Lakers vs Hornets Matchup Postponed as Los Angeles Wildfires Continue

Horrific wildfires have beset the city of Los Angeles since Tuesday, and they have now impacted their first Los Angeles Lakers game.

A slated Thursday battle between the 20-16 Lakers, losers of two straight contests, and the 8-28 Charlotte Hornets, losers of nine of their last 10 games, is being postponed by the league, sources inform ESPN's Shams Charania.

On the court, the Lakers could desperately use a win.

L.A. has been reeling of late. Most recently, the club was decimated by a very depleted Dallas Mavericks club in a Tuesday clash. Sans All-Star guards Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, Dallas put on a 3-point shooting clinic en route to a 118-97 massacre.

The Lakers looked slow and tired. 20-time All-NBA superstar power forward LeBron James, who has been recognized of late for taking great pains to preserve his body even during games, was frequently seen jogging between the two teams' 3-point arcs — thus minimizing his overall in-game mileage as much as possible.

James finished with a pedestrian-for-him 18 points on 6-of-12 shooting from the field (1-of-4 from long range) and 5-of-6 shooting from the charity stripe, 10 rebounds, eight assists, and a steal. Nine-time All-Star center Anthony Davis also notched a double-double, with 21 points on 7-of-18 shooting from the floor and 7-of-9 shooting from the foul line, 12 rebounds, three assists and two blocks.

The Mavericks enjoyed a balanced attack, with four players chipping in three or more 3-point makes. Dallas could get pretty much whatever it wanted against Los Angeles, with the club's defense especially nonexistent along the perimeter. The Mavericks shot 45-of-86 from the floor (52.3 percent) and 18-of-38 from long range. Dallas also enjoyed a huge edge in rebounds, 44-33, points in the paint, 52-40, and bench points 50-25.

Charlotte looked to be easy pickings for the Lakers, a nice opportunity to get back on their feet. At 8-27, the Hornets are the No. 13 seed in the Eastern Conference.

Here are the latest updates on the current fires:

• California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection
  • Eaton Fire
  • Palisades Fire
  • Hurst Fire
  • Sunset Fire
• L.A. County Fire Department
• L.A. County Government
• Watch Duty
  • Watch Duty organizes information on a map of the U.S., which is dotted with flame icons representing active wildfires
• Genasys Protect
  • Genasys Protect is a citizen site and app. Officials in your community use Genasys Protect to share safety information and instructions with you during emergencies.

To help, click here to donate to the California Fire Foundation. Click here to donate to the Salvation Army for fire relief efforts.