The NBA officially confirmed schedule changes after the Los Angeles wildfires forced the postponement of three games.
A game between the Atlanta Hawks and Houston Rockets was also postponed due to icy conditions and has been rescheduled as well.
As a result of these three games being rescheduled, the league also confirmed another six games have been altered to accommodate the changes.
Big Changes
The Charlotte Hornets will now travel to Los Angeles to face the Lakers on Feb. 19, right after the All-Star Break. The Hornets will return to Los Angeles on March 16 to face the Clippers.
One game still unscheduled is the San Antonio Spurs against the Lakers in Los Angeles. It will be confirmed at a later time.
The Rockets, meanwhile, will travel to Atlanta on Jan. 28 to play the game originally slated for Jan. 11.
Clippers Most Affected By Changes
In addition to the matchup with the Hornets, the Clippers have three others games altered.
They will now face the Chicago Bulls on Jan. 20 instead of Jan. 21, the Washington Wizards on Jan. 23 instead of March 16, and travel to Utah to play the Jazz on Feb. 13 instead of March 19.
Eastern Conference teams usually play both Los Angeles teams on one trip, often on back-to-back nights. This will not be the case for Charlotte, which faces the Lakers and Clippers one month apart following the All-Star Break.
Fire Damage
At least 25 people have died because of the wildfires. Approximately 82,000 people remain under mandatory evacuation orders. More than 12,000 structures have been damaged or destroyed.
Among the destroyed structures are the homes of several NBA players, coaches and staff. Lakers head coach JJ Redick is among those who lost their home to the fire.
Clippers superstar Kawhi Leonard was recently asked about his own home, and while he didn’t confirm anything, made a fairly telling comment.
“As we know, everybody is not OK,” Leonard said. “You seen the houses burn down, so it’s self-explanatory.”
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