The NBA playoffs are underway, and no series has delivered more in the opening round than the Clippers and the Nuggets. The matchup features a number of the game’s most elite players, including Kawhi Leonard, James Harden, Jamal Murray, Russell Westbrook, and the three-time reigning MVP, Nikola Jokic, to name a few. Ahead of tonight’s epic Game 3 showdown in Los Angeles, Clippers fans are preparing to do whatever they can to get inside the head of The Joker.
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And what a Game 3 it will be. The Clippers clawed their way to a victory in Game 2 to tie the series at 1-1 back in Denver. Leading that charge was Leonard, who dropped 39 points in the team’s 105-102 victory. The momentum is in the Clippers’ hands now that the series has shifted to La La Land. The atmosphere should be crazy considering it’s the forgotten LA team’s first playoff game in the brand new Intuit Dome.
The state-of-the-art arena officially opened in the summer of 2024, marking the Clippers’ first season in the venue. Fortunately, the combo of Harden, Leonard, and great play from Zubac, Bogdanovic, and the rest of the bench led them to a postseason appearance.
Well, the Intuit Dome staff has already started to play mind games with the Nuggets. Fans sitting in the famed wall area will have horse hats to wear to distract the opposing team, specifically Jokic, who is famous for loving his horses back in Serbia.
“That could be a motivational factor,” said Nuggets interim head coach David Adelman in a press conference before the game. While he could have shot down the move as silly or unprofessional, Adelman instead praised the Intuit Dome for its uniqueness. “The NBA needs more of that. More creativity. That’s what we used to know when I grew up… I miss that, so it will be cool to be a part of it.”
David Adelman on The Wall having horse hats for Nikola Jokic:
“That could be a motivational factor. Hopefully not to go home. I do think it’s unique that they’re trying this. I think it’s really cool. I know people got out of sorts because I said ‘pumping noise’ or whatever.… pic.twitter.com/T7quS4votW
— Joey Linn (@joeylinn_) April 25, 2025
Adelman later joked that horse heads didn’t motivate Jokic to “go home,” a joke that landed very well with the media.
All kidding aside, Game 3 will be a major tone setter for the rest of the series. Dynamic play from Leonard and Harden can only take the Clippers so far. They’ll really need every piece to get by the 2023 champions.
On the other side of the ball, Jokic and Murray are more than doing their part. Defense is what has been hurting the Nugs, specifically on Kawhi. Yes, Kawhi is a top 5 player in the league when he is healthy, but if there’s one guy on the Clippers who the Nuggets should be throwing the kitchen sink at to stop, it’s him.
In 20 minutes, we’ll see how this puppy will go down.
