As wildfires continue to threaten large portions of Los Angeles, the city’s pro sports teams are postponing home games.
The NHL’s Los Angeles Kings were the first to act, scrapping a scheduled Wednesday night game vs. the Calgary Flames at Crypto.com Arena. The Lakers of the NBA followed suit on Thursday, postponing a matchup with the Charlotte Hornets; makeup dates for the two contests haven’t been determined yet.
“We’re heartbroken for Los Angeles. Our thoughts are with all those impacted by this unimaginable situation,” the Lakers said in a statement posted to the team’s social media accounts Thursday. “And our gratitude is with the first responders and all of you who come together when we need each other the most. Tonight’s game will be rescheduled to focus on what matters most today. We’re with you, L.A.”
Additionally, Clippers star Kawhi Leonard missed Wednesday’s game against the Nuggets in Denver to return to Los Angeles and be with family members who evacuated in the wake of the Palisades fire, according to ESPN. Leonard bought a home in Pacific Palisades in 2021. The Clippers’ next home game is scheduled for Saturday, also against the Hornets; there’s no word on whether it will take place.
In the NFL, the L.A. Rams are slated to host the Minnesota Vikings in a wild-card playoff game Monday night. As of publication time, the game was still set to take place at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, but the NFL has a contingency plan in place to move it to State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona (the home field of the Arizona Cardinals) if need be.
The UCLA and USC women’s basketball teams — both of whom are ranked in the top five — have home games scheduled for Sunday (vs. Northwestern and Penn State, respectively). The Hollywood Reporter has contacted both schools about possible schedule changes and will update this story with any responses. The schools’ men’s hoops teams are both on road trips to Big Ten opponents this weekend.
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