The country’s eyes will be all over the Lakers in January, when more than half of their games will be aired on national TV.
It’s no surprise that this month is so popular, considering that the Lakers will face nine opponents who made last year’s playoffs, including Golden State, Houston and Philadelphia.
Fortunately for the Lakers, January ends with the season’s longest homestand: 11 straight days in L.A. for five contests (including a Clippers home game).
January
Games: 15
Home: 9
Away: 6
National TV: 8
Playoff Opponents: 9
Back-to-Backs: 1
Home Opponents: Oklahoma City, New York, Detroit, Cleveland, Chicago, Golden State, Minnesota, Phoenix, Philadelphia
Road Destinations: Minnesota, Dallas, Utah, Oklahoma City, Houston, Clippers
Key Matchups
Jan. 2 vs. Oklahoma City (7:30 p.m. PT; Spectrum SportsNet and ESPN)
The Lakers open up the new year by hosting the Thunder for the only time all season. Fans will surely be hyped when their hometown team takes on L.A. natives Russell Westbrook and Paul George.
Jan. 29 vs. Philadelphia (7:30 p.m. PT; TNT)
With the King now in L.A., the 76ers are now seeking to become the first non-LeBron James team to win the Eastern Conference since 2010 (back when the Celtics lost to the Lakers in the NBA Finals). There’s no shortage of star power, as James, Kyle Kuzma, Brandon Ingram and Lonzo Ball face Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons.
Jan. 31 at LA Clippers (7:30 p.m. PT; Spectrum SportsNet)
Clippers guards Lou Williams and Patrick Beverley have been making some noise this season by saying the Clippers are still the best team in L.A. LeBron and and Josh Hart (who dropped a career-high 30 points in last season’s finale against the Clips) will have a different answer.