NBA games on different coasts of the US have been postponed due to opposite extreme conditions
Hawks were greeted by a winter storm when they arrived back in Atlanta early Friday morning after a long trip up the West Coast.
Although most of the storm had moved out of the Atlanta area by Saturday morning, the dangerous icy conditions it left behind prompted NBA officials to postpone the Hawks’ scheduled home game against Houston Rockets.
The league said the decision was made “to prioritize the safety of players, fans and staff due to inclement weather and hazardous ice conditions in the Atlanta area.” The Rockets’ flight arrived in Atlanta before the delay was announced.
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A basketball on the court next to the NBA logo during halftime of the 2023 NBA Summer League game between the Portland Trail Blazers and the Houston Rockets at the Thomas & Mack Center on July 7, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
AND winter storm brought snow and ice to the Atlanta area Friday, and some roads are expected to ice up again Saturday night.
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The number of power outages around Atlanta increased Friday night as trees falling on power lines became a widespread problem. More than 110,000 customers were without power, mostly in the Atlanta area.
A truck is impaled while another spins its wheels in slush near Interstate 285 northeast of downtown Atlanta on Friday, Jan. 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Jeff Amy)
Dangerous icy conditions in the southeastern part USA come amid a vastly different set of extremes on the West Coast. Southern California continues to struggle with devastating forest fires which were launched earlier this week in the greater Los Angeles area.
On Friday, NBA announced that the Lakers and Clippers home games scheduled for January 11 will not take place as originally planned due to the ongoing forest fires.
“The NBA and the Clippers and Lakers organizations have communicated with local officials in Los Angeles and Inglewood regarding the ongoing situation in the Los Angeles area and postponing games ensures that no resources are diverted from fire response efforts,” the league said in a statement.
Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California.
The Lakers’ home game against the Charlotte Hornets on January 9 was previously postponed.
The NBA also announced that the National Basketball Association will donate $1 million to the American Red Cross and other organizations to help with disaster relief efforts.
Lakers have been playing home games in downtown Los Angeles for several decades. The Clippers stopped sharing an arena with the Lakers at the start of the 2024-25 NBA season, when the franchise moved to the $2 billion Intuit Dome in nearby Inglewood, California.
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It remains unclear whether the conditions will result in the postponement of additional Lakers or Clippers home games. Rescheduled dates for the postponed Hawks, Lakers and Clippers games will be announced at a later date, the league said.
The Hawks should be the hosts Phoenix Suns January 14.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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