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Clippers’ 2016-17 NBA Schedule Released

LOS ANGELES – The Clippers won’t need to wait long for a chance at redemption from last year’s postseason. 

The 2016-17 NBA schedule has been released, and the Clippers’ regular season, presented by Agua Caliente Casino Resorts, will begin where it ended last year with a matchup Oct. 27 in Portland.

That matchup against the Trail Blazers will appear on TNT. With 10 total games on TNT, 10 games on ESPN and five games on ABC, the Clippers are scheduled to appear in 25 nationally televised games this year; adding on their nine appearances on NBATV, the number of nationally televised games jumps to 34.

Following their regular season debut, the Clippers head back to Los Angeles for the home opener Oct. 30 at 1:30 p.m. PT against Utah, followed by a Halloween matchup against Phoenix in the first of 18 back-to-backs for the Clippers, who had 20 last year.

The NBA reduced the number of back-to-backs for teams league-wide this year, though no team has more than the Clippers, who did well handling those back-to-backs last year by going 13-7 in the first of back-to-backs and 12-8 in the second.

As the schedule flips to November, the Clippers host Oklahoma City in an ESPN matchup before a two-game trip to Memphis and San Antonio. The Clippers don’t have any trips longer than two games until the end of November, when they begin the lone six-game road trip of the season. They’ll travel to Dallas, Detroit, Indiana and Brooklyn, respectively, before their first game against the reigning NBA champion Cavaliers in Cleveland and a matchup in New Orleans.

A four-game home stand follows, which will include the Clippers’ and former Golden State center Marreese Speights’ first game of the season against the reigning Western Conference champion Warriors. The holiday schedule picks back up in late December with another Christmas Night matchup against the Lakers and a New Year’s Eve game in Oklahoma City against Russell Westbrook and the Thunder.

Seven games are packed into the last 10 days of December for the Clippers, including the lone stretch of four games in five nights and three separate back-to-backs, capped off by matchups against Houston and the New Year’s Eve matchup against Oklahoma City to end the month.

The Clippers should finally be able to breathe in January, with only 12 games that month, but it won’t be a relaxing finish. They start a five-game road trip at the end of the month before returning home to host Golden State in the second game of a back-to-back, then take right back off for another five-game trip, starting on the East Coast in Boston.

By the end of that trip, 10 of their last 11 games will have occurred on the road. On the bright side, the Clippers shouldn’t see a five-game trip as daunting as what they had last year when they went to San Antonio, Houston, Memphis, New Orleans and Golden State, respectively, in the middle of March.

When the Clippers arrive home from the second five-game trip, they’ll host Atlanta before the All-Star break, then return with a nationally televised back-to-back, going on the road to Golden State before hosting San Antonio. 

The lengthy road trips will be over by March, but that month won’t be a cakewalk. Six of the Clippers’ back-to-backs and 18 total matchups will occur in March, beginning with a home tilt against James Harden and the Rockets. Houston’s one of four Western Conference teams, along with New Orleans, Minnesota and Portland, the Clippers play only three times.

The host a handful of Eastern Conference teams in March, including the Celtics, 76ers, Bucks, Cavaliers, Knicks and Wizards, then should be well-rested down the stretch as they fight for playoff positioning.

Only five games are on the slate in April, including four home matchups. The lone road game occurs April 8 in San Antonio before the 2016-17 regular season wraps up at home against Houston and Sacramento, respectively.

Single game tickets will go on sale Friday at 12 p.m. PT at www.axs.com/clippers and www.clippers.com/schedule. Games against the Warriors and Cavaliers are currently only available in full season, half season and partial plans. For more information on Clippers ticket plans, visit www.clippers.com/partialplans.

In addition, the Clippers’ six-game preseason schedule will begin Oct. 4 at Golden State, followed by home games against Toronto, Utah and Portland. The Clippers finish up the preseason on the road Oct. 17 in Utah and Oct. 18 in Sacramento.