LA Clippers fans are really stepping up their game this postseason.
On Thursday, the Clippers hosted their first-ever playoff game at their new home, the Intuit Dome. The arena is known in part for its large row of continuous seating behind the basket called “The Wall” (which is reserved for Clippers fans only).
During Thursday’s contest, Game 3 of the Clippers’ first-round playoff series against the Denver Nuggets, the home fans had a phenomenal way of trolling Nuggets star Nikola Jokic. The three-time NBA MVP Jokic is a big-time horse enthusiast, operating a stable in his native Serbia and often participating in horse racing.
As a result, Clippers fans in “The Wall” were wearing large horse hats in order to distract Jokic at the free-throw line. They even succeeded in getting Jokic to miss a free throw during the first half.
The playful jabs at Jokic also continued during the second half of the contest. While Jokic was shooting free throws on the other side of the court, the JumboTron at Intuit Dome implored fans to chant the Serbian word for “miss.”
Jokic still managed to post a triple-double on the evening (23 points, 13 rebounds, and 13 assists) in spite of the equestrian swipes. But it was the Clippers who won by a blowout final score of 117-83 to take a 2-1 series lead.
Earlier in the week, Nuggets interim coach David Adelman accused the Clippers of using fake crowd noise in the Intuit Dome. But during Thursday’s game, the home crowd’s antics were all too real.
