Cleveland Next Stop on Lakers’ Frozen Journey

CLEVELAND — The Lakers, basketball’s hottest team, got another dose of cold weather Thursday on their way here, where they will play tonight against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Now 2-0 with two games to go on the trip, the Lakers beat the Bucks Wednesday night in Milwaukee, where the temperature was sub-zero. It was so cold that the Lakers took a bus to the Milwaukee Arena, even though it was across the street from the hotel.

Traveling here, the Lakers boarded a connecting flight in Chicago and spent an hour and a half waiting to take off because the O’Hare Field luggage-handling equipment had frozen.

The weather forecast for today calls for snow. But as cold as the weather has been, the Lakers remain just the opposite. They will carry a 22-3 record into the Richfield Coliseum, including three consecutive victories and 18 wins in their last 20 games.

Denver, which has two victories over the Lakers, and the Cavaliers are the only teams that have beaten the Lakers this season. The loss to the Cavaliers occurred in the Lakers’ home opener at the Forum Nov. 5, when Edgar Jones came off the bench and scored 24 points in a 129-111 decision.

The Lakers will play at Landover, Md., against the Washington Bullets Saturday night before returning to Los Angeles for Christmas.