The LA Clippers defeated the Brooklyn Nets 126-89 Sunday night, capping off a 15-3 stretch dating back to December. For one fan, it meant he had to eat his words -- literally.
Clippers coach Ty Lue said on Dec. 20 that he told the team their goal was to go 35-20 in their remaining games. At the time, they had a 6-21 record. Robert Flom, managing editor of the independent Clippers blog 213Hoops responded to Lue's proposition by writing on X: "If they go 15-3 in any stretch this season will print and eat this tweet."
With the Clippers facing a Nets team on Sunday that had won two games this calendar year, fans remembered Flom's post. The Clippers did, too, replying on X as soon as the final buzzer sounded and sharing a photo taken at Intuit Dome of the printed post.
Flom stayed true to his word, saying that he would indeed eat a printout of his post during a podcast episode Monday evening. Lue had a message for Flom postgame: "He's got to go live."
The Clippers are 10-3 in January, the best record in the NBA in that span. The surge has coincided with Kawhi Leonard finding his rhythm. He has scored at least 20 points in 24 consecutive games, a career-high streak, and finished with 28 points against Brooklyn.
Leonard expressed concern for Flam, saying "I don't know how healthy that is for you."
LA now holds a 21-24 record, good for 10th in the Western Conference -- a sharp turnaround from when Lue set the goal and Flom's bet seemed far-fetched.
