Lou Williams, Clippers force Game 6 against champ Warriors

Lou Williams hit a fadeaway jumper with 1:29 left and finished with 33 points and 10 assists, the Warriors uncharacteristically clanked shots much of the second half and couldn't make key stops, and the Los Angeles Clippers sent their first-round series back home with a 129-121 Game 5 win over Golden State on Wednesday night.

No clinch celebration just yet for the two-time defending champions, who lead 3-2 but needed far more than Kevin Durant's playoff career-high 45 points.

The Clippers stymied Golden State's comeback effort on the very court at Oracle Arena where Los Angeles rallied from 31 points down in Game 2 for the largest comeback in NBA postseason history.

Golden State Warriors' Klay Thompson, right, drives the ball against Los Angeles Clippers' Shai Gilgeous-Alexander during the first half in Game 5 of a first-round NBA basketball playoff series, Wednesday, April 24, 2019, in Oakland, Calif. (AP PhotoBen Margot)

Game 6 is Friday back in Los Angeles.

Patrick Beverley took a big charge against Klay Thompson with 1:40 left and scored 17 points for his best outing of the series.

Houston and James Harden are on to the second round and waiting for another chance at the champs. The Clippers said not just yet, they're not done.

Los Angeles Clippers' Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, left, and Patrick Beverley, right, defend Golden State Warriors' Stephen Curry during the first half in Game 5 of a first-round NBA basketball playoff series, Wednesday, April 24, 2019, in Oakland, Calif. (AP PhotoBen Margot)

The Rockets, who squandered a 3-2 series lead to the Warriors in last year's Western Conference finals, eliminated the Jazz with a 100-93 Game 5 victory at home a few hours earlier Wednesday.

Danilo Gallinari added 26 points and seven rebounds, and Montrezl Harrell had 24 points as the eighth-seeded Clippers are keeping things interesting until the end.

Durant made a four-point play to start the fourth and the Warriors had to rally much like the Clippers clawed back to overcome a 31-point deficit and steal Game 2 last week with the biggest comeback in NBA postseason history.

Golden State Warriors' Stephen Curry watches his shot against the Los Angeles Clippers in the first half in Game 5 of a first-round NBA basketball playoff series, Wednesday, April 24, 2019, in Oakland, Calif. (AP PhotoBen Margot)

Durant raised his arm late and called on the Oracle Arena crowd for a major assist — the Warriors needed every little bit of help. Thompson's 3 at 4:02 made it 116-114 and Durant tied it on a driving dunk the next time down.

Stephen Curry scored 24 points and Thompson 22 but Golden State didn't have it on defense.

Durant shot 14 for 26 in his third performance of at least 30 points in the series and ninth 40-point postseason effort.

Golden State Warriors' Klay Thompson, right, shoots over Los Angeles Clippers' Garrett Temple (17) during the first half in Game 5 of a first-round NBA basketball playoff series, Wednesday, April 24, 2019, in Oakland, Calif. (AP PhotoBen Margot)

Curry, already the NBA's career playoff leader for made 3-pointers, reached 400 postseason 3s.

Golden State trailed 71-63 at halftime despite making 10 of 16 3s but allowed Los Angeles to shoot 56%, and the Clippers finished at 54.1%.

Gallinari hit a 3 out of the break then a free throw following Draymond Green's technical and Los Angeles made it 81-66 on JaMychal Green's 3 at the 9:09 mark and the Warriors called timeout.

Los Angeles Clippers' Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, left, and Patrick Beverley, right, defend Golden State Warriors' Stephen Curry during the first half in Game 5 of a first-round NBA basketball playoff series, Wednesday, April 24, 2019, in Oakland, Calif. (AP PhotoBen Margot)

NO SUBSTITUTION NECESSARY

Alfonzo McKinnie knocked down a 3 to end the first moments after he had left the court with Steve Kerr trying to sub in Thompson to play the final possession, but since Beverley — who'd been bleeding from a knock by Curry — stayed in the game the referees ruled McKinnie must return to the floor.

GREEN'S WRIST

Golden State Warriors' Stephen Curry gestures from the floor during the first half in Game 5 of a first-round NBA basketball playoff series against the Los Angeles Clippers, Wednesday, April 24, 2019, in Oakland, Calif. (AP PhotoBen Margot)

Nothing was going to keep Warriors forward Draymond Green from playing Game 5 — even his troublesome right wrist. An MRI showed no serious issues and he practiced fully Tuesday.

The wrist has been bothering him since the beginning of Game 3 when "I got a pretty good whack on it."

"It's still sore," Green said at shootaround. "If the MRI said it was broken by the way I was still going to play. So it really didn't matter."

TIP-INS

Clippers: Gallinari missed his initial four 3-point tries before connecting late in the first and finished 3 of 11 from deep. ... The Clippers outrebounded the Warriors 42-39.

Warriors: Golden State scored 41 points in the first for its third 40-point quarter of the series — the first time in the shot clock era (1954-55) the Warriors have done so in one playoff series. ... Durant (3,816) passed John Havlicek (3,776) for 12th place on the NBA's career postseason scoring list. ... The Warriors are 9-3 in Game 5s dating to their title run in 2015. ...

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Paolo Banchero had 31 points and 14 rebounds, Jalen Suggs added 24 points and the Orlando Magic handed Cleveland the worst playoff loss in franchise history, winning 121-83 on Thursday night to cut the Cavaliers’ lead to 2-1 in their Eastern Conference first-round series.

Franz Wagner finished with 16 points and eight assists for the Magic, who led by 43 points in the fourth quarter on the way to the third-largest margin of victory in a playoff game. They earned their first playoff victory since 2019 and the first on their home floor since April 26, 2011.

They can even the series with a victory at home Sunday.

Jarrett Allen had 15 points and eight rebounds for the Cavaliers, who shot 39% from the field and 23.5% from 3-point range. Caris LeVert added 15 points and Donovan Mitchell had 13 points and seven assists.

76ERS 125, KNICKS 114

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Joel Embiid scored 50 points, making all four 3-point attempts and scoring 18 in a potential series-shifting third quarter to lead Philadelphia to a win over New York in Game 3 of their Eastern Conference first-round series.

Embiid boldly stated “we’re going to win this series” after the 76ers dropped Game 2.

With one of the finest postseason efforts of his career, Embiid became the third player to ever score 50 points against the Knicks in the postseason and kept the hope of a Philadelphia series comeback very much alive.

The Knicks lead the series 2-1. Game 4 is Sunday in Philadelphia.

Embiid was 13 of 19 from the floor overall, made 19 of 21 free throws and hit five 3-pointers.

NUGGETS 112, LAKERS 105

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Aaron Gordon had 29 points and 15 rebounds, Nikola Jokic added 24 points, 15 rebounds and nine assists, and Denver moved to the brink of the second round with a victory over the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 3 of their first-round series..

Jamal Murray scored 22 points as the defending NBA champion Nuggets won their 11th consecutive meeting with LeBron James and the Lakers in dominating style.

Michael Porter Jr. added 20 points for Denver, which took control in the third quarter and cruised through the final minutes to its fifth straight road win over Los Angeles, starting with its sweep of last season’s Western Conference finals.

Game 4 is Saturday night in Los Angeles. No NBA team has ever rallied from an 0-3 playoff deficit.

Orlando Magic guard Cole Anthony (50) makes a shot as he gets past Cleveland Cavaliers guard Sam Merrill (5) during the second half of Game 3 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series Thursday, April 25, 2024, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)