Today, a majority of the attention was not on the NBA playoffs but on Donald Sterling, the controversial owner of the Clippers. Despite the shift of attention, there were still some great playoff games that proved to be extremely entertaining. Two of the matchups featured heated Western Conference rivalries, while the other two were battles in the East.
Chicago Bulls vs Washington Wizards
The Bulls went into the game hoping to tie up the series with Washington. Unfortunately, they fell behind in the first quarter and were never able to make a comeback. The Wizards started off on a 17-2 run and never looked back, winning 98-89. The Wizards were led by Trevor Ariza who had a career night with 30 points. Even without Nene the Wizards were able to dominate the Bulls. The Bulls were led by Taj Gibson off the bench with 32 points. With Nene returning the Wizards appear to be in great shape to finish the series in five games.
Los Angeles Clippers vs Golden State Warriors
All the attention was on the Clippers as everyone eagerly waited to see how the Clippers would respond. The Clippers came out flat and allowed the Warriors to score a scorching 39 points in the first quarter. The Warriors never slowed down after that and won the game by a score of 118-97. The series is now tied at two games each. Stephen Curry led the Warriors with 33 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists. The Warriors certainly have the momentum going into the next game and with the many off court distractions going on the Clippers could be in rough shape.
Toronto Raptors vs Brooklyn Nets
Down in the series 2-1, the Raptors needed a win to help solidify their playoff future. The Raptors did just that as they took a 35-22 lead after the first quarter. The Raptors managed to hold off a late Brooklyn comeback to secure the victory. The Raptors were led in the game by Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan in scoring with 22 and 24 respectively. The Nets were led by Paul Pierce in scoring with 22 points. Game five will return to Toronto as they will look to go up 3-2 in the series.
Houston Rockets vs Portland Trail Blazers
One of the most entertaining series, the Rockets looked to sweep the Blazers at home to tie the series up at 2-2. It seems as every game comes down to the wire and tonight was no different. For the third time in four games it went into overtime. The Blazers managed to ground out a win in an absolute thrilling fashion by a score of 123-120. This truly was an epic come in one outstanding series. The Blazers were led by four different players who scored over 20 points. The Rockets had three players score at least 20. The Blazers have now taken a 3 to 1 lead in the series and will look to win it in Houston.