The NBA postponed the game between the Lakers and the Hornets due to the wildfires in LA
The NBA postponed the Los Angeles Lakers’ home game against the Charlotte Hornets on Thursday due to several massive wildfires in the greater Los Angeles area.
This is the second day the game scheduled to be played in downtown Los Angeles has been postponed. The NHL’s Los Angeles Kings were scheduled to host the Calgary Flames on Wednesday night.
The date of the postponed games will be announced later. The Kings said tickets for the postponed game against Calgary will be good for the rescheduled date.
After two days of unusually strong winds, three large fires broke out in areas of the huge Los Angeles metroplex. A major threat arose Wednesday evening in the Hollywood Hills, near the heart of the entertainment industry, but was contained by Thursday morning.
About 180,000 people are under evacuation orders, and the fires are burning about 45 square miles (117 square kilometers) – about the size of San Francisco. The Palisades fire is already the most destructive in Los Angeles history.
The Vikings-Rams playoff game is still set for Monday
The Los Angeles Rams sent a statement to season ticket holders and fans Thursday morning reiterating that Monday night’s NFC wild-card postseason game against the Minnesota Vikings will be played as scheduled at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood on Monday night.
The NFL said Wednesday evening that if the game has to be moved, it will take place at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, home of the Arizona Cardinals.
In 2003, the league moved a Monday night regular season game between the Miami Dolphins and the San Diego Chargers to Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona due to wildfires.
The Rams and Los Angeles Chargers both practice in non-fire danger areas, but both teams are monitoring air quality and its potential impact on practices.
The Chargers changed their practice schedule Tuesday to minimize their players’ outdoor time in coastal El Segundo. The Chargers travel to Houston after practice on Thursday and an AFC wild-card game against the Texans on Saturday.
Coach Jim Harbaugh coached the Chargers’ offense and defense separately to limit their time on the field. On Wednesday, the air quality in the team’s complex was 185. Anything above 150 is considered unhealthy.
The Rams had their first practice on Thursday. Their headquarters is in Woodland Hills, a neighborhood about 13 miles north of fire-ravaged Pacific Palisades but separated by the Santa Monica Mountains.
WATCH: Wildfires engulf Los Angeles:
Multiple wildfires have engulfed Los Angeles County, destroying dozens of buildings and forcing tens of thousands of people to flee their homes. Crews battling the fires are also battling high winds and dwindling water supplies.
Los Angeles Clippers star Kawhi Leonard abruptly left the team before Wednesday’s game in Denver for what the team described as personal reasons. Leonard bought a home in Pacific Palisades in 2021.
“You’ve definitely got to take care of the house … I got my back 100 percent,” Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said. “He goes back, checks on his family and his kids, makes sure they’re OK. And he’s back and they’re OK, so we’re very happy and grateful.”
The Pepperdine women’s basketball team has also postponed its scheduled Thursday night home game against the University of Portland at Firestone Field House on the school’s Malibu campus, the West Coast Conference announced. Pepperdine canceled classes Wednesday and restricted access to its waterfront campus.
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