Clips get emotional win to take 3-2 series edge
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Los Angeles, CA (SportsNetwork.com) - The healing process for the Los Angeles Clippers began with an emphatic victory.
DeAndre Jordan had 25 points and 18 rebounds and the Clippers defeated the Golden State Warriors, 113-103, in Game 5 of their Western Conference first- round series.
Chris Paul posted 20 points, seven assists, six rebounds and five steals, while Blake Griffin tallied 18 points and seven rebounds for Los Angeles, which took a 3-2 series edge with Game 6 set for Thursday in Oakland.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"It was one of the most emotional games I've played in," Paul said.
Earlier Tuesday, NBA commissioner Adam Silver banned owner Donald Sterling for life from the league and fined him $2.5 million for his racially charged comments that were taped by his girlfriend and sent to media outlets.
Clippers players held a silent protest prior to their 118-97 Game 4 playoff loss to Golden State on Sunday, while a number of team sponsors have either terminated their deals or put their partnership on hold. Golden State head coach Mark Jackson also suggested that fans not show up to the playoff games in Los Angeles as a protest and others would like to see Sterling forced to sell the team.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The fans greeted the players with a standing ovation when they came out for pregame warmups and both teams wore black socks.
"The fans were awesome," Clippers head coach Doc Rivers said.
Klay Thompson netted 21 points and Stephen Curry added 17 points but turned the ball over eight times for the Warriors, who led for just 16 seconds in the second half.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"I thought Steph tried to thread the needle too much," Jackson said.
After Curry hit a deep 3-pointer to stake them to a 70-69 edge late in the third quarter, Los Angeles closed the frame on an 8-2 spurt to vault back into control.
Paul quickly answered Curry's trey with one at the top of the key and a Curry turnover led to a Jamal Crawford dunk for a 74-70 cushion. Paul then nailed another triple with 1.1 ticks left in the stanza for a 77-72 Clippers margin after three.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Thompson drove in for a reverse to get Golden State within 81-78 with 9:36 to play, but it never got any closer as Griffin capped an ensuing 9-2 swing with a turnaround fadeaway jumper to increase the advantage to 90-81.
LA led by as many as 11 down the stretch.
Earlier, Crawford nailed a triple to finish off a 10-2 burst late in the opening frame for a 31-20 advantage. LA took a 31-21 cushion into the second.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Curry's four-point play finished off a 13-4 Golden State flurry and cut the deficit to 40-36 with 7:32 to go in the second. The Clippers led 55-50 at the break.
Game Notes
The Clippers can win their third playoff series Thursday since Sterling bought the team in 1981 ... LA shot 48.7 percent (37-of-76) from the floor and netted 22 points off 14 Golden State turnovers.