The NBA canceled the Los Angeles Lakers home game against the Charlotte Hornets on Thursday due to several wildfires burning throughout the Los Angeles area.
This is the second day in a row that a slate game played in downtown Los Angeles has been canceled. The NHL's Los Angeles Kings were expected to host the Calgary Flames on Wednesday night.
The date of the rescheduled matches will be announced later. The Kings said tickets for their game against Calgary would be good for the rescheduled date.
Three large fires have burned in parts of the greater Los Angeles metroplex after two days of extraordinary winds. A major threat broke out Wednesday night in the Hollywood Hills, near the heart of the entertainment industry, but was contained by Thursday morning.
About 180,000 people are under evacuation orders, and the fires have consumed about 45 square miles (117 square kilometers) – about the size of San Francisco. The Palisades Fire is already the most destructive in the history of Los Angeles.
The Vikings-Rams playoff game is still set for Monday
The Los Angeles Rams issued a statement to season ticket holders and fans Thursday morning reiterating that Monday night's NFC wild card game against the Minnesota Vikings is still scheduled to be played Monday night at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood.
The NFL said Wednesday night that if the game had to be moved, it would be held at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz., home of the Arizona Cardinals.
In 2003, the league moved a Monday night regular season game between the Miami Dolphins and San Diego Chargers to Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Ariz., because of wildfires.
The Rams and the Los Angeles Chargers both practice in areas that are not at risk of fires, but both teams are monitoring the air quality and its potential impact on the some work.
The Chargers changed their practice schedule Wednesday to reduce the amount of time their players spend outside on the El Segundo coast. The Chargers leave after Thursday's practice for Houston and their AFC wild card game against the Texans on Saturday.
Coach Jim Harbaugh had used the Chargers' offensive and defensive units separately to limit their time on the field. The air quality at the team's facility was 185 on Wednesday. Anything above 150 is considered unhealthy.
The Rams held their first practice on Thursday. They are headquartered in Woodland Hills, an area about 13 miles north of fire-ravaged Pacific Palisades, but separated by the Santa Monica Mountains.
WATCH l Out-of-control wildfires engulf Los Angeles:
Several wildfires have engulfed the Los Angeles county area, destroying dozens of buildings and forcing tens of thousands to flee their homes. Crews fighting the fire are also battling strong winds and dwindling water supplies.
Los Angeles Clippers star Kawhi Leonard abruptly left the team before their game in Denver on Wednesday for what the team said were personal reasons. Leonard bought a house in Pacific Palisades in 2021.
“You definitely have to take care of the home. … Absolutely my support was 100 percent,” Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said. “Going back, checking on his family and his kids, making sure they're OK. And he got back, and they're doing okay, so just happy and grateful for that.”
The Pepperdine women's basketball team has canceled its home game scheduled for Thursday night against the University of Portland at Firestone Field House on the school's Malibu campus, the West Coast Conference announced. Pepperdine suspended classes Wednesday, and access to its waterfront campus is limited.
