The Los Angeles Clippers continue to roll at their new home, as they blew out the Los Angeles Lakers 116-102 at the Intuit Dome on Sunday. It was the first-ever meeting between the rivals at the arena and postgame, Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue praised their fans for creating a great atmosphere for their players.
“It was great,” Lue said. “It felt like home just from the introductions when they were booing the Lakers and the fans were into it when our guys were introduced. And to start the game, our fans were into it.
“Not until they made their run, the Laker fans—it wasn’t that many in there—they got kind of loud but other than that, I thought our fans were tremendous,” Lue added. “The support was there and like you said, it just feels good to have a place to call home.”
It sure would feel good. The Clippers shared Crypto.com Arena (previously known as Staples Center) with the Lakers from 1999-00 to 2023-24. You felt they needed their own arena if they were ever to step out of their rival’s shadow and they now finally have it thanks to owner Steve Ballmer.
Ballmer was the driving force behind the construction of the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California. It was a priority for him and the arena finally opened on Aug. 15, 2024. It cost $2 billion to build and has proven to be a good investment so far.
The Clippers started 0-4 at the Intuit Dome but have now turned it into a fortress. They have won 15 of their last 17 games there and are currently on a six-game win streak. The support from the fans has played a part in that and we witnessed some of them at “The Wall” trolling Anthony Davis in this game against the Lakers.
The Wall at Intuit Dome had a Clippers fan cutting Anthony Davis’ unibrow during the Lakers star’s free throws. pic.twitter.com/sTmae5wwZI
— Tomer Azarly (@TomerAzarly) January 20, 2025
That was hilarious and all in good fun. It’s great to see the Clippers get this kind of support, but the Lakers fans in attendance did find their voice as their team roared back in the contest.
The Clippers led by as many as 26 points in the third quarter but the Lakers had cut it down to 11 in the fourth quarter. It looked like an incredible comeback could be on the cards but the hosts managed to hold on and improved to 15-6 at home and 24-17 on the season.
Austin Reaves Shared His Thoughts On The Intuit Dome And The Wall
We have seen opposing players speak highly of the Intuit Dome and “The Wall” and Austin Reaves did so as well. Postgame, Reaves, who had 14 points (4-6 FG), two rebounds, three assists, and a block against the Clippers, was asked for his thoughts on the atmosphere created by the fans and he was impressed.
“I thought it was awesome,” Reaves said. “I thought the fans were great. Obviously, I don’t get to walk around and see everything else other than the court… But I think it’s a very nice arena.”
When asked about “The Wall,” Reaves felt it brought a college feel to the game.
“It’s cool, it’s a good idea,” Reaves stated. “It kind of gives you more of a college atmosphere.”
The Clippers were initially mocked on social media for this concept but it has turned out to be a good one. It won’t be surprising if other teams implement it too in the future.
The Clippers will take on the Chicago Bulls next at the Intuit Dome on Monday at 10 PM ET. The Lakers, meanwhile, face the Washington Wizards at Crypto.com Arena on Tuesday at 10:30 PM ET.
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