Rams would provide a little emotional lift.

“We knew what we were playing for,” he said. “It’s a tough time to be back (in Los Angeles). We’re just glad we came out and played like this tonight to get something to make (the fans) happy.”

Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said he hopes his team’s game “can put some smiles on some faces,” though he acknowledged that “after these games are over, it’s still going to be back to real life.”

Los Angeles veteran James Harden scored 21 of his 26 points in the second half to spark the Clippers’ comeback, leading to an “LA Strong” postgame theme.

“We’re going through some tough times right now,” Harden said. “It’s something we’ve never seen before. So it’s very, very strong for us to stand together … as someone who can stand together and get through this.

Spurs veteran Chris Paul, a former Clipper whose family had to evacuate their home in Los Angeles, said the uncertainty caused by the fires has also been difficult for visiting teams.

“But I think with the Lakers, we were probably excited to get a chance to shoot some hoops,” said Paul, who was Redick’s teammate when both were with the Clippers.

He and Victor Uembanyama gave Redick’s younger sons jerseys after the game.

Lakers star Anthony Davis only lamented that the Lakers couldn’t win.

“One thing we’ve found during the COVID (pandemic) is that exercise is bringing people back joy, even if only temporarily,” Davis said.

“We wanted to play basketball again in front of our fans – we just couldn’t get the win.”