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 January.
LOS ANGELES – The Clippers get more rest days than game days on the schedule in January, as a grueling end to 2016 turns to a more reasonable start to 2017.
On four separate occasions in January, the Clippers get at least two days off following a game. There’s only one back-to-back, and the Clippers get three days off after it before playing in Golden State to close the month.
Still, they’ll see their fair share of challenging opponents throughout January, including home matchups against the Grizzlies, Heat and Thunder and road matchups against the Hawks and Warriors. With only 12 games and time to rest between most matchups, the Clippers should look as energetic in January as any month this season.
Here’s a closer look at the Clippers’ schedule in January.
December Breakdown
Games – 12
Home – 7
Road – 5
Matchups against last year’s playoff teams
– 5
Most home games in a row – 5
- Jan 8 vs Miami
- Jan 11 vs Orlando
- Jan 14 vs Los Angeles Lakers
- Jan 16 vs Oklahoma City
- Jan 19 vs Minnesota
Most road games in a row – 4 (start of five-game trip beginning end of month)
- Jan 21 @ Denver
- Jan 23 @ Atlanta
- Jan 24 @ Philadelphia
- Jan 28 @ Golden State
Back-to-backs – 1
- Jan 23 @ ATL/Jan 24 @ PHI
Key matchups
Jan 4 vs MEM – With Chandler Parsons joining an already formidable group and Mike Conley locked up for the future, the Grizzlies could be right back in the mix in the West with health on their side. This could end up being the toughest matchup the Clippers face in the first half of the month.
Jan 16 vs OKC – The Clippers might be tired of seeing the Thunder by this point. By the end of this game in mid-January, the Clippers will already have played Oklahoma City for the fourth and final time. The Clippers get a day off after a Saturday matchup against the Lakers to prepare for this Thunder game Saturday night on TNT.
Jan 28 @ GSW – While the Clippers will be well-rested for that Thunder matchup, it’s nothing like the rest they’ll get leading up to their final game of the month against Golden State. Their Saturday ABC matchup against the Warriors is the fourth game of a five-game road trip, but with three days off after a Tuesday matchup in Philadelphia, the Clippers could choose to come home beforehand. Whatever they do, they should be feeling sprightly that Saturday night.
Most memorable win last year
Jan 18 vs Houston (140-132 OT) – J.J. Redick recorded a career-high 40 points, and the Clippers needed every one of them. The Rockets scored 42 points in the fourth quarter to send the game to overtime, but after giving up the lead in regulation, the Clippers put the lid on the win with three straight 3-pointers to start overtime. The Clippers made a franchise-record 22 3-pointers as a team and got 28 points, 12 assists, six rebounds and six assists from Chris Paul and 16 points and 15 rebounds from DeAndre Jordan.
Toughest stretch
Jan 16-28: This may seem like a long time, but it’s a period of only six games, starting Jan. 16 against Oklahoma City. The Clippers close a five-game home stand with what will likely be tough matchups against the Thunder and Timberwolves before starting a five-game road trip, which includes the first game of a back-to-back in Atlanta and ample rest before ending the month with a road matchup at Golden State.