USA Today Sports/Reuters
Less than nine hours after Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling was banned for life by the NBA, his team won an important playoff game against the Golden State Warriors, 113-103. As a result of the win, the Clippers have taken a 3-2 lead in the series. “That was as good as I’ve ever seen. They were unbelievable,” said Clippers Coach Doc Rivers. Fans turned out en masse for the game, many dressed from head to toe in black in support of the players. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver banned Sterling from the league for life and fined him $2.5 million for the racist remarks he made in a leaked phone call. Silver said the NBA interviewed Sterling and he admitted to being the voice on the tape. “The views expressed are deeply offensive and harmful, that they came from an NBA owner only heightens the damage and my anger,” Silver said. He is also pushing the NBA Board of Governors to force Sterling to sell the team, which requires the approval of three-quarters of the board.