Warriors, Raptors even series with foes; Wizards up 3-1 vs Bulls
Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry (30) celebrates after blocking a shot as Los Angeles Clippers’ Blake Griffin (32) walks past during the second half in Game 4 of an opening-round NBA basketball playoff series on Sunday, April 27, 2014, in Oakland, Calif. Golden State won 118-97. Curry made a career playoff-high seven 3-pointers and scored 33 points. Griffin had 21 points and six rebounds. AP
OAKLAND, California — Stephen Curry made a career playoff-high seven 3-pointers and scored 33 points, leading the Golden State Warriors past the Los Angeles 118-97 on Sunday to even a first-round series that has been pulled into a race-related scandal involving the Clippers’ owner.
Clippers players made a silent protest against Donald Sterling by shedding their warm-up jerseys and going through pregame routine with their red shirts on inside out. They also wore black bands on their wrists or arms and black socks in a show of solidarity.
Curry and the Warriors made another kind of statement.
The All-Star guard made his first five 3s to give Golden State a 20-point lead in the first quarter that held up most of the way. Curry shot 10 for 20 from the floor, including 7 of 14 from beyond the arc, and had seven assists and seven rebounds to help the Warriors snap a two-game skid.
Golden State outshot Los Angeles 55.4 to 42.9 percent. The Clippers had 19 turnovers, while the Warriors had a series-low 15 turnovers.
Game 5 is Tuesday night in Los Angeles.
Andre Iguodala added 22 points and nine assists, and David Lee, Klay Thompson and Harrison Barnes each scored 15 as the Warriors regained their shooting touch in front of a roaring, gold-shirt wearing sellout crowd of 19,596 that stood after every swish.
Jamal Crawford scored 26 points, and Blake Griffin had 21 points and six rebounds for a Clippers team wrapped up in the most talked-about topic in sports.
WIZARDS 98, BULLS 89
WASHINGTON — Trevor Ariza had a career playoff-high 30 points as Washington scored the first 14 points of the game and barely looked back in taking a 3-1 lead in the Eastern Conference series.
John Wall added 15 points and 10 assists for the Wizards, who forced 16 turnovers and committed only six. Washington played without forward Nene, who was suspended for grabbing Jimmy Butler by the head in Game 3.
The Wizards are looking to win a playoff series for only the third time since the 1970s. They can finish off the Bulls in Game 5 on Tuesday in Chicago.
Taj Gibson scored a career-high 32 points on 13 for 16 shooting for Chicago, but his teammates combined to go 22 for 62 from the field.
RAPTORS 87, NETS 79
NEW YORK — DeMar DeRozan scored 24 points and Kyle Lowry added 22 as Toronto evened the first-round series at two games apiece.
Amir Johnson had 17 points for the Raptors, who started fast, gave up all of a 17-point lead, then shut the Nets down over the final 5 minutes to snap a 13-game road losing streak in the playoffs that went back 13 years.
Game 5 is Wednesday night in Toronto, with the series now guaranteed a return to Brooklyn on Friday for Game 6.
Paul Pierce scored 22 points for the Nets, who were 3 for 17 in the fourth quarter and didn’t have a field goal after Pierce’s basket with 6:13 left gave them a 77-73 lead.
