Clippers players protest owner, Warriors even series

The Los Angeles Clippers made a silent protest against owner Donald Sterling before Game 4 of their Western Conference playoff series against Golden State. The Warriors made a different kind of statement during the game.

And just like that, a series pulled into a race-related scandal involving the Clippers' owner took another twist.

Stephen Curry made a career playoff-high seven three-pointers and scored 33 points, leading the Warriors past Los Angeles, 118-97, on Sunday in Oakland, Calif., to even the first-round series.

Clippers players made a protest against Sterling by going through warm-ups with their red jerseys on inside out. They also wore black bands on their wrists or arms and black socks in a show of solidarity.

Clippers coach Doc Rivers said he knew what his players had planned but wasn't thrilled about the demonstration, although he didn't elaborate why.

Curry and company did a better job of focusing from the start.

The all-star guard made his first five threes to give Golden State a 20-point lead in the first quarter that held up most of the way.

Former 76er Andre Iguodala had 22 points and nine assists for the Warriors. Blake Griffin had 21 points for a Clippers team tangled up in one of the most talked-about topics in sports.

Wizards 98, Bulls 89 - Trevor Ariza led the way with 30 points and eight rebounds as host Washington grabbed a three-games-to-one lead over Chicago in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference series. John Wall had 15 points and 10 assists for Washington, which bounced back after dropping Game 3.

Raptors 87, Nets 79 - DeMar DeRozan scored 24 points, and Toronto beat Brooklyn in New York to even their Eastern Conference first-round series at two games apiece. The Raptors started fast, gave up all of a 17-point lead, then shut the Nets down over the final five minutes to snap a 13-game road losing streak in the playoffs that went back 13 years.

- Inquirer wire services