Clippers plan horse-head stunt for Jokic (but it could backfire hilariously)

The Denver Nuggets will be part of NBA history on Thursday when they play the first-ever playoff game at the Clippers' new arena, Intuit Dome. It doesn't have the history that other arenas like MSG and TD Garden have, but there's no doubt that it's the coolest. Steve Ballmer sought to redefine home-court advantage and enhance the fan experience.

There is a section in Intuit Dome called 'The Wall' that consists of 51 rows of seats behind the basket where the opposing team will shoot in the second half. Los Angeles doesn't allow just anyone to sit there -- it's reserved for Clippers fans only. LA's website states that people in the section cannot cheer for the opposing team or rep another NBA team that isn't the Clippers. The site explicitly says that if the rules are broken, you'll lose access to 'The Wall' section.

Clippers give fans in 'The Wall' horse heads to try to distract Jokic

Los Angeles decided to give fans in 'The Wall' something special to distract the Nuggets during Game 3.

Everyone knows how much Nikola Jokic loves horses. He grew up around horse stables in Serbia, and his favorite pastime is watching horses race. It's not unusual to find Jokic watching horse videos on his phone. He even owns several of his own.

Honestly, Jokic's top two priorities in life might be his family, followed by horses. If you asked him if he'd rather spend a day at the horse track or on a basketball court, there is a 99.9% chance he'd say the former. He panicked when he learned about the Nuggets' 2023 championship parade, saying he needed to get home to Serbia to watch his horses race.

The Clippers wanted to get creative, so they went with an interesting distraction tactic. Maybe they think it'll throw Jokic off to see thousands of horse heads behind the basket, but in reality, it might unlock another level in his game. LA might hope it will remind Jokic of what he's missing out on at home. The sooner the Nuggets are eliminated, the sooner he can return to Serbia.

Jokic is looking forward to another offseason hanging out around horses, but the job isn't done yet. Denver can pick up a win on Thursday to take the 2-1 series lead, taking another step toward advancing to the second round. Jokic's horses don't mind waiting a little longer to see him.