Clippers open up loud Intuit Dome, ‘The Wall,’ against Suns

The Intuit Dome, the Clippers new $2B arena in Inglewood, California, hosted its first regular-season game Wednesday night against the Phoenix Suns. The enthusiasm and sheer volume were apparent right away, even on ESPN’s broadcast, thanks in part to “The Wall.”

That’s the 51-row section along one baseline, directly next to the visitors’ bench. Access to “The Wall” is limited to Clippers fans, with cheering for opposing teams or wearing their apparel strictly forbidden in that section. 

Owner Steve Ballmer hoped the section would create a more college-like atmosphere, and at least early in Wednesday’s game, that was absolutely the case.

The crowd made it difficult to hear the officials’ whistles at times, with constant coordinated cheers of “DEFENSE!” emanating from the baseline. “The Wall” appeared to be standing throughout the entire first quarter, a rare sight for a regular-season NBA game.

That’s not the only unique feature of the Intuit Dome. The arena also features a double-sided video board that reportedly spans nearly an acre. It’s the largest such board ever made, designed to show videos, statistics and other minutiae such as tracking how many miles the officials are running.

But beyond all the bells and whistles, the Intuit Dome mainly provides a building that is definitively for the Clippers, not the Lakers, Sparks or Kings.

Earlier this summer, Ballmer explained, “We don’t want to have to cover up banners of other guys in order to it at least feel marginally like our house. It has got to be our house.”

Norman Powell went into the record books with the first regular-season basket in their “house,” sinking a pull-up jumper 17 seconds into the game. Ivica Zubac got the first Intuit Dome assist and made the first Intuit Dome free throw. And when Zubac missed the second free throw, Derrick Jones, Jr. grabbed the first Intuit Dome rebound.

In a more dubious record-setting moment, James Harden committed the first personal foul, missed the first three-pointer in Intuit Dome history and committed the first Intuit Dome turnover. 

With Kawhi Leonard out indefinitely, Harden is the biggest star anchoring the Clippers, which may test the patience of even “The Wall’s” denizens.

In the second quarter, the Suns may have adjusted to “The Wall’s” pressure, or simply taken advantage of the shorthanded Clippers’ bench to take a 47-39 halftime lead. Still, the Clippers kept it close despite shooting only 2-for-16 from three-point range by taking seven more shots than Phoenix, thanks to a 29-18 rebounding advantage.

After all, whether it’s the decibel level of “The Wall” or total shot attempts, the Intuit Dome is all about volume. 

The Suns led the Clippers, 47-39, at halftime.