Monday morning was supposed to be a homecoming for Jaime Jaquez and Kevin Love, with the Miami Heat’s shootaround scheduled to be on the UCLA campus. Instead, the former Bruins found themselves in enemy territory, with the team’s gameday practice shifted to the USC campus.
In the big picture, namely the Los Angeles wildfires that threatened to encroach on the UCLA campus, a small concession amid far greater concerns.
“It’s tough to put into words the devastation that’s happened through these fires,” said Love, who played at UCLA in 2007-08. “So we’re just praying for those people, trying to help out wherever we can, provide resources.
“But again, heart, soul, head, everything is hurting for everyone.”
Another Heat player with ties to Southern California is guard Josh Christopher, who is from Carson and has specific memories of what now are charred stretches of the Pacific Coast Highway.
“As a kid who grew up in this area and has taken many trips down PCH and looks at the houses and kind of admires ’em, to see ’em all burned down is awful, and send condolences to all the people who have lost (loved) ones, those that have lost their houses,” Chistopher said as the Heat worked ahead of Monday night’s game against the Los Angeles Clippers at the Intuit Dome. “I feel for them.
“As somebody who has a granny who lives in L.A. and that’s safe, it’s just important that we hug our loved ones, because you never know.”
The Clippers, Lakers and other Los Angeles-area teams have pledged financial and other relief, with Monday the first night of professional sports in the area since the outbreak of the fires.
“It’s good to also see L.A. come together and just to show love and be there to support and help,” said Christopher, who starred scholastically at Mayfair High School in Southern California. “That’s what this is all about at the end of the day. When things get hard, just have each others’ backs, and that’s what L.A. has always been about. So it’s good to see that, and we’ll be back.”
Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said he appreciated the thought that went into the decision to resume play in the area.
“I think the NBA, they have a good handle on things, what’s going on and what we need to do,” he said, as his team prepared for Monday night’s game. “So when they make a decision, we’re all in. They know we are going through a tough time right now, the state of California. They understand that.
“And so hopefully we can bring some kind of joy when the game comes back, some togetherness, try to put some smiles on people’s faces in tough times.”
As it was, the Clippers and Los Angeles Rams were scheduled to hold games in a similar timeframe Monday at venues within about a mile of each other, with the NFL instead moving the Rams’ playoff game against the Minnesota Vikings to the Phoenix area, amid concern about air quality at the Rams’ outdoor stadium and other factors.
The Heat will remain in Los Angeles for a Wednesday night game against the Los Angeles Lakers at Crypto.Com Arena that closes out their six-game western swing.
Minor thoughts
While rookie guard Pelle Larsson remains with the Heat, coach Erik Spoelstra said minutes could be possible for the second-round pick with the team’s G League affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce.
“I’m not there yet,” Spoelstra said. “But we’ve been talking about it. I think he’s now finally gotten back fully healthy on this road trip. So we’ll see. We’ll see how the rest of the trip works out.”
Larsson, who had been dealing with an ankle sprain, played double-digit minutes in Saturday night’s victory over the Portland Trail Blazers for only the second time in 10 games.
As for the Skyforce, they announced they have regained the G League rights to former Heat guard Alondes Williams, who last week was cut from his Detroit Pistons two-way contract.
Williams, who played for Skyforce coach Dan Bisaccio during summer league in July, remains free to be signed by any NBA team.