With the Golden State Warriors fighting to keep their season alive, Stephen Curry found himself battling more than just the LA Clippers’ defense. The Warriors’ locker room was already weighed down by lingering emotions tied to Klay Thompson following his recent remarks about his future. Sensing the emotional tension surrounding that storied relationship, Clippers fans seized the opportunity to get inside Curry’s head with calculated precision.

The moment reached its peak when Curry stepped to the free-throw line inside the Intuit Dome. Amid a chorus of distractions, fans raised a banner bearing Klay Thompson’s image with the words “miss me” — a pointed jab at the Chef’s longtime teammate and backcourt partner. But did the mind games work on Curry?

Stephen Curry remained unfazed, facing the Wall. He calmly sank his three free throws, neutralizing the psychological play. However, the same could not be said about the rest of the lineup. The team struggled collectively at the charity stripe, missing 7 free throws, hovering at 56% in the first half- Brandin Podziemski notably missing 2 out of 3 attempts in the first quarter alone. With the playoff pressure already kicking in, the Clippers fans played their part as well.

This isn’t an isolated incident- as the Clippers fans always get creative with their distractions. Earlier this season, in a matchup against the SA Spurs, inflated alien props appeared behind the basket when Stephon Castle came to the free-throw line. It’s a reference to his teammate, Victor Wembanyama, who is widely recognized with the extraterrestrial nickname.

The Wall represents one of the distinct features of the Intuit Dome. Built with 4500 seats with 51 uninterrupted rows, behind the basket. It’s designed specifically to disrupt the opposing shooters, at least for two quarters.

Within The Wall, there’s a dedicated section called ‘The Swell’, where early arriving fans fill the first 13 rows in a tightly packed 300-seat setting, ultimately becoming active participants.

Featuring Klay Thompson’s imagery, the fans tried to distract Steph & Co., and it may have worked in the first half, with an 8-point lead. Showing their backs to The Wall, the Dubs turned things around, eliminating the Clippers with a thrilling 126-121 win.

Stephen Curry outwits the Clippers fans

While the Warriors managed to survive the Wall with just an 8-point deficit, they had a mammoth task on the other end. Luckily, everyone chipped in to support Stephen Curry’s 35-point outing that included 7 three-pointers.

However, there was an irony, too. While the 4x NBA Champ made all his free throws against the Wall, he missed one on the other end, during crunch time.

It didn’t bother the Dubs, as Draymond Green‘s late-game masterclass defense sealed it for the Dubs. He generated two back-to-back steals against Kawhi Leonard with his lockdown defense, ultimately clinching the win.

At the same time, with the Warriors extending their stay in the league with another game, they can also hope for a Klay Thompson reunion next season.

When asked about his future with the Mavericks side, Klay’s response gave hope to the Bay Area.

He joined the Mavs, signing a three-year $50 million contract, with an option to play alongside Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic.

However, the team traded the Slovenian star, disrupting the team’s identity and consequently Klay’s open looks from Luka’s gravity, effectively gone.

Irving missed most of the games, dealing with injuries. Amid this situation, he said, “I’m not sure. I’m under contract, so I do, but I’ve definitely learned in my time in Dallas that things can change on a dime,” speaking of his future with the side.