Los Angeles Clippers, Los Angeles Lakers Play Through Wildfires

The Los Angeles Clippers and Los Angeles Lakers returned to NBA action as wildfires continued to rage in Los Angeles, finding the situation “tough.” Despite two Lakers games and one Clippers game being postponed, Monday’s contests proceeded with both teams dedicating the night to the community and emergency services. The Lakers fell to the San Antonio Spurs 126-102 while the Clippers triumphed 109-98 over the Miami Heat.

The fires still burning in the Los Angeles area have already claimed at least 24 lives with 23 people missing and over 90,000 under evacuation orders. Lakers coach JJ Redick, who lost his home in the Palisades was among those affected. The players expressed mixed emotions about playing amid such a crisis. Lakers forward Anthony Davis reflected on the bittersweet nature of the game, scoring 30 points and grabbing 13 rebounds despite his team’s third consecutive loss.

“It sucks that we weren’t able to get the win, but there are bigger things happening in the world,” he said, emphasizing the struggles many were facing outside the arena. Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Clippers wore “LA Strong” t-shirts before their game in Inglewood. James Harden led the charge, scoring 21 of his 26 points in the second half as the Clippers came from behind to win.

Harden and teammate Norman Powell discussed the emotional toll of playing amidst the tragedy with Powell noting the difficulty of focusing on basketball while the city dealt with such devastation. Kawhi Leonard returned from Denver to ensure his family’s safety in the hard-hit Pacific Palisades area. Despite the challenges, both teams demonstrated resilience, reminding the world of the importance of unity during tough times.