The Chris Paul Era will officially begin for the Los Angeles Clippers on Christmas night, as they are in Oakland to face the Golden State Warriors at Oracle Arena. Paul, Blake Griffin, and the Clippers begin their season with lofty expectations, looking to make the playoffs for the first time in six seasons. Here are the relevant details of Sunday's matchup:
Location: Oracle Arena, Oakland, California
Time: 7:30 p.m. PST, the final game of five Christmas contests
TV: ESPN and ESPN3.com, with Mike Breen, Jeff Van Gundy, Chris Mullin, and Terry Gannon on the call; for Breen and Gundy, it will be their second game of the day, as they will also call the Miami Heat vs. Dallas Mavericks earlier in the day. The game will also be televised by Prime Ticket, with Ralph Lawler and Michael Smith on the call.
Welcome Aboard: The Clippers welcome three former All-Stars into their starting lineup this season, most notably of course Paul. In addition, Chauncey Billups and Caron Butler join the lineup, along with the dunk-happy frontcourt of Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan.
New Coach: Longtime NBA point guard and former television announcer Mark Jackson, who played with the Clippers in the 1992-1993 and 1993-1994 seasons, including one playoff season in Los Angeles, will make his NBA coaching debut Sunday night as the new head man for the Warriors.
For more Clippers news and notes, be sure to read Clips Nation.