Three major Los Angeles sports teams have paid tribute to first responders and offered consolation to fans as they return to action in the fire-ravaged city.
The Los Angeles Rams reached the second round of the NFL playoffs, while the Lakers and Clippers played their NBA games on Monday.
“Sports is a lot of things and sports can definitely be an escape and a distraction,” said Lakers coach JJ Redick, who lost the home he shared with his wife and two sons when The Palisades fire last week.
“Hopefully tonight's sports will bring some excitement as well,” Redick said.
More than 90,000 people were still displaced as of Monday, seven days after many flames burst forth driven by the wind.
At least 24 people have been killed and thousands left without homes, and authorities warned that winds expected to intensify again on Tuesday could lead to “extreme fire behavior and conditions that is life threatening. “
Two Lakers games and one Clippers game were canceled before Monday's contests, and both teams dedicated the night to the community and first responders.
The Lakers fell to the San Antonio Spurs 126-102 at their Crypto.com Arena in downtown LA while the Clippers beat the Miami Heat 109-98 at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood several kilometers to the south.
Meanwhile, the Rams defeated the Minnesota Vikings 27-9 in a round-robin NFL wild-card playoff game that was moved to Glendale, Arizona, because of the fires.
The home stadium of the Arizona Cardinals has been transformed with the colors and logos of the Rams. The team maintained a convoy of buses to bring fans from Los Angeles, with people arriving at SoFi Stadium before dawn to begin the six-hour journey.
Fans waved flags and signs thanking firefighters, and Rachel Platten performed her anthemic “Fight Song” in a pregame ceremony.
The song that celebrates resilience fits the “LA Strong” message posted by the city's beloved teams on Monday.
Earlier in the day, a dozen Los Angeles pro clubs pledged $8 million toward wildfire relief and outlined plans for three events to distribute supplies to those still affected by the wildfires. raiding the second largest city in the United States.
In addition to that concrete support, quarterback Matthew Stafford said the Rams are hoping to provide some emotional support as well.
“We knew who we were playing for,” he said. “It's a difficult time to be back (in Los Angeles). We're just glad we came out and played like this tonight to give (the fans) something to be happy about.”
Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said he hoped his team's game could “put a smile on some faces”, although he acknowledged “once these games are over it's still back to real life”.
Veteran James Harden, from Los Angeles, scored 21 of his 26 points in the second half to fuel the Clippers' comeback and after the game continued into the “LA Strong” theme.
“We're going through tough times right now,” Harden said. “Something we've never seen before. So it's very, very powerful for us to stand together… as one that we can stand together and get through.”
Spurs veteran Chris Paul, a former Clipper whose family had to evacuate their home in Los Angeles, said the uncertainty caused by the fires was hard on the visiting teams as well.
“But I think we, along with the Lakers maybe, were excited to get a chance to win,” said Paul, who was Redick's teammate when the two were with the Clippers.
He and Victor Wembanyama gave Redick's young sons jerseys after the game.
Lakers star Anthony Davis was only sorry that the Lakers could not come up with a victory.
“One thing we've found through the course of the COVID (pandemic) is that sports can bring joy back to people, even if it's temporary,” Davis said.
“We wanted to play basketball again in front of our fans – it's a shame we couldn't get the win.”
