On Wednesday night, the LA Clippers played their first regular season game in the brand new Intuit Dome. But the highlight of the evening was not the game itself, but the new arena – and “The Wall”.
Phoenix Suns superstar Kevin Durant stood at the free throw line with ten minutes left in the game and faced a challenge he had never faced in his 17 professional seasons. The Wall, a steep fan section behind the basket, caused the actually very confident free throw shooter (88.4%) with their passionate and loud fans to miss both throws and send the sold-out crowd into ecstasy.
Durant scored 12 of his 25 points in the fourth quarter, but missed free throws were crucial. “Yeah, it was crazy,” Durant said of The Wall. “I stared at her the whole time. You’re not used to that.” Despite the distraction, Durant managed to force the equalizer with a fadeaway and send the game into overtime. The Suns ultimately won 116-113 in front of 18,300 fans.
Steve Ballmer’s vision
The Wall consists of 51 uninterrupted rows of seats, with the first 13 rows filled with die-hard Clippers fans whose passion is pre-tested by the franchise. These fans stand and chant throughout the game, creating an atmosphere reminiscent of a college student section.
Clippers owner Steve Ballmer had this vision when he revised the designs for the $2 billion arena. “It’s the experience, the feeling of the bowl and the scoreboard,” Ballmer told us last week ESPN.
An unforgettable start
Ballmer opened the evening by standing among the fans in The Wall and starting a dance and singing performance. “Welcome home, Clipper Nation!” Ballmer shouted into the microphone at the top of his voice.
Without injured star Kawhi Leonard, James Harden put in an impressive performance with 29 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists, but also committed eight turnovers.
Harden gave the Clippers the lead with two free throws with 41.5 seconds left, but Durant tied it with a shot over Harden and Amir Coffey. Harden had a chance to win the game, but his floater missed the basket.
In overtime, Harden missed a crucial free throw, and Jusuf Nurkic secured the victory for the Suns with two free throws. Grayson Allen stole the ball on the final throw-in to seal the Suns’ first win of the season.
Reactions to The Wall
After the game, Durant and Devin Booker spoke impressed about The Wall. “I missed a free throw,” said Booker, who left late in the fourth quarter. “I was angry. I think Kevin took two there too. So this could really work.” Asked if The Wall made an impression, Booker replied, “Absolutely.”
Durant added: “I think I’ve been through this before. Oklahoma State has a similar arena, but of course not as big. But seeing something go up so steeply is cool. The noise sounds a little different. It’s going to be a tough away environment for anyone who comes here.”
An unfinished evening for the Clippers
Harden expressed his disappointment that the Clippers couldn’t give their fans a win. “I’m so disappointed we didn’t win,” Harden said. “That’s one of the most frustrating things. History in Inglewood.
The Intuit Dome. The fans were there and we lost out. But I think they gave us great energy tonight and the more they do that, the better our results will be. We value the fans. We have to do our part and they definitely did their part tonight.”
