The Lakers arrived just 39 minutes before their scheduled tip off against the Warriors on Tuesday night.
It took the team 2 1/2 hours to get to Ontario, where the exhibition game was held, because of a traffic jam caused by a brush fire near the Pomona Freeway.
The Lakers were still able to beat the Warriors 113-107 despite their late arrival.
"I think we'll take a helicopter next time," coach Phil Jackson told the Los Angeles Times.
The team typically arrives 90 minutes before game time, as mandated by the NBA.