Lakers will play Suns on Christmas

The Kobe versus Shaq matchup is no longer part of the NBA’s Christmas TV schedule, but the Lakers remain a big part of the league’s holiday showcase.

Instead of playing the Heat on Christmas, the Lakers will play host to Steve Nash and the Phoenix Suns at Staples Center at 2 p.m. with the game broadcast on ABC.

It’s the ninth consecutive year the Lakers will play on Christmas. The game is part of the NBA’s triple-header on Dec. 25, as Miami visits Cleveland in an ABC broadcast, followed by the Suns-Lakers game, and then closes with Greg Oden and Kevin Durant meeting for the first time as pros as Portland plays host to Seattle on ESPN.

Another holiday treat is scheduled for Dec. 30 when the Lakers play host to the Boston Celtics, giving local fans their first look at Kevin Garnett in his new Celtic-green uniform.

The Lakers and Clippers released their schedules Thursday and even though the gap between the two teams is close on the court, the gap off it remains big. The Clippers have 12 nationally televised games compared to 33 for the Lakers.

The Clippers start the season with eight of their first 13 games at home. They open the season at home against Golden State on Friday on Nov. 2, then play host to Durant, the No. 2 pick in the draft, and Seattle on Nov. 4. After a three-game trip, the Clippers return home to face LeBron James and the Eastern Conference champion Cleveland Cavaliers on Nov. 11.

The Lakers have a tough early schedule. They open their season by hosting Houston and Yao Ming on Tuesday Oct. 30, then travel to Phoenix to play on Nov. 2. The Lakers also play Utah, San Antonio, Houston again, Detroit, Chicago, Indiana, Boston, New Jersey, Denver and Utah again, in November.

The Lakers get their first look at Durant when they play host to the SuperSonics on Nov. 27.

The Kobe Bryant vs. LeBron matchup in Los Angeles takes place Sunday, Jan. 27 at Staples Center; the 12:30 p.m. game will be televised on ABC.

The first meeting between the Clippers and Lakers is scheduled for Dec. 16 with the Lakers as the home team. The teams alternate home games in their remaining matchups on Feb. 23, March 7 and April 10.

Oden, the No. 1 pick in the draft, and the Trail Blazers won’t appear in Los Angeles until February, when Portland plays the Lakers and Clippers on the 26th and 27th, respectively.

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is siding with former Dallas Mavericks player Roy Tarpley in his legal fight for reinstatement by the NBA, which banned him in 1995 for violating the league’s substance abuse policy.

The EEOC ruled that the NBA violated the Americans with Disabilities Act by failing to reinstate Tarpley, 42, who has passed all drug tests taken in the last four years, EEOC District Director Spencer Lewis wrote in a letter of determination dated May 17. The letter was sent to Tarpley, the Mavericks and league attorneys.

In a separate letter, Lewis wrote that the EEOC’s attempt to mediate an out-of-court resolution failed, clearing the way for Tarpley to sue within 90 days. He is seeking at least $6.5 million, said Joe Walker, his attorney.

“The goal of the whole action is to get him reinstated,” he said.

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The Associated Press contributed to this report.