The Los Angeles Clippers had enough problems Wednesday night without the strange moment that followed them around the internet.
On the court, the Clippers fell 103-87 to the Los Angeles Lakers in their first regular-season meeting with their city rivals at Intuit Dome. Quentin Grimes led the way with 23 points, Collin Sexton scored 21, and Austin Reaves chipped in 16. Even with Luka Doncic out, the Clippers couldn’t match the Lakers’ pace.
But the game wasn’t the only thing drawing attention. In-arena host and MC Hannah Cormier, now in her fifth season with the Clippers and second in that role, found herself at the center of a debate after a hot mic moment.
Cormier was shown on camera at one point, apparently without realizing she was live. A few seconds later, she seemed to notice and flashed a terrified look.
Then she delivered her in-game promo: “Clipper Nation, the ladies are back performing to ‘Gemstone’. Give it up for our Clippers spirit!”
As she walked off, the microphone picked up a sound that many viewers thought sounded like a fart.
That was enough to set off a wave of speculation online. Some fans were convinced it was nothing more than microphone noise.
“She’s too hot to fart… It was microphone static,” one fan said. Another wrote, “Someone is having a bad day,” while a third asked, “where the fart?”
One commenter joked, “chimpstone? are they really trying to get apart of this chimpback virality?”
and another added, “the way she looked UP like god did this to her personally 💀”
In the end, the moment is what it is: a clip that sent fans arguing over what they heard. Only Cormier knows for sure what happened.
Did she fart? Did she not?
Fans will keep deciding for themselves.
In Other News...
Clippers Got Bullied In Every Important Area Against The Lakers
The Lakers spent most of the night making the Clippers look small in the places that usually decide a game. Quentin Grimes led Los Angeles with 23 points in a 103-87 win, and the supporting cast did plenty of the heavy lifting too, with Collin Sexton, Sandro Mamukelashvili, Matisse Thybulle and Walker Kessler all helping tilt the game in the Lakers favor. The edge showed up everywhere that mattered, from the paint to the glass to the open floor.
For the Clippers, the numbers told a frustrating story because they could not protect the ball or recover enough second-chance opportunities to keep pace. The Lakers turned the game into a physical, turnover-heavy slog and made sure the Clippers paid for every mistake, which is exactly the sort of loss that lingers because it exposes so many problems at once. How quickly the Clippers clean that up will say a lot about whether this was just a bad night or a warning sign. [Read more 🡒]
Kawhi Leonards Raptors Season Just Took A Tough Early Turn
Kawhi Leonards new start in Toronto was already unusual, with the Raptors waiting out an NBA investigation into possible salary-cap circumvention before the trade from the Clippers was finally completed. Once the deal went through, the immediate focus shifted from the paperwork to Leonards health, and the early signs were not encouraging as swelling in his left knee forced him to the sideline right away.
The hope around the Raptors has been that Leonard can get fully right before he steps back on the floor and becomes the kind of difference-maker they brought him in to be. For now, the organization is still navigating the uncertainty that comes with a star arrival delayed by injury, and the next stretch will matter as much for patience as it does for the long-term championship picture. [Read more 🡒]
Pacers Suddenly Have A Ben Sheppard Problem They Didn't Expect
The Clippers are still piecing together their own rotation picture as the road schedule approaches, with several familiar names working back from injury. Max Strus, Brandon Ingram and Yanic Konan Niederhauser are all staying in Los Angeles for rehab, leaving the team to manage depth and lineup flexibility a little longer than it would like.
There is at least one welcome note on the horizon, though. Rui Hachimura is expected to join the upcoming road trip after sitting out with left quad soreness, which gives the Clippers a chance to add another healthy body as they try to steady the group away from home. For a team already navigating absences, every returning piece matters, even if the full picture still is not quite settled. [Read more 🡒]