Michael C. Wright, ESPN Staff Writer
After postponing several Saturday games Wildfires continue to break out in Los Angeles areaThe NBA has informed the Lakers and Clippers that their regular games are expected to be played on Monday at Crypto.com Arena and the Intuit Dome.
The Lakers will host the San Antonio Spurs and the Clippers will host the Miami Heat.
“It’s above my pay grade,” Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue said when asked if it was appropriate to play Monday. “I think the NBA, they have a lot of understanding of what’s going on and what they need to do. Good shot. So they made the decision that we’re going through a tough time in California right now, and they understand that.
“Hopefully we can bring some joy through our return tomorrow and come together like you have and try to put a smile on people’s faces during these difficult times.”
The league on Friday postponed Saturday’s games between the Spurs against the Lakers and the Charlotte Hornets against the Los Angeles Clippers, and those games will be rescheduled for a later date.
The NBA also said it would donate $1 million to the American Red Cross, World Central Kitchen and other organizations for emergency relief. The Lakers will also host a donation drive at home games starting Monday, encouraging fans to bring unused, unopened items to support relief efforts at Los Angeles area food banks.
There are multiple wildfires breaking out in the Los Angeles area, and about 105,000 people are still under mandatory evacuation orders. The Palisades Fire is already the most destructive fire in Los Angeles history, destroying more than 5,600 structures on more than 24,000 acres. At least 16 people died as a result of the fire.
“This is probably the biggest thing I’ve ever been a part of,” Lue said. “Seeing families and people losing their homes, losing their businesses, losing their loved ones. It’s just devastating and it’s hard to really understand what they’re going through right now.”
Spurs guard Chris Paul, a Los Angeles resident who played for the Clippers, expressed concern for the community after the team’s loss in Milwaukee on Wednesday night. Paul said his wife and children evacuated their home on Tuesday.
“It’s absolutely horrific, what happened,” Paul said. “I send so much love and prayers to some of my closest friends and family who have lost everything.”
Clippers forward Nicolas Batum said the team has been “going through some crazy stuff” over the past five days, including last Wednesday’s game in Denver when Los Angeles was evacuated.
“That game in Denver was weird all day long,” Batum said. “I was on the phone with my family all day. I didn’t sleep that night… I think I stopped looking at my phone three minutes before the game. I checked it at halftime. I’ve never done that. . Just to make sure my wife and kids are okay.”
The Spurs flew into Los Angeles shortly after the Milwaukee game and arrived in Santa Monica early Thursday. The club checked into the team hotel in Santa Monica but decided hours later to move to a hotel in downtown Los Angeles for precautionary reasons.
The NBA previously postponed Thursday’s game between the Lakers and Hornets at Crypto.com Arena, which has not yet been rescheduled.
Lakers coach J.J. Redick said last week that he lost his home in the Palisades fire.
After Monday’s game, the Lakers are scheduled to host the Heat on Wednesday, while the Clippers host the Brooklyn Nets.
ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne and Dave McMenamin contributed to this report.
