With Vegas only a five-hour drive, (or approximately a five-minute flight) away, Angelenos can justify taking a quick trip to Sin City for just about any occasion. Halloween? Legitimate. National Pickle Day? (Tuesday, Nov. 14, for those wondering.) Sure, why not. That said, L.A. sports fans will have all sorts of better reasons to head to the desert, with Lakers preseason games aplenty and a new NHL franchise this winter.

Ball

NBA fans can see the city’s premier team before they hit Staples Center – that’s right, the Lakers are playing preseason games at T-Mobile arena. The state-of-the-art year-old venue is the perfect place to take in a game in between more typical Vegas debauchery. The team will take on some California rivals, including the Sacramento Kings on Oct. 13 and then the defending champion Golden State Warriors on Oct. 15.

The latter game will give fans a chance to see Lakers ’draft phenom Lonzo Ball go head-to-head with the likes of Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and the rest of the superhuman beings masquerading as a Bay Area NBA franchise. Will Ball stack up? Bet he first to see.

Arena eats

If you’re that “sports are pointless to follow “friend, there’s a way to not be a total party pooper should your group want to attend a T- Mobile event–eat!

T-Mobile Arena isn’t a soggy garlic-fry and withered weiner kind of place. Instead, feed your bicoastal nature with Shake Shack. The New York chain famous for its creative burgers, waffle fries and malts may have recently expanded to Los Angeles, but it’s definitely going to taste better in a sports venue setting.

If you’re feeling homesick and also insistent on a true arena food experience, grab a hot-dog from Pink’s. That’s right, the legendary La Brea hot dog spot has an outpost at T-Mobile to satisfy any Brando Dog cravings you may have two days away from L.A.

Ice in the desert

Hockey fans: Vegas now has an NHL team. Completely ignoring the odd juxtaposition of desert heat and ice hockey, this is great news for L.A. Kings fans, with another away venue nearby. The Golden Knights will play their first home game on Oct. 10, and their first game against the Los Angeles Kings on Nov. 19. Single game tickets are available at www.vegasgoldenknights.com.