NBA officially postpones Hornets-Lakers amid LA wildfires

The Hornets will not play tonight.

Zach Roberts | 9 Hours Ago

Jan 7, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Charlotte Hornets forward Brandon Miller (24) looks to drive in during the first half again not the Phoenix Suns at the Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe-Imagn Images / Sam Sharpe-Imagn Images

In this story:

Charlotte Hornets

The Charlotte Hornets were initially supposed to kick off a road trip to the West Coast tonight against the Los Angeles Lakers. The NBA has been monitoring the wildfire situation in LA, as many in the area have been forced to evacuate. About nine hours before the scheduled tip-off, the league decided to go ahead and postpone the contest.

NBA pushes back Lakers-Hornets tilt

The NBA is postponing Lakers-Hornets game tonight at Crypto Arena due to raging wildfires across the Los Angeles area, sources tell ESPN.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) January 9, 2025

Shams Charania reported that the raging wildfires in the Los Angeles area are too much for the NBA to hold the game tonight. The Hornets don't play in LA very often, and they'll now have to find another day to play this contest.

This provides a unique scheduling wrinkle for the league and the Hornets to consider. Tonight's contest is part of a west-coast swing. This is done to avoid jet lag and to allow teams like Charlotte, which is located on the East Coast, to adjust to the time difference. This means that it can't just be put on any random off day, since that would mean traveling to LA when they may otherwise not be going out there.

Jan 7, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) reacts against the Dallas Mavericks during the second half at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images / Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

They'll have to find a day that works with both teams and allows for travel constraints. Perhaps shifting it to the end of this current trip makes the most sense, but there's no telling when it will be safe to play again. Charania didn't provide an update on when the game would be replayed, just that it was postponed.

The Hornets' next immediate game on the schedule is against the Los Angeles Clippers in LA, so it's worth keeping an eye on that contest, too. If both games are postponed, that makes rescheduling them that much more difficult.