2016-17 Schedule Breakdown: February

Previous Breakdown: October/November | December | January | February | March

Clippers.com has
analyzed the schedule after its release earlier this month and
also took a look at
10 of the biggest games for the coming season. Now, this
latest series takes a closer look at the schedule with a monthly breakdown,
moving on to February.

LOS ANGELES – The Clippers have to hope they got their rest in January, because February offers little down time apart from the annual All-Star break.

There’s no light at the end of the tunnel as the Clippers end a five-game road trip Feb 1 at Phoenix, as that marks the start of a back-to-back, with the Clippers returning home to play the Warriors on Feb 2 only to go right back out for another five-game trip, starting on the East Coast in Boston.

If their opponents’ records last year are any indication, the Clippers will be in for some stiff competition in February, with home matchups against Golden State, Atlanta and San Antonio and road matchups against Golden State, Boston, Toronto, among others. The Clippers will spend the majority of their February away from STAPLES Center.

Here’s a closer look at the Clippers’ schedule in February.

February Breakdown

Games – 11

Home – 4

Road – 7

Matchups against last year’s playoff teams – 8

Most home games in a row – 2 (start of three-game home stand continuing into March)

Most road games in a row – 5

Back-to-backs – 3

Key matchups

Feb 2 vs Golden State – This will be one of the toughest games on the Clippers’ schedule, returning from a five-game road trip and playing the second game of a back-to-back against Golden State. The Clippers will come home after a Wednesday night matchup in Phoenix to host the Warriors Thursday night on TNT only to go right back on the road afterward for another five-game trip.

Feb 5 @ Boston – The start of that second five-game trip is in Boston, and if last year’s February matchup in Boston is any indication, this should be a fun one. That game went to overtime and ultimately resulted in a Boston victory, but it was as entertaining a matchup and as strong a point guard duel as anyone will see, with Clippers guard Chris Paul posting 35 points, 13 assists and five rebounds and Celtics guard Isaiah Thomas posting 36 points and 11 assists. Not to mention, the welcomes Clippers head coach Doc Rivers and forward Paul Pierce get when returning to Boston are worth seeing.

Feb 23 @ Golden State – By this point, these two teams will be tired of seeing each other. The Clippers and Warriors play each other three times in a span of less than a month from late January to late February, but this late February matchup is the final time the teams will face off. Both teams should be juiced for the matchup, coming immediately out of the All-Star break.

Most memorable win last year

Feb. 18 vs San Antonio (105-86) – Mid-February 2016 had a ton of memorable games for various reasons. The Clippers beat Miami on the road, then needed a comeback win in overtime to beat a Philadelphia team that only had eight wins to that point, then suffered a late crushing defeat in overtime in Boston after taking control of the game. But coming out of the All-Star break, this emphatic win at home against San Antonio stood out most. Against a defensive-minded Spurs team that had only lost eight games to that point, the Clippers poured on 33 points in the fourth quarter to cruise to victory on an emotional night for many; a handful of Spurs and Clippers players and coaches earlier that day had attended the funeral of then-Oklahoma City assistant coach Monty Williams’ wife, Ingrid, and flew back to Los Angeles just hours before the game.

Toughest stretch

Feb 1-13: The Clippers start the first day of February on a back-to-back (at Phoenix before going home to host the Warriors), then go right back on the road for another five-game trip against three teams that made the playoffs last year (Boston, Toronto, Charlotte) and two teams with young talent (New York, Utah), playing six road games and seven games total the first 13 days of the month.