Schedules in the NBA are set up a bit differently now than in years past. The previous way things were done regarding schedules involved each team's full 82-game slate being revealed somewhere around the middle of August every summer. LA Clippers fans and every other fanbase would know each game on the schedule roughly two months before regular season games began.
Now, due to the introduction of the NBA Cup, things are done every so slightly differently. In August, 80 out of the 82 games are released for each team in the association. The reason two are left off initially is due to the re-scheduling the NBA Cup demands.
As most are aware by now, only eight of the 30 teams in the league advance to the knockout round of the NBA Cup. The remaining 22 squads simply compete in two additional regular season contests that cannot ultimately be determined and scheduled until after group phase of the NBA Cup is complete.
Since we have now reached that period in the current NBA season, the league has officially scheduled out the final two regular season games for the Clippers. During what had previously looked like a bizarre 10 days in a row off, LA will now have two additional contests.
The Los Angeles Clippers have had their final two regular season games added to their schedule:
— Will Eudy (@WillCEudy) December 4, 2024
@ Denver Nuggets on 12/13
vs Utah Jazz on 12/16 #ClipperNation
LA will face the Nuggets and Jazz one additional time each
On Friday, December 13 at 6:00 PM, the Clippers will be in Denver to take on the Nuggets at Ball Arena. Then, on Monday, December 16 at 7:30 PM, LA will play host to the Utah Jazz at Intuit Dome. These two contests will mark the fourth game on the Clippers' schedule against the Nuggets as well as the Jazz.
Oftentimes, educated guesses can be made as to which teams will be selected based on the scheduling released in August. Obviously, a team will not play every single team in their conference four times, but seeing an initial schedule release that features only three games against a conference foe or especially a division foe means that team is likely a candidate to be added to the regular season slate later.
Prior to this past season, seeing the Nuggets on the schedule likely would have prompted some understandable pessimism from Clipper nation. Up until December 2023, Denver had beaten LA in eight straight contests. Since then, the Clippers have won four in a row against Nikola Jokic and company.
No matter what kind of recent success the Clippers have had against the Nuggets, the Jazz are obviously a much more favorable draw. Overall, LA is entering into a period where they will have far more rest days than they have encountered to begin the season. There is a solid chance for them to continue their winning ways until Kawhi Leonard returns to the lineup.