Phoenix Suns star Devin Booker was left furious after missing a free throw in front of ‘The Wall’ at the LA Clippers’ new $2 billion stadium.
The visiting Suns cruised to a 116-113 overtime victory in the regular season debut of the new Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California, on Wednesday night.
The stadium has hosted concerts since August, but this was the first game in Clippers owner Steve Ballmer’s $2 billion-plus vision.
Fans entered through the doors using facial recognition while a double-sided halo board displayed photos, videos, stats and more.
But the main feature is ‘The Wall’, an extensive vertical structure behind a basket filled with dedicated fans chosen by the team.
Phoenix Suns star Devin Booker was furious after missing a free throw against ‘The Wall’
‘The Wall’ (right) is an extensive vertical structure behind a basket full of dedicated fans.
The atmosphere is raucous and certainly affected the Suns’ shooting ability throughout the game.
They were 8 of 14 from the free throw line against ‘The Wall’ in the fourth quarter, and their star Kevin Durant uncharacteristically missed twice.
Speaking after the match, Booker lamented his own mistake. He said, ‘I missed a free throw, man. I was angry.
“I think K (Durant) missed two down there too, so that shit might work.”
However, the Suns rallied in overtime and made all 10 of their free throws to emerge victorious.
The Suns cruised to a 116-113 victory in the regular season debut of the new Intuit Dome.
“You spend $2 billion and you put up a wall,” Booker added. “They didn’t completely do their job.”
The Clippers were one of three tenants of crypto.com Arena, sharing space with the Lakers and Kings. Now they have their own address.
The Intuit Dome is located in an area packed with sports and entertainment.
It’s less than a mile from Sofi Stadium, home to the NFL’s Los Angeles Rams and Los Angeles Chargers, and the Kia Forum, which hosts concerts and used to be the home of the Lakers.
