NBA-Highlights of Saturday's NBA playoff games
April 19 (The Sports Xchange) - Highlights of Saturday's National Basketball Association playoff games: - - - Warriors 109, Clippers 105 Guard Klay Thompson scored 22 points and forward David Lee added 20 points and 13 rebounds, and the Golden State Warriors surprised the Los Angeles Clippers in the opening round of the Western Conference quarterfinals. Guard Stephen Curry and forward Harrison Barnes had 14 apiece as the Warriors grabbed a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven series. The Warriors prevailed despite blowing a double-digit lead in the fourth quarter. They led 98-88 after a layup by Lee midway through the final period, but the Clippers used a 15-4 surge to take a 103-102 lead after a free throw by guard Darren Collison with 2:10 left. A three-pointer by Barnes gave Golden State the lead again, but forward Blake Griffin, who was plagued by foul trouble, tied it at 105 with two free throws with 1:31 remaining. Forward Draymond Green hit a pair of free throws for a 107-105 Warriors' lead with 24 seconds left. Point guard Chris Paul, who led the Clippers with 28 points, eight assists and four steals, missed two free throws with 11.9 seconds remaining. Griffin, who fouled out with 48.3 seconds remaining, finished with 16 points and three rebounds in only 19 minutes. - - - Nets 94, Raptors 87 Guard Deron Williams and forward Joe Johnson each scored 24 points as the Brooklyn Nets defeated the Toronto Raptors in the opening game of an NBA first-round playoff series. Veteran forward Paul Pierce scored nine points in the final three minutes of the game for the Nets and finished with 15. Johnson also grabbed eight rebounds as did center Kevin Garnett, and guard Shaun Livingston chipped in with 10 point points for Brooklyn. Guard Kyle Lowry led Toronto with 22 points, while guard Greivis Vasquez added 18. The Raptors, who trailed by five points entering the fourth quarter, tied the score on five straight points by forward Patrick Patterson, who hit a three-pointer and a running slam dunk. The Nets pulled ahead by four only to have the Raptors tie it again, 73-73, with 6:25 left. The teams exchanged the lead before Garnett hit on a fadeaway shot and Pierce added a three-pointer gave the Nets a six-point lead with 2:57 to play. - - - (Compiled by Ben Everill)
