Clippers' DeAndre Jordan's historic night dooms Warriors in Game 5

LOS ANGELES – It wasn't exactly a massive wave of Clippers emotion that knocked off the Warriors in Game 5. More like one man on a mission to destroy and conquer. And when Los Angeles center DeAndre Jordan was finished, so were the Warriors.

Jordan recovered from his worst game of this series and delivered his best, which sent the Warriors to a 113-103 loss Tuesday night at sold-out Staples Center.

One game after clobbering Los Angeles in Game 4 last Sunday to even the best-of-seven series, the Warriors are down three games to two going into Game 6 on Thursday night at Oracle Arena.

The Clippers clearly got a shot of adrenaline after their owner, Donald Sterling, received a lifetime ban from NBA commissioner Adam Silver eight hours before tipoff. The ban came as a result of an audio recording of a racist rant by Sterling that was released late last Friday night and clearly affected the Clippers entering Game 4.

[INSTANT REPLAY: Jordan, Clippers take decisive Game 5 from Warriors]

Players around the league were swept up in the controversy until Silver announced his punishment, which certainly seemed to lift the Clippers out of a fog. They were much more engaged on Thursday, with Jordan leading the way, becoming the first player in NBA history to score 25 points, grab 18 rebounds and block four shots while shooting at least 80 percent.

"When he plays like that, he takes our team to another level," Clippers star Blake Griffin said.

"(Jordan) hurt us at the rim, he hurt us one second-shot opportunities," Warriors coach Mark Jackson said. "He had a big night. Some of it had to do with him and some of it had to do with our breakdowns."

While Jordan was torching the Warriors, clearly benefiting from Draymond Green going to the bench with two fouls less than two minutes into the game, the Warriors once again had trouble creating room for Stephen Curry.

- Monte Poole, CSN Bay Area