December will be a huge test for the Lakers, who will embark on their longest road trip of the season in the middle of the month .
The purple and gold will spend 12 days away from Los Angeles, traveling to seven different arenas. When they return, it will be a battle for city supremacy, as they “host” the Clippers on Christmas Day.
The Lakers’ time on the road will also pit them against some of the best teams that they play only twice per year, as December features away games against the Eastern Conference’s top three playoff seeds from last year: Cleveland, Toronto and Miami.
December Games: 16 Home: 6 Away: 10 Playoff Opponents: 8 National TV Games: 4 Home Opponents: Utah (twice), Phoenix, New York, Clippers, Dallas Road Destinations: Toronto, Memphis, Houston, Sacramento, Brooklyn, Philadelphia, Cleveland, Charlotte, Miami, Orlando
Full Schedule
Key Matchups Dec. 16 at Philadelphia (5 p.m. PT; Time Warner Cable SportsNet/ESPN) Storylines will run amok when the Lakers and 76ers square off in Philly. Top billing will go to the battle between first-overall pick Ben Simmons and No. 2 selection Brandon Ingram, who will surely be compared to one another for the rest of their careers. Plus, Simmons faces his old high school teammate, D’Angelo Russell — the man picked second-overall last year, just one spot ahead of Philadelphia’s Jahlil Okafor. On top of all that, rookies Ivica Zubac and Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot will be on opposing squads after playing together in the Serbia last year.
