LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — The Los Angeles Lakers have made it to the Western Conference for the first time in ten years after the Lakers’ LeBron James led the team past the Houston Rockets.

The Lakers came out on top, beating the Denver Nuggets 126-114 in Game 1, which aired Friday at 6 p.m. PT.

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, no fans were physically present at the ESPN Wide World Of Sports Complex but ticket-holders were still watching from home.

LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers moves the ball against the Denver Nuggets in Game One of the Western Conference Finals during the 2020 NBA Playoffs at AdventHealth Arena at the ESPN Wide World Of Sports Complex on September 18, 2020 in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)

The Nuggets made it to t...

NEWPORT BEACH (CBSLA) — A passenger was killed early Sunday morning after a driver led police on a high-speed chase that ended in a deadly crash.

An Orange County patrol officer was trying to make a traffic stop of a stolen black Honda Accord near Goldenwest Street and Ellis Avenue around 5:35 a.m.

The driver, who police said maintained legal speeds at first, did not pull over and led police on a pursuit through the downtown Huntington Beach area before accelerating to more than 100 miles per hour.

The pursuit was later canceled due to the high speed and reckless driving, which eventually led to a single-vehicle crash of the suspect car in Newport Beach that killed the passenger and seriously injured the driver.

Both occupants of the vehicle were only identified as male adults,...

SANTA ANA (CBSLA) — Orange County reported 190 new cases of coronavirus and one additional death on Sunday, bringing the countywide total to 52,063 cases and 1,128 fatalities.

Hospitalizations in O.C. are also down and is currently at 194 patients. Of those, 65 of them are in the intensive care unit.

The county is currently in the red tier, the second-most restrictive tier in the state’s four-tier coronavirus monitoring system. It upgraded last week from purple, the most-restrictive tier, to red. To move up again, Orange County has to have a daily new case rate per 100,000 of 1 to 3.9 and a positivity rate of 2 to 4.9%.

Currently, O.C. has a daily case count of 4.7 per 100,000 people, which is an improvement from last week’s rate of 5.2.

The seven-ay rate of residents testi...

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — The Employment Development Department has announced plans to implement a two-week reset period designed to process claimant payments faster, reduce fraud, and tackle backlog issues.

The EDD says the changes are in response to recommendations provided by the Strike Team, which was established by Governor Gavin Newsom.

The changes intended to take effect include the implementation of ID.me—a new identity verification tool. The new system will require that identifying documents be uploaded including a self-photo. Other changes intended to take effect during the two-week period include redirecting more experienced staff from the phone lines to working through the oldest and most complex claims...

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — Los Angeles County health officials on Sunday confirmed 991 new cases of coronavirus and 23 additional deaths, citing a “weekend lag” for the lower numbers reported.

To date, 260,797 coronavirus cases have been confirmed in the county and a total of 6,353 deaths.

Of the positive cases, 765 patients are hospitalized and 30% are in the intensive care unit. Numbers have been amended to reflect earlier reporting that included non-L.A. County residents.

Officials continue to urge Angelenos to avoid gathering with people outside your household to prevent the risk of coronavirus transmission.

“As we prepare for the fall, we must acknowledge that COVID-19 remains a significant threat,” said L.A. County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer...

YUCAIPA (CBSLA) — Firefighters Sunday continued to battle the deadly El Dorado fire burning in San Bernardino County.

The fire erupted Sept. 5 near Oak Glen and west Yucaipa in San Bernardino County as a result of a stunt at a gender reveal party. It was estimated to have scorched 22,489 acres and was 59 percent contained.

To date, one fatality has been recorded, as the body of a missing firefighter was located. Thirteen others have been injured. The fire has damaged two structures, destroyed 4 others, and continues to threaten 26,031 homes.

Overnight, firefighters say the fire had decreased to the east as it burns into the old Lake fire burn-area.

“With the forecasted weather, firefighters continue to make progress building containment line and putting in hose lays around in k...