The NBA has announced the postponed LA Clippers versus Los Angeles Lakers January 28 game has been rescheduled for April 9.
The LA Clippers and Lakers have played twice this season with the Clippers coming out victorious in both and the two clubs are set for two more meetings before the end of the regular season, one which was postponed due to the tragic passing of Kobe and Gianna Bryant.
Staples Center will see its final matchup between the Clippers and Lakers in the regular season on April 9 to finish the four-game regular-season series between the two LA sides.
The news was made official on Twitter on Friday.
The NBA has rescheduled the Lakers-Clippers game from Jan. 28 to April 9
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) February 21, 2020
As far as the significance of rescheduling this game goes, it does mean that both the Clippers and Lakers have scheduling changes.
For the Clippers, their matchup against the Chicago Bulls, which was scheduled for April 8, has been moved two days ahead to April 6. No other schedule changes were made that will affect the Clippers directly.
As for the Lakers, the rescheduling now means the April 9 matchup against the Golden State Warriors will move up two days to April 7. The Lakers will also reschedule their matchup against the Bulls from April 7 to April 8. When looking at the schedule for the Lakers, this means that the Clippers’ biggest rival will have to play three games in three days near the end of the regular season.
The Clippers will end the season with five Western Conference matchups, now including the matchup against the Lakers. Of those five games, only two of the teams, the Jazz and Lakers, are in the playoffs for now with the other three, the Minnesota Timberwolves, Golden State Warriors and Portland Trailblazers, all being on the outside looking in on the postseason.
The schedule change could be good for the Clippers to jockey for playoff positioning down the final stretch seeing as the Clippers have had the Lakers number so far this season.
Currently sitting at the three seed behind the Lakers and Nuggets, the Clippers will be looking for every opportunity to move up in the standings and having two more chances at the Lakers and Nuggets respectively will be beneficial for the club moving forward.
Seeing the matchup between the Clippers and Lakers be rescheduled is welcome news and we’ll see how well both LA sides are moving forward ahead of their third and fourth matchup before the much anticipated postseason.