NBA schedule czar explains Clippers’ 5-in-7 stretches

Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty ImagesThere has been much consternation about this year’s schedule for the Clippers. Between the travel, the rest advantage/disadvantage split, and the afternoon games, there was a lot of fault to find in the calendar for the upcoming season.

But nothing has drawn the ire of Clippers fans quite like the number of 5-in-7 stretches the team has this year: five total, leading the league along with Portland. Given that several teams — seven, to be exact — have zero 5-in-7 stretches, it did seem unfair for the Clippers to draw so many.

As a result, when Sports Illustrated writer Howard Beck put out a Twitter call asking for schedule-related questions to pose to the…