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Hornets' away games against the Lakers, Clippers postponed due to wildfires
The team said in separate statements that dates for the rescheduled games would be announced later.
LOS ANGELES — The ongoing wildfires in the Los Angeles area have led the National Basketball Association (NBA) to postpone Thursday evening’s game between the Charlotte Hornets and the Los Angeles Lakers.
The NBA announced the postponement in a statement on X, formerly known as Twitter. A date for the rescheduled match will be announced later.
“The entire NBA family sends its thoughts and support to the community of Los Angeles during this challenging time. We are grateful for the thousands of local firefighters and first responders who have demonstrated enormous bravery. Our prayers remain with those affected by the unimaginable devastation caused by the wildfires,” part of the statement read.
On Friday, the Hornets announced Saturday’s game against the Los Angeles Clippers would similarly be postponed. A future date for the Clippers game will be announced at a later time.
The team also offered support to those impacted as well in a statement shared on X.
The Hornets’ next game will be Sunday, Jan. 12 on the road. They will tip off against the Phoenix Suns at 9:30 p.m. Eastern time.
The wildfires have forced roughly 180,000 people in the Los Angeles area to evacuate and have thus far ripped through about 45 square miles — roughly the size of San Francisco. Five people have been reported dead as of Thursday.
Fires don’t usually blaze at this time of year, but specific ingredients have come together to defy the calendar in a fast and deadly manner.
Contact Nick Carboni at ncarboni@wcnc.com and follow him on Facebook, X and Instagram.