LA Clippers’ schedule is transforming significantly as they transition to their new $2 billion home, the Intuit Dome, this season. The new arena has already caused buzz all over the media after the unveiling of its Halo board, large parking, ample seating, and the huge job creation for the locals. So, one of the most challenging things for the Clippers while sharing the Staples Center downtown with the Lakers and LA Kings was having afternoon tipoff games, which was quite an inconvenience to everyone, but the situation was such.
In a ground-breaking revelation, the Clippers will have no afternoon games at home (13) for the upcoming NBA 2024-25 season! Nothing will tip off earlier than 6 PM PST. The only game that Kawhi Leonard and Co. will need to play in the afternoon is their final game of the season against GSW, and that was scheduled earlier than usual for competitive reasons only. Quite a relief, isn’t it?
The franchise suffered a lot of injury problems last season. Kawhi Leonard, one of the Clippers’ star players, had a 60+ game season for the first time since the 2019-19 season. However, he was ruled out at the most crucial time of the season, almost fully missing the playoffs because of inflammation in his right knee. His injury problems resurfaced at the wrong time, following a demanding season and extreme fatigue from afternoon games. This made the Clippers face an unexpected early exit from the season.
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The Clippers can now optimize their preparation and performance with no afternoon home games scheduled this season. This tweak is in line with their strategic goals, enabling them to emphasize their strengths and improve their competitive edge through the season.
Kawhi Leonard and LA Clippers’ detailed schedule for the 2024-25 season
The Clippers are all set to play their first season in their new arena and it will be a Game-Changer for them as a team. The Clippers’ strategy this season will profoundly involve players maintaining their personal routines more often and preparation methods leading to improving their performance on the court, holistically.
After a 5-season partnership, Kawhi Leonard is set to enter his first season without Paul George. The Clippers start the season with 5 games in 8 days, including two sets of two days off as well as two back-to-back sets already. The LA side will start their regular season against Phoenix Suns, on Wednesday, October 23, 2024.
It will be the first-ever game at Intuit Dome. After taking a two-day off, the Clippers will play their next game, which is a back-to-back set against the Denver Nuggets and Golden State Warriors, which means they will face Stephen Curry and Nikola Jokić.
They’ll return home for a back-to-back series against the Portland Trail Blazers and Phoenix Suns. Strangely enough, the Clippers will host the division rival Suns twice in 8 days to start the NBA season, meaning they won’t be back in LA to face them again for the remainder of the regular season.
The much-awaited match for Clippers fans will happen on Wednesday, November 6th as after five seasons with the Clippers, Paul George will be returning to Los Angeles as a member of the Philadelphia 76ers. Much like the return of Klay to the Chase Center!
Although Dallas Mavericks won’t be playing in LA against the Clippers until the very end of the regular season, the Clippers are scheduled to host Dallas on April 4 and 5, 2025 in a back-to-back set at Intuit Dome. However, for the reverse fixtures, the Mavs will host the Clippers on December 19th and December 21st.
The Clippers and Boston Celtics will be facing each other for their first game on Monday, November 25, 2024, in Boston. However, Kawhi Leonard & Co. will host the Celtics in L.A. on January 22, 2025. The crosstown rival Lakers have played every game in Los Angeles at Staples Center since 1999. LeBron James and his Lakers team will travel to Intuit Dome for the first time on January 19, 2025. They’ll return to Inglewood two weeks later on February 4, 2025, for the second game of the season against the Clippers.
Another major scheduling advantage will see Kawhi Leonard and Co. finishing the season with 5 out of their final 7 games at home! Pelicans will check in on April 2, followed by the aforementioned Mavs series. The underrated Spurs and Victor Wembanyama will then fly in followed by the Rockets. The franchise’s final two games will be on the road against the Sac Kings and the Warriors, closing on November, 13.
The Clippers have high hopes for this season, as they believe it will be a fresh beginning for Kawhi Leonard to bounce back and excel. The previous season’s afternoon games impacted the team’s stamina and overall performances during the playoffs. The Clippers have a chance to avoid the same at the Intuit Dome, which will be the first time they call any arena other than Staples Center their home since 1999.
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