The NBA announced on Friday that it has rescheduled a game between the Los Angeles Lakers and LA Clippers that was postponed last month for April 9th. The matchup between the two rivals was moved due to the sudden passing of Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna, and seven others in a helicopter crash.
Due to scheduling conflicts for all teams and for Staples Center, the Lakers will now have to play three games in three nights.
Their updated schedule follows:
On April 7th, the Lakers will host the Golden State Warriors (game originally scheduled for the 9th).
On April 8th, the Lakers will host the Chicago Bulls (game originally scheduled for the 8th).
On April 9th, they will host the Clippers.
The scheduling of the game comes near the end of the season. The Lakers will have only three games left in the regular season following their bout with the Clippers. It is likely that the organization gave their blessing for the date knowing they will likely have the opportunity to rest players.
If the Lakers hold their current four-game lead on the first seed until then, the game against the Clippers would only matter in the event that a team would win the tiebreaker over them. The Clippers are currently five games back in the standings but hold a 2-0 lead in the season series. One more win would clinch the head-to-head tiebreaker in the event that they make up that deficit in the next two months.
The Lakers’ next three games following their April matchup against the Clippers will be against the Timberwolves, Kings and Suns.
