Five Upcoming LA Sporting Events To Watch

Los Angeles never sleeps when it comes to sports. Here are five sporting events to watch in the next few months. 

Los Angeles is the second-largest city in the United States and is set to play host to some of the best sporting events of the summer. From the National Basketball Association playoffs to a huge regular-season Major League Soccer matchup between LA’s two clubs, there are a lot of exciting events to look forward to. Let’s look at some of the best sporting events happening in LA this spring and summer.  

Los Angeles Lakers | Western Conference First-Round

The Lakers may be out of the postseason when readers see this post. However, if they make it out of the play-in round of the NBA playoffs, they will host multiple Western Conference postseason games at Crypto.com Arena. The aging Los Angeles squad still has LeBron James and Anthony Davis, but it prioritizes the health of its two stars over the results. The team did something similar last season, and the Lakers had to participate in the play-in series, but the strategy saw them reach the Western Conference Finals. 

This year, they have an easy path. A victory over the 7th-seeded New Orleans Pelicans in New Orleans on April 16 would cement a playoff spot and a date with the Denver Nuggets in the first round of the playoffs. With a loss, the 8th-seeded Lakes would need to beat the winner of Sacremento’s battle with Golden State to retain the 8th seed and face the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder in the postseason. 

Miami Marlins at Los Angeles Dodgers

There is a chance that both Los Angeles teams will still be playing basketball when the Miami Marlins come into town to face the Dodgers on May 8. The Dodgers are the odds-on favorite to win the World Series in 2024 and one of the league’s most popular teams. While it is difficult to stream MLB games with blackout restrictions, Los Angeles fans have it much easier, as only the Mets, Yankees, and Red Sox have more nationally televised games. They welcome a Marlins team that surprised many by going 84–78 last year in Skip Schumaker’s first season as manager. 

The success did not carry over into 2024. The Marlins lost their first nine games for the worst start in franchise history. They had never lost more than four games to start a season and only have eight other losing streaks of at least nine games. It was only the 14th time in baseball history that a team started 0–9. They’ll face one of the best teams in the league at Dodgers Stadium in May.

Dallas Mavericks at Los Angeles Clippers | Western Conference First-Round

An NBA season that featured a Clippers team outperforming the Lakers is rare. However, that is precisely what happened in 2023–24. The Kawhi Leonard and Paul George-led Clippers finally put it together and were good enough to secure the #4 seed. All that did was earn them a date with Luka Doncic and the red-hot Dallas Mavericks team that won 15 of its last 19 games. Two of those four losses came in the final two games of the regular season, with Doncic and Kyrie Irving out.

Doncic has a strong case for the MVP but has a lousy history against this Clippers team. Twice, Luka has been outstanding in a first-round series against the Clippers but lost the series. 

Las Angeles Galaxy at Los Angeles Football Club | July 4

Major League Soccer is as popular as ever, and Los Angeles might be the sport’s epicenter. It is the only city with two teams, with both clubs making the top 10 in ESPN’s latest power rankings. 

They are set for the biggest match of the year on Independence Day, with the Rose Bowl playing host. The Galaxy will be the home team in this match, but it will be played on a neutral field, not at Dignity Health Sports Park. The Galaxy are currently topping the table with just one loss on the season, while LAFC is just four points behind. 

The two clubs faced each other earlier this season at BMO Stadium, a match that LAFC took 2–1. It was an exciting match that saw the first goal scored in the first five minutes, but the final goal was ultimately scored in the 35th minute. 

Texas Rangers at Los Angeles Angels | May 17

The Los Angeles Angels don’t have much to be excited about these days. After Shohei Ohtani’s departure to the cross-town rival Dodgers, a team that lost over 90 games last season continued to plummet down power rankings before the 2024 season began. However, they will welcome the defending world champion and division rival Texas Rangers to town in mid-May for a three-game set. 

The Rangers got off to a slow start like the Angels, but they have sat atop the AL West in the early parts of the season because every team in the division is struggling. 

What Else Is Coming Up?

If you’re a sports fan in Los Angeles, there will be plenty of action in the summer months. From the Dodgers and Angels to more MLS action, fans won’t be bored waiting for football and basketball season to return.