The Los Angeles Clippers were involved in a horrific plane crash that caused “screams” among passengers and staff, according to ESPN’s NBA’s Ohm Yongmisuk. The team was on their way to Colorado at the end of February for the crucial Western Conference game against the Denver Nuggets when their plane was struck by lightning in midair, causing several sudden altitude drops.
In his report, Youngmisuk recounts the frightening incident that some of those on board claimed they had never had a worse experience on the flight.
“The plane fell overhead several times and screams could be heard from passengers in what some staff described as one of the worst moments they have experienced on a flight.” Read Youngmisuk’s report. “Shortly after the Clippers landed safely in Colorado, the team saw a marker peel off some paint from the tail of a Delta Airlines plane — the result of a mid-air lightning strike.”
As Clippers guard Eric Gordon told ESPN about the plane scares: “We guys, we’re trying to take naps. Everyone was up awake after that for sure.”
The Clippers suffered a bruising 134-124 defeat to the Nuggets two days later in a game that perfectly illustrated their patchy form at the time. Despite getting 33 and 23 points from their stars Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, they managed to escape in front of the Colorado table toppers.
To Team Ty Lue’s credit, they snapped their losing streak and pulled off four straight wins including an impressive 134-126 win over Western Conference rivals, the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday night.
The win meant they catapulted the Warriors to fifth place in the heavily crowded Western Conference – nine teams separated by just three and a half games. Leonard continued his impressive form to top the Clippers’ score with 30 points while George had 24 points and seven assists.
Even the battered Russell Westbrook had a good evening, contributing 15 points, seven assists and nine rebounds in just 27 minutes on the floor.
With the Western Conference beginning to emerge into the most crucial part of the season, the California team will likely face that daunting journey again during a potential playoff series with the Nuggets.
