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Kevin Durant’s first experience against “The Wall” at the Intuit Dome was a memorable one in the Phoenix Suns’ 116-113 overtime win over the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday night.
Even though the Suns came away with the victory, Durant admitted afterward that The Wall created a distraction when he missed two free throws in the fourth quarter at a time when his team was trailing by four points.
“Yeah, it was crazy,” Durant told reporters after the game about The Wall. “I was just staring at it the whole time. You’re not used to that.”
One of the unique features of the Clippers’ new arena is the section on the baseline adjacent to the visiting team’s bench. While a typical basketball arena will feature a few rows of seats for fans and suites about midway up, the Intuit Dome opted for a different look.
The Wall features 51 consecutive rows of seats, with the first 13 rows filled with diehard Clippers fans who have to go through a quick vetting process to get tickets in the section.
In addition to the vetting process, the Clippers offer various packages for a spot in The Wall section. “The Ultimate Wall Pass” is the most expensive one with a price tag of $1,299 and gives you access to all 41 home games, the possibility to sit three rows off the floor and the ability to reserve a spot for other pass-holders.
Even though this is undeniably over the top, the ultimate goal worked for at least one moment. Durant has the 15th-best free-throw success rate in NBA/ABA history at 88.4 percent.
It also seems strange to worry about something at the Intuit Dome being over the top when the arena cost $2 billion, making it the third-most expensive sports venue in the country behind MetLife Stadium and SoFi Stadium.
Durant got his revenge on the Clippers and their Wall by scoring 14 of his 25 points in the fourth quarter and overtime. His jumper with 21 seconds remaining in regulation tied the game at 103 and forced the overtime period.
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