2016-17 Schedule Breakdown: December

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 December.

LOS ANGELES – The Clippers roll into December in the midst of the lone six-game road trip of the year, but the minute the back-to-back in Cleveland and New Orleans ends the second day of the month, a chance to reboot approaches.

Only seven games are on the slate the next 17 days of December once the Clippers return home from their lengthy trip, which is particularly important considering the formidability of the opponents during that stretch, which includes their first matchup against Golden State, their third matchup against Portland and a quick trip to the East Coast to face Orlando, Miami and Washington.

The time between games should allow the Clippers to rest up and get in a couple practices should they desire, but the down time won’t last long once the holidays approach. A Christmas matchup against the Lakers starts the second of three back-to-backs and seven games overall in the final 10 days of the month, finished off with a back-to-back in Houston and Oklahoma City to cap the 2016 portion of the season.

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

December Breakdown

Games – 17

Home – 8

Road – 9

Matchups against last year’s playoff teams
– 12

Matchups against last year’s playoff teams – 9

Most road games in a row – 3 (twice)

AND

Back-to-backs – 4

Key matchups

Dec 25 @ LAL – The Clippers go about two months to start the year without a game against the Lakers. What better time for a first look at Brandon Ingram than on another Christmas matchup against the Lakers for the second straight year? The Clippers’ win against the Lakers on Christmas last year started an 11-game winning streak.

Dec 7 vs GSW – Speaking of prominent first matchups against a team, this one on ESPN against the Warriors will be highly anticipated. Unlike the other times the Clippers face the reigning Western Conference champions this year, the Clippers will have plenty of time to both rest and prepare for this matchup, with two days off at home before and after the game.

Dec 31 @ OKC – More holiday fun here, as the Clippers travel to Oklahoma City for the second time to face Russell Westbrook and company, this time on New Year’s Eve. They won’t get much time to catch their breath to end December, as the matchup comes on the second game of a back-to-back and the third game in four nights after playing in Houston the night before.

Most memorable win last year

Dec. 14 @ Detroit – Trailing by six points with fewer than two minutes left in the fourth quarter, this one seemed bleak. Down four points with 30 seconds remaining, it seemed even bleaker. But a game-tying 3-pointer by J.J. Redick with 19 seconds remaining off a dish from Blake Griffin, who scored 34 points, gave the Clippers life. The game went to overtime, where Griffin’s passing once again came in handy, finding Jamal Crawford wide open for the go-ahead 3-pointer with 12 seconds left and stealing a two-point win in Detroit.

Toughest stretch

Dec 22-31: The good news: The first 10 days of the month include only five games. The bad news: The last 10 days of the month include seven. Starting with a home TNT matchup against the Spurs on Dec. 22, in the final 10 days of December the Clippers have three back-to-backs and the lone stretch of four games in five nights of the season. That’s difficult enough, and made even more difficult by the fact that two of the three back-to-backs are against teams who made the playoffs last season, finished off by the New Year’s Eve matchup in Oklahoma City.