INGLEWOOD, Calif. — With 10 minutes left in regulation of the LA Clippers’ first regular-season game at the Intuit Dome on Wednesday, Kevin Durant found himself at the free throw line facing something he hasn’t experienced in his 17 seasons as a pro.
The Phoenix Suns star went up against The Wall. And The Wall won, as the 88.4% career free throw shooter missed two, sending the sellout crowd at Intuit Dome into a frenzy.
Durant scored 12 of his 25 points in the fourth quarter but could have had two more if not for the distraction of The Wall, a steep section of fans behind the basket closest to the visitors bench.
Durant, though, responded later, drilling a 15-foot fadeaway late in regulation to force overtime before the Suns spoiled the Clippers’ historic night with a 116-113 win before 18,300 fans.
“Yeah, it was crazy,” Durant said of The Wall. “I was just staring at it the whole time. You’re not used to that.”
It has 51 uninterrupted rows of seats, but the first 13 rows are filled with Clippers diehard fans whose fandom is vetted by the franchise beforehand. The fans in those first 13 rows are expected to stand and chant for the entire game and create an atmosphere similar to a college student section.
This was Clippers owner Steve Ballmer’s vision when he went over designs for the $2 billion arena. He wanted a home-court advantage unlike any other in the NBA, and it nearly helped the Clippers pull out their first win in the state-of-the-art building.
The Wall and the high-tech 4K Halo board — the largest double-sided halo display in an arena setting, and almost a full acre long — are perhaps the two biggest features that make Intuit Dome unlike any other NBA arena.
“It’s the experience, the feel of the bowl and the scoreboard,” Ballmer told ESPN last week about what he loves about Intuit Dome. “I actually love our standing-room-only section [in The Wall]. It worked great at preseason. Let’s see what it works in the game, but it gave you a little bit of a college gym feel … that’s going to feel like a student section because that’s what students do.”
Ballmer opened the evening by standing in The Wall among fans and starting what the Clippers hope will be a ritual with a dance and chant.
“Welcome home, Clipper Nation!” Ballmer screamed at the top of his lungs into a microphone.
With star Kawhi Leonard out indefinitely as he continues to strengthen his right knee, James Harden poured in 29 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists but also had eight turnovers. He gave the Clippers a two-point lead with 41.5 seconds left with two free throws, but Durant tied the game with his big shot over Harden and Amir Coffey with 21.2 seconds left in regulation.
Harden had a chance to win the game, but his driving floater fell off the rim. In overtime, Harden had a chance to tie it, but he missed the second of two free throws with 4.8 seconds left. Jusuf Nurkic then sank two free throws.
With 1.6 seconds left, the Clippers could not get the inbound to Harden as Grayson Allen stole the ball to seal the Suns’ first win of the season.
Afterward, Durant and Devin Booker spoke glowingly about the Intuit Dome’s Wall.
“I missed a free throw,” said Booker, who fouled out late in the fourth quarter. “I was pissed. I think K missed two down there too. So that s— might work.”
Asked if The Wall left an impression on him, Booker responded, “Hell yeah.”
“You spend $2 billion, put a wall up,” Booker said.
When Durant missed those two free throws in the fourth quarter, it brought Intuit Dome to life, because whenever an opponent misses two consecutive free throws, fans get free Chick-fil-A sandwiches.
“I think I experienced that [once before],” Durant said of The Wall. “Oklahoma State has somewhat of an arena like that, obviously not that big. But to see something go straight up, and I always thought that was cool. The noise sounds a little different. It’s going to be a tough road environment for anyone who comes in here.”
Harden said he just wishes the Clippers were able to give their fans something to truly remember about opening night.
“I’m so disappointed that we didn’t get the win,” Harden said. “That’s like one of the most frustrating things. Like just history in Inglewood. The Intuit Dome. The fans showed up and we got the short end of the stick.
“But I think they gave us a great, great energy tonight, and I think the more they continue, that the better our results will be. So, we appreciate the fans. We got to do our part, and they definitely did theirs tonight.”