Adam Silver hits a winning shot with moves against Donald Sterling

The courtside seats normally occupied by Clippers owner Donald Sterling and his wife were empty Tuesday night inside Staples Center, presumably never to be filled again by a man whose presence sullied his franchise for too long.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver needed only 88 days on the job to do what his predecessor had not done over decades, forcing a contemptible owner out of professional sports.

Silver's lifetime ban of Sterling over remarks the owner admitted to making about blacks ensured none of Sterling's players or team employees would be subjected to further embarrassment.

Full coverage: The Donald Sterling controversy

Sterling had been the first owner in league history to lose a playoff game for his team by having his distracting remarks revealed on the eve of Game 4 of the Clippers' first-round playoff series Sunday against the Golden State Warriors.

Sterling's unprecedented punishment, which also included a $2.5-million fine and probable forced sale of the Clippers pending a vote by team owners, provided an encouraging glimpse into the mind-set of a commissioner whose first major power play cannot be topped by any rim-rattling dunk in these playoffs.

Silver did exactly what the outraged players demanded: He acted swiftly and decisively, allowing the Clippers to resume their pursuit of a championship no longer troubled by the specter of an owner who apparently wouldn't want 11 of them posing with a female friend on Instagram because they are black.

As he stood before a throng of media in New York to announce the sweeping sanctions against Sterling, hours before the Clippers polished off the Warriors, 113-103, in Game 5, Silver appeared genuinely agitated by the ordeal yet maintained a commanding presence.

"I think at the end of the day the commissioner did an incredible job of making us all feel like the situation is under control and the situation is and will be handled," Golden State Coach Mark Jackson said before the game.

Silver smartly levied the maximum penalties allowed under the NBA bylaws and constitution while giving the owners final say in whether Sterling stays or goes. Based on the universal sentiment expressed by owners who publicly condemned Sterling, it could be a unanimous vote. Even the Clippers, believed to be now run by President Andy Roeser, quickly released a statement backing the commissioner's actions.

Silver scored another important victory by making the league's constitution and bylaws public Tuesday in a nod to the transparency he has vowed to create.

The commissioner said he had "no idea" whether Sterling would fight his punishment, but you can bet your last piece of Sterling silver the litigious-minded billionaire will if forced to sell the team for what he believes is less than fair market value.

Sterling's recourse in this matter would be an antitrust lawsuit that could last years and cost the NBA millions in legal fees.

To his credit, Silver was willing to take that risk.

The only thing that could have elevated Silver's performance from an A to an A-plus would have been to issue a mea culpa for the years of inactivity regarding Sterling, even though that blame rests squarely with former commissioner David Stern.

Silver said Sterling had never been previously suspended or fined by the NBA despite multiple accounts of racial indiscretions because there had never been any findings of guilt in lawsuits brought against him.

"I can't speak to past actions," Silver said, "other than to say when specific evidence was brought to the NBA, we acted."

Not really. The NBA did nothing despite reams of evidence against Sterling, including salacious statements made in sworn testimony and a $2.73-million judgment in a housing discrimination case.

But let's not nitpick on a day Silver did the league proud by showing who's in charge around here … and who isn't.

ben.bolch@latimes.com

Twitter: @latbbolch

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Clippers unite for gutsy playoff win over Warriors

The dark cloud of owner Donald Sterling was lifted, and that allowed the Clippers to play with freedom against the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday night.

Unburdened after Sterling was banned for life by Commissioner Adam Silver earlier in the day, the Clippers worked hard to pull off a 113-103 victory over the Warriors in Game 5 at Staples Center to open a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series.

Game 6 is Thursday night in Oakland.

BOX SCORE: Clippers 113, Warriors 103

"I just thought they had great mental toughness tonight," Clippers Coach Doc Rivers said. "They really wanted to win this game and I thought tonight they did that."

No Clipper seemed to want it as much as DeAndre Jordan, who scored a playoff career-high 25 points despite making only nine of 17 from the free-throw line. He also had 18 rebounds and four blocked shots.

"He texted me right after we got back to L.A. [Sunday night] and said, 'That wasn't me and I will be back,'" Rivers said, referring to Jordan's scoreless effort in Game 4. "I didn't know he meant that."

Chris Paul (20 points), Blake Griffin (18 ) and Jamal Crawford (19) all did their part for the Clippers, who lost Hedo Turkoglu to a bruised lower back.

Klay Thompson led the Warriors with 21 points.

The day started when Silver banned Sterling for life from any association with the Clippers organization or the NBA and said he can't attend any NBA games or practices. Sterling can't be present at any Clippers facilities and he can't participate in any business or player personnel decisions involving the team.

Silver also fined Sterling $2.5 million and will urge the Board of Governors to use its authority to force Sterling to sell the team.

Sterling's downfall came when his voice was heard on an audio recording telling a friend he was upset she posted a picture on Instagram of herself next to Lakers legend Magic Johnson.

Silver said Sterling admitted that he was the person on the recording.

"In response to today's ruling by the NBA and Commissioner Adam Silver, my teammates and I are in agreement with this decision," Paul said.

The Clippers had "We Are One" on the team's website surrounded in black. Eleven other NBA teams had the same slogan on their websites as a sign of unity.

All of the Clippers' team personnel wore black for solidarity, and they did so with Sterling's wife, Shelly, being at the game.

"She asked if she could come, which I thought was a very nice gesture," Rivers said. "She told me to tell them [the players] that she loved them."

With Sterling gone, Andy Roeser, the Clippers' president and NBA alternate governor, will continue to run the day-to-day business operations and Rivers, who also is the senior vice president of basketball operations, will continue to run the basketball side.

"He made a decision today that had to be made," Rivers said about Silver. "I don't think this is something we rejoice in or anything like that. I told the players about the decision and I think they were just happy that there was a resolution and it's over."

broderick.turner@latimes.com

Twitter: @BA_Turner

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A night of rebirth for the Clippers and their fans

They played as if children again, on a playground with friends, unburdened and unafraid.

Blake Griffin palmed the ball into the back of the basket and screamed. DeAndre Jordan threw down a dunk and laughed. Jamal Crawford hit a jump shot and posed. Chris Paul finished a fastbreak and grinned.

Their fans cheered with the simple joy of parents watching their children, arms held out as if embracing, voices lifted as if to inspire.

There was a standing ovation for pregame warmups. There was a standing ovation for each player when he entered the game. And, yes, there was even a small standing ovation when the giant video board showed two of those fans wearing black shirts with Donald Sterling's face crossed out.

Full coverage: The Donald Sterling controversy

The ugliest of weekends became the most wondrous of moments Tuesday night at Staples Center when the Clippers and their fans gloriously celebrated the first day of the rest of their lives.

Donald Sterling is gone. Let the good times roll.

Hours after Clippers owner Sterling had been banned for life by the NBA for making racist comments on a verified audio recording, his former team and customers celebrated a joint rebirth with a 113-103 victory over the Golden State Warriors in Game 5 of a first-round NBA playoff series.

Donald Sterling is gone. May the ignorance and intolerance that have long existed in his office go with him.

"It was almost like everybody wanted to exhale tonight, and it was good," Clippers Coach Doc Rivers said after his team and the building had rocked in agreement.

The Clippers played as if on wings, flying around with hustle and heart. Jordan scored 25 points with 18 rebounds after being shut out in the previous game. Paul hit two big three-pointers after the Warriors briefly took the lead late in the third quarter. Crawford perfectly ended the night by high-fiving fans in the front row.

"It seemed like a burden lifted off everyone and we could just go back to playing basketball," Paul said.

The Clippers now lead the best-of-seven duel three games to two, and can finish off the outmanned Warriors on Thursday in Oakland, but this series will be remembered for something far more than basketball.

From the moment the audio of Sterling's conversation with female friend V. Stiviano was released Friday night, this series became a textbook on the nightmare of racism and the strength of a powerful response to its evil.

The Clippers were initially saddened by the revelations, then angered, then overwhelmed by the stress of being tugged in every direction by family and friends. Should they boycott? Should they tank? Should they just quit? How can any of them work for a man who had been heard scolding Stiviano for bringing blacks to the games?

"As a human being it hurt," said Crawford. "Most things in life, you can compartmentalize, but this was everywhere, we couldn't shake it."

To nobody's surprise, the distracted Clippers had little chance Sunday in Oakland, and were steamrollered, 118-97, to even the series. They returned home to a surprising off day given by a coach who said he wanted to give them a chance to breathe.

Those breaths were held until Tuesday morning when new NBA Commissioner Adam Silver powerfully freed the organization of a 33-year burden by banning Sterling for life, fining him $2.5 million, and promising to urge the league's owners to compel a sale of the team.

While early reaction indicated the league's owners will agree to force Sterling to sell, that process could be prolonged for months while the legendarily litigious Sterling fights back. This journey to a truly new Clipper day isn't over, it's just beginning. And the Clippers and their fans cannot rest easy until the team actually changes hands, as Rivers has indicated he can no longer work for Sterling, and will surely cause a fuss this summer if the sales process slows.

"Everyone wants to know who they're working for, I think that's very important," Rivers said.

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L.A. County sheriff's deputy to plead guilty to building assault rifle

A Los Angeles County sheriff's deputy has agreed to plead guilty to illegally building an assault rifle, marking the first plea agreement by one of 20 sheriff's officials charged or indicted since December in an ongoing federal investigation of the Sheriff's Department, authorities said Monday.

Richard White Piquette admitted in a document filed in federal court last week that he manufactured a Noveske Rifleworks N-4 .223-caliber rifle with an eight-inch barrel. Under federal law, the rifle's barrel length should have been at least 16 inches, said Thom Mrozek, a spokesman for the U.S. attorney's office in Los Angeles.

The charge carries up to 10 years in prison. Piquette could formally enter his plea as early as this week, though his sentencing will take place at least several weeks later, Mrozek said.

Piquette, who was previously assigned to the Twin Towers Correctional Facility, also admitted possessing a shotgun that had been stolen from the Sheriff's Department and three assault weapons that are banned under California law, according to the plea agreement. The deputy was not charged in connection with those weapons, but his admission will probably affect his sentence.

As part of Piquette's agreement with federal prosecutors, a separate charge of possessing an unregistered short-barreled rifle will be dropped and Piquette must resign from the Sheriff's Department.

Piquette's attorney, Ronald Hedding, described his client as "a good man" who has family members in law enforcement. Hedding said he believed it was common practice for sheriff's deputies to have weapons like the ones his client possessed.

"A lot of these criminals are carrying these types of weapons on the street," Hedding said, adding that Piquette was a jail deputy but had done training stints on patrol.

Piquette's indictment was unsealed in December along with criminal charges against 17 other current or former sheriff's officials, most of whom are accused of assaulting jail inmates or obstructing the FBI's probe of brutality and other misconduct in the county's jail system. Since then, two more deputies have been charged in connection with the investigation.

A Sheriff's Department spokeswoman said Piquette was hired in February 2008 and was relieved of duty on Feb. 18, 2013, the same day federal prosecutors say he was in possession of the weapons. He has been on administrative leave without pay since January 2014, she said.

jack.leonard@latimes.com

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State to provide $75 million in mental health grants

State Treasurer Bill Lockyer has announced the approval of $75.3 million in grants that aim to stabilize residents with severe mental illness before they land in jails or hospitals.

The grants will go to 28 counties for new or expanded services. They will add 827 residential mental health beds and crisis "stabilization" beds, and pay for more than three dozen vehicles and five dozen staff members for mobile support teams, which often accompany local law enforcement to defuse tense situations and direct those in need to care.

More than half of the funding — $40.9 million — will go to Los Angeles County, which plans 16 new residential crisis care facilities, each with room for 16 adult residents, including those who are also struggling with substance abuse.

Such "co-occurring disorders" are common, but many programs are not equipped to handle both. The maximum stay in the centers would be 21 days.

The county also plans four new urgent care units, in the San Gabriel Valley and South Bay, where there now are none. Each will have beds for a dozen adults and six adolescents. The centers are meant for stays of 24 hours or less as clients are assessed and connected to other resources.

The county also will add 16 new mobile support teams.

The grants were approved last week by the California Health Facilities Financing Authority, which Lockyer chairs.

"These programs will save lives, help keep mental health patients out of jails and hospital emergency rooms, and prevent needless suffering," he said in a statement.

The money awarded amounts to about half the disbursements allowable under the Investment in Mental Health Wellness Act of 2013, which was created by legislation sponsored last year by Senate leader Darrell Steinberg (D-Sacramento). There will be subsequent funding rounds.

"Our criminal justice system and hospital emergency rooms are packed full of people who end up there because they were arrested or hospitalized during a mental health crisis and had nowhere else to go," Steinberg said in a statement. "More crisis residential beds and mental health crisis teams can make the difference between recovery and a downward spiral into severe mental illness."

Randall Hagar, government affairs director for the California Psychiatric Assn., said initial negotiations also called for funding to operate the new facilities but those dollars didn't make it into the final bill. As a result, he said, many rural counties with acute mental health needs did not apply.

"They just can't afford to do it," Hagar said.

Although he praised the residential and urgent crisis beds as "a good model" and said it's "hard to say anything bad" about such a healthy disbursement of funds, Hagar also expressed disappointment that none of the funding went to beds for those under legal psychiatric holds.

There is a stark shortage of such beds as well, but funding involuntary care is politically sensitive.

In a January notice to grant applicants, the financing authority explained that "projects that include restrictive environments will likely be less competitive and consequently, less likely to be funded."

Of the other grants approved:

• Riverside, San Diego, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Ventura counties received $7.9 million for residential beds, $4.7 million for stabilization units and $1.8 million for mobile crisis support.

-• The Bay Area counties of Santa Clara, Alameda, Sonoma, Marin and Contra Costa received $8.8 million for residential beds, $2.7 million for stabilization units and $990,000 for mobile crisis support.

• The Central Valley counties of Fresno, Merced, Sacramento, San Joaquin and Yolo received $2 million for residential beds, $2.6 million for stabilization units and $1.1 million for mobile crisis support.

• The northern counties of Butte, Nevada, Lake and Mendocino received $867,000 for residential beds, $500,000 for stabilization units and $296,000 for mobile crisis support.

In addition to Los Angeles, three counties — Sonoma, Fresno and San Joaquin — plan to reserve some stabilization beds for adolescents, who are particularly underserved.

lee.romney@latimes.com

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From three down, one to go for Kings

You hear the names of the teams and years, spoken almost in hushed, ceremonial tones: the 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs, the 1975 New York Islanders and the 2010 Philadelphia Flyers.

The 2014 Kings are within one game of joining these hockey-history makers, the only NHL teams to win a best-of-seven series after losing the first three games.

They did it in wildly spectacular fashion Monday night in Game 6 at Staples Center, beating the San Jose Sharks, 4-1, fueled by a three-goal, third-period outburst to the delight of a frenzied crowd.

BOX SCORE: Kings 4, Sharks 1

Justin Williams scored the first two Kings goals and had an assist and Anze Kopitar seemed to take personal ownership of the third period, scoring twice and adding an assist.

It unfolded as the walls came tumbling down, swiftly and dramatically, as the Kings scored three goals in a four-shot stretch in a span of 2:46 in the third period.

Game 7 will be Wednesday at San Jose's SAP Center, a formidable arena fondly called "the cage," by Kings Coach Darryl Sutter.

The Kings are the ninth team in NHL history to force a Game 7 after being down 3-0 in a series.

"To be honest, we couldn't wait for the next game .... after Game 3," Kings enter Jarret Stoll said. "We couldn't wait for Game 4. We couldn't wait for Game 5 and then tonight. That doesn't change.

"We're excited. We're excited to play a Game 7, always great games, great atmospheres. You want to be the hero in those types of games, play well and be counted on as an important part of something like that."

The Kings and the Sharks needed seven games to decide last year's second-round playoff series, and the Kings clinched it at home with Williams as the Game 7 hero.

Williams delivered the Game 7-type heroics in Game 4 and 6 this year. His game-winning goal, at 11:56 of the third period, had to be reviewed and it took time before it was eventually called a good goal.

"I felt it was loose, behind him somewhere," Williams said of Sharks goalie Alex Stalock. "The ref didn't blow the whistle and I just tried to dig at it and it went in. I was just kind of thinking either way. If they decided not to count it, fine. I was OK with that as well. It counted.

"Maybe we got a break. Maybe we didn't. We're going to see what happens in Game 7.

The NHL's situation room explained the decision on its blog: "At 11:56 of the third period in the San Jose Sharks/Los Angeles Kings game, the Situation Room initiated a video review to further examine a play at the San Jose net. Video review confirmed the referee's call on the ice that the puck entered the net in a legal fashion."

San Jose Coach Todd McLellan disagreed with the NHL's ruling on the goal.

"We got cheated. Simple as that," McLellan said. "I was told that you could see the puck laying behind his feet the whole time. That is why the whistle didn't go. It's pretty clear when you look at it after. That was obviously the turning point. Got to move on and overcome it again."

Kopitar wrapped it up in neat fashion, converting a rebound on a three-on-two attack at 13:27 and scoring once more at 14:42.

"It was a tight game up until the third," he said. "We certainly did not want to go away quiet and we came out and we drew some penalties and we were able to get a couple just to insure ourselves.

"We gave ourselves a chance to play another game. This is going to be the last one against these guys, regardless. That was our goal after the three games. This was our goal, to go back for Game 7 to San Jose."

The high drama was saved for the third period as they headed to the final 20 minutes tied, 1-1. San Jose was without its No. 1 defenseman, Marc-Edouard Vlasic, who was injured in Game 5, and the Kings lost Willie Mitchell, who got hurt near the end of a terrific penalty-killing effort in the second period of Game 6.

That's when the Kings seemed on the verge of a great escape when they killed off a five-on-three. San Jose had a two-man advantage for 1:38 when Kings defenseman Robyn Regehr went off for interference, followed by Stoll going off for high sticking.

After that, they killed off yet another minor: Kings defenseman Drew Doughty went off for high sticking at 9:54. But the Sharks broke through with an even-strength goal from their fourth-liners shortly after Doughty returned, taking advantage of a double-deflection, off a skate and a stick. James Sheppard scored his second of the series, redirecting defenseman Justin Braun's shot from the point, at 12:26, making it, 1-1,

Stalock kept the Sharks in a position to stay competitive when the Kings dominated the first period and took a 1-0 lead on the first Williams goal of the game at 5:39. It could have been a two-goal lead, or more, had Stalock not been so sharp.

lisa.dillman@latimes.com

Twitter: @reallisa

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Environment prize goes to Indian activist who battled coal mine plan

Reporting from Mumbai, India—

Ramesh Agrawal had just finished lunch when two men walked into his cyber cafe and inquired about computer prices. Agrawal said he would ask his sons, who run the business. That's when one of the men shot him.

Two bullets pierced Agrawal's groin and left thigh, shattering his femur. Blood ran down his pant leg. He collapsed but managed to grab a phone to call his wife for help.

The assailants, who sped off on a motorbike, had links to a powerful steel company seeking to build a coal mine in Agrawal's home state of Chhattisgarh, in eastern India, police said. Agrawal had been the mine's foremost opponent, using India's nascent freedom-of-information laws to lead a grass-roots campaign that prompted authorities to cancel the project's environmental clearance.

The July 2012 shooting badly wounded Agrawal, now 58, who still wears a cast on his upper leg and cannot walk without a cane. But for his activist efforts, Agrawal on Monday will receive the Goldman Environmental Prize, the world's largest award for grass-roots environmental activists, at a ceremony in San Francisco.

The award for Agrawal — one of six recipients of the annual prize, which comes with $175,000 in cash each — highlights the risks faced by Indian campaigners who have tried to challenge powerful business interests. The company that Agrawal opposed, Jindal Steel & Power, is one of the country's largest energy firms and is led by multibillionaire Naveen Jindal, a two-term member of Parliament from the ruling Congress Party.

Agrawal challenged Jindal's coal project after seeing the harmful effects of rapid industrialization in his state, home to nearly one-fifth of the country's coal reserves. India's surging economy has created a yawning demand for domestic coal, the country's primary fossil fuel. New mines and power plants have overtaken vast tracts of forest and farmland, transforming agrarian Chhattisgarh into one of India's fastest-growing states.

Environmentalists say that the breakneck expansion has worsened air and water quality, pushed poor villagers off their land and produced industrial runoff that threatens small farms. A recent Greenpeace report blamed air pollution from India's coal power plants for 120,000 premature deaths and 20 million new cases of asthma each year.

Activists complain that industrialists are cozy with government officials, who rubber-stamp massive new projects without regard for the environmental and public health costs.

"We are a rich state; we have minerals, natural resources, everything we have here," Agrawal said in a recent interview from his Internet cafe in the industrial boomtown of Raigarh. "This would be the happiest state in the country except for corruption."

Agrawal was an early believer in the power of the Internet; his cyber cafe, opened in 1999, was Raigarh's first. A father of three, he was involved in village literacy programs before starting his own nongovernmental organization, the Jan Chetana people's movement, in 2005.

The same year, India passed a Right to Information Act that aimed to improve the accountability of government agencies. Using the cyber cafe as an office, Agrawal fired off a flurry of information requests on local coal and steel projects and found that many had failed to conduct mandatory environmental impact assessments or may have broken other laws.

In meetings in the surrounding villages, illiterate farmers complained to him that company representatives had tricked them into signing over farmland for cut-rate sums.

"The villagers didn't know how to go about opposing business," Agrawal said. "We united people and showed that if you want to oppose such bigwigs, you have to join together. You can't fight them on your own."

In 2007, Agrawal learned that Jindal Steel, which already operated several private coal mines in the area, was planning to develop a 4-million-ton-per-year mine in Raigarh. By law, the company had to conduct a public hearing on the project, but Agrawal said such meetings usually were a farce — held in private, with some residents plied with cash or a free meal to ensure their support.

Agrawal brought concerned villagers to the meeting, where they clashed with pro-Jindal residents in a chaotic, chair-throwing melee. Police were called in and many of Agrawal's supporters were beaten or arrested. The hearing continued without them and the project eventually won government approval. Agrawal was accused of defamation, landing him in jail for 2 1/2 months.

Undaunted, Agrawal fought the mine project all the way to the National Green Tribunal, a special court established in 2010 to handle environmental cases. In April 2012, the court withdrew the project's environmental clearance, declaring that the public hearing conducted by authorities was a "mockery."

Three months later, the gunmen arrived at Agrawal's cyber cafe. He underwent multiple operations in the state capital and in Mumbai to remove the bullets. Nearly two years later, seven metal rods still hold his thigh in place, confining him to his home and the cyber cafe on most days.

Police arrested a Jindal Steel security guard and three associates in the shooting, and later two Jindal security officers surrendered to local authorities. The case is pending.

A company spokeswoman, Indira Das, denied that Jindal Steel had any involvement in the "alleged incident of shooting."

"All the allegations of Mr. Ramesh Agrawal against JSPL and/or its management are wrong, manipulated and baseless," Das said.

Although the Right to Information Act has increased transparency, it has also made targets of activists, who must file requests under their own names. Scores of petitioners have been attacked and several have been killed.

Despite the risks — and his serious injuries — Agrawal has continued to file information requests on behalf of other impoverished communities and has successfully blocked several other coal and power projects on legal grounds.

"It's not that Raigarh is different from other places," said Ritwick Dutta, an environmental lawyer who is representing Agrawal in more than a dozen cases. "The difference is that they have someone who is willing to raise their voice and face the consequences, and that is Ramesh."

The other winners of the 2014 Goldman prize are South African environmentalist Desmond D'Sa, Russian zoologist Suren Gazaryan, Indonesian biologist Rudi Putra, Peruvian indigenous activist Ruth Buendia and New York anti-fracking lawyer Helen Slottje.

shashank.bengali@latimes.com

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Egyptian judge sentences 683 to death in police officer's killing

MINYA, Egypt — Defense lawyers say an Egyptian judge has sentenced to death more than 680 alleged supporters of the country's ousted Islamist president over acts of violence and the murder of policemen in the latest mass trial in Egypt that included the Muslim Brotherhood's spiritual leader.

Attorney Ahmed Hefni told reporters outside the court in the southern city of Minya on Monday that the death sentences first have to be approved by Egypt's mufti, the top Islamic official — a step that is usually considered a formality.

The case is linked to deadly riots that erupted in Minya and elsewhere in Egypt after security forces violently disbanded sit-ins held by Brotherhood supporters in Cairo last August.

Hundreds were killed as part of a sweeping campaign against ousted President Mohammed Morsi's supporters.

ALSO:

Philippines agrees to large-scale return of U.S. military forces

Captive observers in Ukraine meet journalists under eyes of gunmen

Canonization of predecessors provides another boost for Pope Francis

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Obama: U.S. to impose new sanctions on Russia

MANILA — President Obama on Monday announced the U.S. would impose a new round of sanctions on individuals and companies in Russia in an effort to get President Vladimir Putin to "walk the walk and not just talk the talk" of deescalating the crisis in Ukraine.

Obama said the sanctions will focus on "some areas of high-tech defense exports" to Russia that the U.S. considers out of bounds in the current climate of tensions.

The U.S. goal is "not to go after Mr. Putin personally," Obama told reporters in a press conference during a state visit here. "The goal is to chance his calculus."

If Russian aggression continues in Ukraine, Obama said, the next step could be more broad-based sanctions aimed at Russian business sectors starting with the banking and defense industries.

The names of the sanction's targets are expected to come later on Monday when the Treasury, State and Commerce departments announce details of the new round of penalties.

The latest round of sanctions follow a weekend rise in tensions in eastern Ukraine, where pro-Russia rebels on Sunday paraded Western military observers as hostages. Militants denounced the legitimacy of the Ukrainian government in Kiev and demanded a referendum on the future of the southeast Ukrainian region of Donetsk.

Exasperated by Putin's refusal to fulfill his promise to try and deter the rebels' threats, the Obama administration spent the weekend preparing a new set of sharper sanctions while Obama continued his current trade and security mission to Asia. Administration officials say they are working to build international support for a possible move from sanctions on individuals to more sweeping sanctions on whole sectors of the Russian economy.

Besides burdening Russia, such sanctions would have a harsh effect on the U.S. and Europe, possibly resulting in layoffs in the affected industries, officials said. Obama has been reluctant to publicly make that threat.

But after a meeting with Philippine President Benigno S. Aquino III on Monday, Obama told reporters that sectoral sanctions could be coming down the pike.

The government in Kiev has "operated in good faith," Obama said, while the interanational community has "not seen comparable efforts by the Russians."

The new sanctions are the "next stage in a calibrated effort to change Russia's behavior," Obama said. If it doesn't work, he said, then sectoral sanctions could be the "next step."

ALSO:

Philippines agrees to large-scale return of U.S. military forces

Captive observers in Ukraine meet journalists under eyes of gunmen

Canonization of predecessors provides another boost for Pope Francis

christi.parsons@latimes.com

@cparsons

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Dodgers give all-around effort in 6-3 win over Rockies

AT THE PLATE: Adrian Gonzalez and Matt Kemp hit solo home runs. Gonzalez has a National League-leading eight home runs and Kemp four. Dee Gordon scored the Dodgers' first run, as he tripled in the third inning and scored on a groundout by Hanley Ramirez. Yasiel Puig drove in a run in the fourth inning to extend the Dodgers' lead to 4-1. Puig also doubled in a runs in the eighth inning. Puig, who was two for four, is eight for 22 (.364) with six runs batted in over his last four games.

ON THE MOUND: Paul Maholm had his best outing as a Dodger, limiting the Rockies to two runs and six hits over seven innings. Maholm was efficient, throwing only 84 pitches. He departed from the game in the eighth inning with the Dodgers leading, 5-2. The start was the fourth of the season for Maholm, who has made three relief appearances.

MEDICAL REPORT: Catcher A.J. Ellis ran outdoors for the first time since he underwent a minor knee operation April 8. Ellis, who has already caught and hit, is expected to start a minor league rehabilitation assignment once he can run at full speed.

UP NEXT: Hyun-Jin Ryu (3-1, 2.12) will face the Colorado Rockies and Jorge De La Rosa (1-3, 6.38) at Dodger Stadium at 1:10 p.m. On the air: TV: SportsNet LA. Radio: 570, 1020 (Spanish).

—Dylan Hernandez

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Fundraising may narrow field for Henry Waxman's House seat

Attorney Barbara Mulvaney prosecuted killers in Rwanda and promoted democracy for the U.S. State Department in Iraq before returning to Los Angeles and running for Congress.

She could hardly believe it when a local Democratic club barred her — and several other candidates of that party — from the dais at a recent campaign forum.

"I'm a very qualified candidate," Mulvaney said in an interview, taking issue with the club's decision to include only those who had raised at least $200,000 for their campaigns.

Photos: Candidates for the 33^rd Congressional District

 "My reaction was disappointment," Mulvaney said, that the campaign system is "focused more on fundraising than on issues."

She will get a crack at voters this weekend, as will 17 others on the June 3 primary election ballot to succeed retiring Rep. Henry A. Waxman (D-Beverly Hills). All have been invited to a forum sponsored by the Brentwood News on Sunday.

But the earlier snub reflected a hard reality about crowded races in sprawling districts: Candidates are quickly sorted by political experience, name familiarity, party affiliation and, yes, the ability to raise money — perhaps the most common yardstick in measuring the viability of a campaign. Mulvaney has reported raising slightly more than $10,000.

California's relatively new voting districts and switch to the "jungle" primary add to the election calculus. The predominantly white and affluent Westside district was redrawn in 2011 to meld parts of the South Bay with Waxman's Beverly Hills base. All candidates will appear on the same ballot, with the top two finishers advancing to November regardless of any party ties.

In this solidly Democratic district, most observers put three members of that party, along with a bestselling author who has no party affiliation, in the top tier of candidates.

The 10 Democrats on the ballot could splinter the vote enough to allow a well-funded Republican to take one of the two fall ballot spots. But there's a fourth Democrat who has pulled together an impressive campaign treasury and shouldn't be ruled out.

The leading Democrats are presumed to be former Los Angeles City Controller and Councilwoman Wendy Greuel; state Sen. Ted Lieu; and Matt Miller, a former journalist, radio talk show host and Clinton administration staffer. Each has raised more than half a million dollars, has some political experience and is at least somewhat familiar to voters.

Greuel's campaign for Los Angeles mayor last year boosted her name recognition, but it also left her bloodied, especially over controversial spending on her behalf by a city union. Her political base is mainly outside the district, in the San Fernando Valley, where she grew up and her parents ran a building-supply company.

She and her husband and son recently moved to Brentwood. She has some support in the district and is backed by Emily's List, which helps elect Democratic women who support abortion rights.

Lieu hails from Torrance, in the southern, more politically moderate part of the district, where he served on the City Council before winning special elections to the state Assembly and Senate after the officeholders died. His family emigrated from Taiwan to Ohio when he was 3, and he recalls helping his parents sell gifts at flea markets as they pursued a piece of the American dream.

He said he joined the Air Force after college because he wanted to repay the country that provided his family a chance to succeed; he remains a member of the reserves.

Miller is making his first run for elected office. He has worked as a Washington Post columnist, written two policy books and is familiar to KCRW radio listeners as co-host of the public affairs show "Left, Right and Center." (He was the Center.)

The Pacific Palisades resident is trying to position himself as an informed outsider, a "proud but independent Democrat" with the experience to help break the political gridlock in Washington.

Spiritual teacher and bestselling author Marianne Williamson entered the race long before Waxman's surprise Jan. 30 announcement that he would retire this year after four decades in Congress. Williamson has campaigned almost nonstop for months, led in fundraising and built a core of volunteers, including some who say they were turned off by politics before meeting her.

A lifelong Democrat, Williamson has switched her registration to "no party preference," saying she believes both major parties share the blame for a "corrupt" system in which they are "deeply beholden to corporate interests in order to win elections."

She recently moved to Brentwood from just outside the district in West Hollywood.

"I think the top two will be among those four," said longtime Democratic strategist Garry South, who lives in the district but is not working for any of the candidates and has not endorsed any.

Businessman James A. Graf, a Democrat, said a poll he commissioned with some of the $1 million he lent his campaign showed good support for other candidates, especially Lieu and Greuel. Graf said he dropped out of the race based on his findings, but his decision came too late to remove his name from the ballot.

Defense attorney David Kanuth, a Democrat and first-time candidate from Venice, surprised observers by raising nearly $800,000 within weeks of entering the race. The money will help him reach voters but probably won't be enough to get him past better-known, more politically experienced candidates, South and others said.

Gang prosecutor Elan Carr of Westwood, the only one of three Republicans on the ballot with a substantial campaign fund, has a shot at the fall contest if enough of his party — and perhaps some unaligned voters — turn out for him. He has already started running cable TV ads, which do not mention his party affiliation but call for reforms and say Washington is "too much of a mess" to achieve them.

Waxman's 33rd Congressional District includes much of Los Angeles' Westside and Malibu and runs down the coast through the Palos Verdes Peninsula. Registration is nearly 44% Democratic and 27% Republican, with 18% of voters belonging to no party.

South thinks it's likely that two Democrats will end up on the November ballot, in large part because of Waxman's long tenure and his stature in Washington on such major policy issues as healthcare and the environment.

"Henry Waxman is the shadow that looms over this race," South said. "Those in this district who voted for him for years and who admired him — and there are many — are going to be looking for a candidate they think will be the most suitable replacement for him."

"There is a clear sense that this district is losing a very influential member of Congress," South said, adding that voters are asking, "Who do we replace him with that can fill his shoes?"

jean.merl@latimes.com

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In Malaysia, Obama decries alleged Sterling remarks

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia -- President Obama on Saturday condemned the "incredibly offensive racist statements" attributed to Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling, calling them a sign of how the U.S. continues to wrestle with its legacy of "slavery and segregation."

But Obama also said he thinks such remarks from "ignorant folks" draw outrage because they're so out of sync with the American self-concept.

"We've made enormous strides, but you're going to continue to see this percolate up every so often," Obama said. Americans have to be "clear and steady in denouncing" such comments, he said, but should also "remain hopeful that part of why some statements like this stand out so much is because there has been this shift in how we view ourselves."

Sterling has stirred anger after allegedly making derogatory remarks about black people in an audio recording released by celebrity gossip site TMZ. In it, a man identified as Sterling criticizes his girlfriend for posting on Instagram a picture of herself with Lakers legend Magic Johnson.

"It bothers me a lot that you want to broadcast that you're associating with black people," the man says in the recording. He later adds, "I'm just saying, in your … Instagrams, you don't have to have yourself … walking with black people.

Obama commented on the statements when asked about them during a press conference in Malaysia, a country of multiple ethnic groups that wrestles with its own issues of diversity.

"Like Malaysia, we constantly have to be on guard against racial attitudes that divide us rather than embracing our diversity as a strength," Obama said. "We have to make sure that we stay on top of it."

Obama said he is confident that the NBA commissioner will address the situations on behalf of a league that he said is "beloved by fans all across the country."

ALSO:

Crowds flood Vatican City for dual papal canonization

U.S., allies to add sanctions against Russia over Ukraine

South Korean prime minister offers to resign over ferry sinking

christi.parsons@latimes.com

@cparsons

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Ducks find power and glory in 6-2 Game 5 victory over Dallas

The Ducks knew they could count on home-ice advantage, not necessarily their power-play prowess.

However, in a moment-of-truth Game 5 played before another standing-room-only crowd at Honda Center, they beat the Dallas Stars, 6-2, by setting a team playoff record with four power-play goals.

Top-seeded Anaheim took a 3-2 lead in the Western Conference first-round series, with Game 6 Sunday in Texas.

Ducks center and captain Ryan Getzlaf steadily gave the 17,334 in attendance reason to roar after missing Game 4 with an upper-body injury.

Getzlaf produced one of three Ducks goals in the first 6 minutes 49 seconds of the third period, creating bedlam after contributing two earlier assists.

The Ducks, who started 20-0-2 at home this season, have banked on the home ice for all three of their postseason wins. The team has drawn 15 consecutive sellouts and 31 in all this season.

"It was unbelievable, so much energy tonight," Getzlaf said.

On top of that, the Ducks had a 3-1 lead 65 seconds into the second period on three power-play goals, as forward Patrick Maroon pushed a backward pass up ice that Getzlaf crossed to Mathieu Perreault for the third goal.

"We moved the puck around good and took it to the net," said Getzlaf, who also helped the Ducks kill all seven penalties they committed, including two five-on-three situations. "It was incredible how the guys played the special-teams battle. I got better as the game went on, and got some rest at the end."

While the Ducks did establish a franchise record for goals this season, their power-play production has been spotty.

From Dec. 11 to Jan. 3, they scored just once in 32 power plays over 10 games, then endured a two-for-47 slump from Feb. 28 to March 14. And they were two for 16 in their first four postseason games.

With that issue resolved Friday, the Ducks leaned heavily on rookie goalie Frederik Andersen in the second period. Andersen had been sent to the bench Wednesday in a 4-2 Game 4 loss in Dallas after blowing a 2-0 lead, giving up four goals in 18 shots.

But Ducks Coach Bruce Boudreau said Friday morning he had faith the rookie who won 20 regular-season games would rebound.

Andersen beamed when asked about that vote of confidence.

"Of course, I liked that, not because you play for yourself, but because you want to play good for everyone in this locker room," he said. "Nice to give that back to these guys. I was pretty calm, just had to get back to the foundation of the game."

Dallas unleashed 19 shots on goal in the second period, to seven for the Ducks. Andersen let only one past him, Shawn Horcoff knocking one in from in front after bashing the goalie's right knee.

The Ducks ended a hectic first period with a 2-1 lead thanks to power-play goals that followed transgressions by Dallas' usual suspects.

First, Stars forward Antoine Roussel, who threw the infamous left hand at Getzlaf's stitched-up chin in Game 3, was sent to the box for interference.

Getzlaf, who passed teammate Teemu Selanne for most career playoff points (66) in Ducks history, then assisted on forward Nick Bonino's opening goal against Dallas goalie Kari Lehtonen 5:32 into the game.

Stars forward Ryan Garbutt enhanced his villain role by jabbing his stick to Ducks forward Corey Perry's groin region. Perry took quite awhile to rise as Garbutt was ushered off the ice with a five-minute spearing penalty and a game-misconduct.

Perry returned minutes later, and in the third period scored the fourth power-play goal, beating Tim Thomas, who'd replaced Lehtonen.

lance.pugmire@latimes.com

Twitter: @latimespugmire

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45-unit complex to double number of Vernon's voters

By a Times staff writer

April 26, 2014

The industrial city of Vernon in southeast Los Angeles County has long been known for its small number of residents and voters — just 42 turned out for a municipal election last year, for example.

So on Friday, when city leaders and state and national elected officials announced the groundbreaking of a new apartment complex in the city, it was hailed as a good governance reform that will bring more voters to the city.

The 45-unit Vernon Village Park is hailed as an environmentally conscious, energy-efficient facility that, as city officials put it, "will make the concept of a live/work community a reality in Vernon."

Vernon Village Park is expected to more than double the number of voters in the city when it is completed in 2015, and officials said it would be affordable for low- to moderate-income families.

The facility will feature one-, two- and three-bedroom units with balconies and patios, a play area for children and an edible garden.

Vernon was the focus of scrutiny after a series of scandals at City Hall. The city came under criticism from state legislators who argued that its government was controlled by a small group of individuals rather than a legitimate voting population. Legislators attempted to disincorporate the city in 2011, but that effort failed.

Vernon officials agreed to a series of reforms, including building more housing to add to the voter rolls.

metro@latimes.com

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Rabbit dishes are regaining popularity

Rabbits "are helping win the war," proclaimed a Los Angeles Times article from 1943. Touted as a patriotic food during World War II, rabbits were raised by thousands of Americans in their backyards. Along with victory gardens, rabbits helped put food on the table when much of the nation's supply was shipped to soldiers overseas and ration stamps provided less at home. But even though rabbit consumption spiked during the war, it all but disappeared afterward.

Think rabbit today and your thoughts probably veer to cartoon characters, cereal mascots, Easter and adorable pets. Perhaps the only "bunny" you've ever eaten was of the milk chocolate breed. For years, it seems the only place you could find "the real deal" was occasionally on the menu at French or Italian restaurants.

But rabbit appears to be going through a renaissance of sorts.

"I think it's gaining in popularity," says Mark Pasternak, co-owner, along with wife Myriam, of Devil's Gulch Ranch in Marin County. Their farm supplies rabbit to a number of butcher shops and restaurants in and around Northern California, including the French Laundry and Chez Panisse.

And in an era when game meats and nose-to-tail eating are redefining fine dining as food sport, rabbit is both familiar and exotic enough to appeal.

"It almost has a prohibitiony quality to it, like it was something your grandfather ate. It's a great 'old-fashioned' meat," says chef Ken Addington, who, with restaurant partner Jud Mongell, owns LA Chapter in downtown's Ace Hotel as well as Five Leaves and Nights and Weekends in Brooklyn, N.Y. "We've always had rabbit on the menus in Brooklyn. It's a fun, versatile meat."

And though Mongell was hesitant to feature rabbit at first, he's come around to the idea. "In these times when we're trying to be so conscious of what, and how, we're consuming, it's something to consider."

At a time when buzzwords like "organic," "local" and "sustainable" are driving the market, rabbit is ripe for resurgence. According to Slow Food USA, rabbit can produce 6 pounds of meat using the same amount of food and water it takes for a cow to produce only 1 pound. Not to mention the health benefits. Rabbit is a lean meat that is higher in protein but lower in calories, fat and cholesterol than many other meats, including chicken, beef and pork.

But how does it taste?

Domestic rabbit's all-white meat is fine-grained and has a mild flavor compared with other game meats.

"Rabbit is one of my favorite subjects because it is so versatile, like veal or chicken," says chef Evan Funke of Bucato. A favorite dish of his for those new to rabbit is rag¿¿. "Anytime I get the opportunity to introduce people to rabbit, [I do]. Rag¿¿ is easy."

Addington likes to pair bright flavorings, such as citrus, with rabbit; he currently has a lemon grass rabbit rag¿¿ on the menu at LA Chapter.

Though rabbit is mostly available through butcher shops such as Belcampo Meat Co. and Puritan Poultry and online, it is turning up more frequently in upscale markets, including select Gelson's markets. It is usually sold whole, though you can have your butcher break the animal down into parts. (But if you've ever wanted to learn how to break down any four-legged animal, rabbit is a great place to start because it's so small. Do be careful with the bones, however; rabbit bones are even more delicate than those of a chicken.)

And despite its reputation as an inexpensive option during frugal times, store-bought rabbit is not cheap; prices in Los Angeles range from about $10 to $13 a pound for a 2- to 3-pound rabbit.

noelle.carter@latimes.com

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Clippers' DeAndre Jordan grabs spotlight at crucial time

OAKLAND — Golden State's shots kept bouncing off the rim.

Some nicked the front, others clanged off the side and still others caromed high off the back.

It only seemed as though DeAndre Jordan was there to grab every rebound.

The Clippers center repeatedly extended his massive hands to seize the ball, doing it for the final time with 1.2 seconds left Thursday night at Oracle Arena when he grasped Stephen Curry's airballed three-pointer, flung a pass to teammate Chris Paul and raised his arm in triumph.

Jordan's franchise playoff-record-tying 22 rebounds helped the Clippers snatch control of their first-round series against the Warriors with a 98-96 victory in Game 3.

Jordan added 14 points and five blocks, his all-around effort helping the Clippers take a 2-1 lead in the series. He played smothering defense and provided an offensive jolt to complement teammate Blake Griffin's 32 points in addition to hoarding all those rebounds.

Jordan's rebound total tied Bob McAdoo's playoff franchise record. Jordan had 15 of his rebounds on the defensive end on a night the Warriors made only six of 31 three-pointers and shot only 41.6% overall.

"I feel like it's all our defense," Jordan said when asked to explain his rebounding prowess. "We do a great job initially guarding the ball."

His offense didn't hurt either. As the Clippers amassed an 18-point lead in the third quarter, Jordan had a dunk putback and followed a rare missed jumper by Griffin with a putback layup. He was even passable at the free-throw line, making four of nine attempts.

Jordan's impact extended well beyond the numbers.

He offered encouragement to Griffin, extending his hand for Griffin to slap after Griffin missed a free throw in the third quarter. He later motioned to teammate Matt Barnes to keep his cool after Barnes committed a needless foul in the backcourt.

For a player who finished third in voting for NBA defensive player of the year and fifth in voting for most improved in the league, there was no one the Clippers would rather have had manning the middle.

"He covers up for us so many times," Paul said. "When guys get by us he's there for us."

Jordan picked up his fourth block when he rejected Harrison Barnes on a driving layup after the Warriors had built considerable momentum in their third-quarter comeback.

His fifth block was even bigger. With the Warriors down by only three points and less than four minutes to play, Jordan met David Lee near the rim and swatted his layup. The Clippers scored the next five points.

"Just his presence alone down there was huge," Griffin said. "When he's playing defense like that, he's the anchor of our defense. When you see a guy like that busting himself the whole game, everybody else falls in line."

And the ball tends to bound off the rim and into the right hands for the Clippers over and over.

Jordan's 13 rebounds in the first half were a franchise record for a half. He also had 10 points by halftime and would have had more had there not been one maddening sequence midway through the first quarter in which he missed a tip-in off an errant J.J. Redick three-point shot, grabbed the rebound and missed a layup.

It's the kind of production the Clippers have come to expect from someone who led the league in rebounds (13.6 per game) and field-goal percentage (.676) during the regular season while finishing third in blocked shots (2.5).

Jordan was everywhere his team needed him in its biggest game of the season.

ben.bolch@latimes.com

Twitter: @latbbolch

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Big performances by Kings' top players keep the season going

Their big guys played big, the leaders led by fearless example, and the Kings, on the brink of going home for the summer, got the result they so urgently needed, a 6-3 victory over the San Jose Sharks on Thursday at Staples Center that extended their season by at least one more game.

"We're alive," said winger Marian Gaborik, who played a huge part in resuscitating them by scoring their first and fifth goals.

Justin Williams scored twice in a three-goal spree in the second period, and rookie Tyler Toffoli chipped in with the kind of skillful goal the Kings need from him in the short- and long-term future.

BOX SCORE: Kings 6, San Jose 3

Though marred by defensive mistakes that contributed to the muted atmosphere in the Kings' locker room afterward, this was what they needed after losing the first three games of their first-round playoff series: balanced and opportunistic scoring, and a pushback against a deep, fast team that had dictated the pace and style until that point.

"If your best players are your best players, it gives you an opportunity to win," said winger Dustin Brown, who responded to being promoted to the first line alongside Gaborik and Anze Kopitar by setting up Gaborik's first-period goal and scoring into an empty net with 1 minute 28 seconds to play.

"I know we had a lot of contributions from a lot of players, but you win and lose with the top guys."

Gaborik alone was worth the price of admission and undoubtedly drove up his free-agent signing price this summer by a few hundred thousand dollars.

"The line changes sparked us a bit. We had some goals, our line," Gaborik said. "Brownie is the captain and he brings a lot to the table. Physical. And we played very good tonight. So we just have to bring it again the next game."

But — and you knew that had to be a but — this was only one game. Only one win. And Game 5 will be at SAP Center, where the Sharks outscored the Kings, 13-5, in winning the first two games.

This was only the first step up a steep mountain, with much work still ahead.

"I think it's just kind of it's about pride in here. We've been through a lot as a group … this is just another challenge," Brown said. "It was one challenge and now we get ready for the next. It's not about dwelling on tonight, because it's irrelevant now."

That they're preparing for another game instead of for an early summer vacation is due in part to Coach Darryl Sutter's decision to move Brown, who had struggled through an underproductive season and lacked the physical presence that had made him so effective, back on the first line. Sutter shifted Williams alongside Jarret Stoll and Dwight King. "You're just trying to get one little edge somehow," Sutter said before the game.

His players turned it into a big edge.

Williams and Brown both recorded their first points of the series. Gaborik, the pure scorer and gamebreaker the Kings needed, played that role well by taking Brown's feed and chipping it past starter Antti Niemi for the Kings' first goal. He then showed extraordinary patience and hands to score their fifth goal, 34 seconds into the third period. That's when Niemi was excused and replaced by Alex Stalock.

"I don't think I'm satisfied," Brown said. "That's what's expected of me and that's what I expect of myself. It's not about what I did tonight. It's about what I'm able to do the next game."

Defenseman Drew Doughty (plus-three defensively over 28 minutes and 2 seconds' ice time) and goaltender Jonathan Quick (36 saves) will probably have to do even more again on Saturday. If the Kings win Game 5, they'll have to be better to win Game 6 and force a seventh game, which would be played at San Jose next Wednesday.

"We got the win, but again, we have to be better in our own zone. We had a couple breakdowns and against this team … the score could have been a lot different tonight, quite honestly," Brown said. "We have to clean up our D zone and our checking."

Every team's playoff mantra is to take things one shift at a time, one period at a time, one game at a time. But at least the Kings can, finally, also say one win at a time.

helene.elliott@latimes.com

Twitter: @helenenothelen

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Kings avoid elimination with 6-3 win over Sharks

Justin Williams reached back and delivered some of his Game 7 playoff magic for the Kings in Game 4.

For the Kings, it might as well have been Game 7.

Justin Time. Or should that be Just In Time?

With the Kings facing playoff elimination against the San Jose Sharks on Thursday night, Williams, who had been without a point in the first three games, scored twice in the Kings' 6-3 victory over the Sharks in Game 4 at Staples Center.

BOX SCORE: Kings 6, San Jose 3

San Jose leads the best-of-seven Western Conference quarterfinal series, three games to one. Game 5 will be on Saturday in San Jose.

"We're going into the cage," Kings Coach Darryl Sutter said of SAP Center. "Cages are good."

Marian Gaborik added two goals for the Kings, giving him three in the last two games, and the other goals came from rookie Tyler Toffoli and captain Dustin Brown, who scored an empty-netter with 1:28 remaining for his first goal of the series.

"I made a mistake myself of thinking about how we were going to win up there," Sutter said. "Two good hockey clubs. If you look at the first five minutes, the Sharks took it to us, big-time. Jonathan [Quick] aced it in the first few minutes and then we scored."

He added that he thought about Game 5 on Wednesday night.

"Why wouldn't it [cross my mind]?" Sutter said. "I know the sky is falling when you lose a game."

Williams earned the tag of Mr. Game 7, seeming slightly embarrassed by the nickname, when he scored twice against the Sharks in Game 7 last year, giving the Kings the series win in their second-round playoff confrontation.

"It's obviously not like a Game 7 because it's not do-or-die for them but it's do-or-die for us," Williams said. "You've got to lay it all on the line. They're not typical Kings games right now.

"We're just trying to make this a series. They were up 3-0, obviously in the driver's seat. We're just going to do what we can to push back. It's 3-1, it's certainly not anything to write home about. We're certainly happy we got a win, but we feel we have a long road to go obviously."

Williams has scored five goals in four career Game 7s. The Kings will have to win twice more to reach that stage, but Sutter noted after Game 3 that the climb back was a "tough hill and we won't go quietly."

The first step up the mountain was a big one.

For the first time in the series, the Kings were able to get to Sharks goalie Antti Niemi, who was pulled just 34 seconds into the third period, giving way to backup Alex Stalock, after Gaborik scored his second of the game to make it 5-2.

Niemi faced 26 shots and gave up five goals. He couldn't exactly be faulted on what turned out to be one of the game's turning points, the second goal from Williams. It came at 16:07 of the second period and h broke a 2-2 tie. He had scored earlier, on the power play, to make it 2-1 in the second period.

The Kings have been victimized by all sorts of bad bounces and deflections — welcome to playoff hockey — but finally got a good break on the second Williams goal. Kings defenseman Willie Mitchell's shot caromed wildly off the end boards and the puck bounced to Williams, about knee high, at the left post.

The game of moves and countermoves started with Sutter mixing up his lines, putting Brown back with center Anze Kopitar and Gaborik on the left wing. Kopitar, meanwhile, was recognized for his defensive abilities earlier on Thursday morning when the NHL announced the Selke Trophy finalists.

The other finalists are Chicago Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews and the Boston Bruins' Patrice Bergeron.

lisa.dillman@latimes.com

Twitter: @reallisa

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Jeffrey Kahane to step down at Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra

Jeffrey Kahane, music director of the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, at his Santa Rosa home in 2011. (Rick Loomis / Los Angeles Times)

By David Ng

April 23, 2014, 11:00 p.m.

Following a 20-year run, conductor Jeffrey Kahane will step down from his position as music director of the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra at the conclusion of the 2016-17 season, the group announced on Wednesday.

Kahane will be named music director laureate at the end of his tenure, which will be the longest of any music director in the ensemble's history. No successor has been announced. Leaders said that the board of directors will be launching a search to find a new music director.

GRAPHIC: Highest-earning art executives | Highest-earning conductors

Kahane, 57, is the ensemble's fifth music director since the group was founded in 1968. He assumed his post in 1997. The conductor, who is an L.A. native and currently lives in Santa Rosa, Calif., is also an accomplished pianist and continues to perform and conduct with ensembles around the world.

In a statement sent via e-mail, Kahane said that he felt it was "time to pass the torch, as difficult as it is to move on, and 20 years seemed like a good round number."

He added that he will continue his career as a soloist and chamber musician, and that he no plans to take on another music director position.

The L.A. Chamber Orchestra board president Eugene Shutler said in a release that a search committee will be formed to find the group's next music director.

ALSO:

Review: Gabriel Kahane's take on L.A. has a Brooklyn accent

San Diego Opera closing: Vocal patrons share their reactions

San Diego Opera extends deadline for closing down after board exodus

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Dodgers break losing skid with 5-2 win over Phillies

Dodgers first base coach Davey Lopes, left, congratulates Yasiel Puig on a run-scoring single in the fifth inning of the Dodgers' 5-2 win over the Philadelphia Phillies on Wednesday. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times / April 23, 2014)

By Dylan Hernandez

April 23, 2014, 11:03 p.m.

ON THE MEND: Clayton Kershaw is scheduled to pitch Friday for Class-A Rancho Cucamonga, Dodgers Manager Don Mattingly confirmed. The minor league rehabilitation assignment will be the first for Kershaw, who had never been on the disabled list. Kershaw is expected to throw about 55 pitches. Mattingly said the left-hander will pitch in the minor leagues more than once before he returns to the major leagues.

ON THE MOUND: The Dodgers ended their losing streak at two games behind Zack Greinke's best start of the season. Greinke pitched more than six innings for the first time this season, limiting the Phillies to two runs and five hits over seven innings. The second run didn't come until the eighth inning, when Jayson Nix hit a home run. Greinke had 11 strikeouts, his most as a Dodger. J.P. Howell pitched one inning, as did Kenley Jansen, who recorded his eighth save.

AT THE PLATE: Yasiel Puig drove in two runs, getting a hard-hit single in the fifth inning to drive in Drew Butera and a seventh-inning triple to drive in Greinke. Hanley Ramirez hit a home run in the eighth inning. Ramirez also hit a double and showed signs he could be breaking out of his slump. Matt Kemp, who started the game hitting .196, had two doubles.

A DAY OFF: Adrian Gonzalez was out of the lineup for the first time this season because Mattingly wanted to give the 31-year-old first baseman a day off. The timing had nothing to do with Gonzalez's splits against Phillies starter Cole Hamels. Gonzalez is a .296 hitter in 27 at-bats against the left-hander. Scott Van Slyke started in place of Gonzalez at first base. Mattingly said he expects to sit Ramirez this week.

FREE STUFF: The first 50,000 spectators at Dodger Stadium on Thursday will receive Kershaw bobblehead dolls.

UP NEXT: Dan Haren (3-0, 2.16 ERA) will face the Phillies right-hander Kyle Kendrick (0-2, 3.60) at Dodger Stadium on Thursday at 7 p.m. On the air: TV: SportsNet LA. Radio: 570, 1020 (Spanish).

dylan.hernandez@latimes.com

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Dodgers trying to get a better grip on their defensive issues

The Dodgers didn't make any errors behind Zack Greinke in their 5-2 victory Wednesday over the Philadelphia Phillies at Dodger Stadium.

This was significant, considering how the Dodgers have played defense in the first three-plus weeks of the regular season. They have been one of the worst defensive teams in baseball.

They entered the day with 22 errors, the second-most among the 30 teams in the majors. Their fielding percentage of .974 was third-worst. "We have to get better," Hanley Ramirez said.

The lapses of concentration were enough of a concern for Manager Don Mattingly that he raised the issue in a pregame meeting earlier in the week. Mattingly said he wants to address the problems now, pointing out that such mistakes become exponentially more costly in October.

BOX SCORE: Dodgers 5, Phillies 2

"If we're to get to where we want to go, the games we're going to play are not 10-8 games and 7-6 games," he said. "They're going to be 4-2s and 3-1s, those types of games where mistakes cost you runs and runs don't come easy."

In other words, he expects them to be involved in games like their victory Wednesday.

Three-time All-Star Cole Hamels, who was sidelined by a sore shoulder, made his season debut for the Phillies. The Dodgers scored two runs against him in six innings.

The Dodgers extended their lead to 3-1 in the seventh inning, when Yasiel Puig tripled in Greinke. The Phillies scored in the eighth inning, but the Dodgers responded immediately with a solo home run by Ramirez and run-scoring single by Justin Turner.

For Ramirez, his play at shortstop might have been as important as his home run. He has five errors, which ties him for second-most in the majors among players at his position.

Ramirez is 31 and clearly doesn't have the range he once had. Mattingly accepts that.

Others on the team have also looked unsteady on defense.

Dee Gordon, who is relatively new to his position at second base, has already made a couple of errors. Matt Kemp, who missed more than half of last season, appears to still be finding his way in center field. Left fielder Carl Crawford isn't the same defensive player he was when he won a Gold Glove in 2010.

INTERACTIVE: Compare salaries on Dodgers, Phillies

"There's going to be certain physical limitations with guys," Mattingly said. "What they can and can't do, it is what that is. We just can't afford the mental mistakes. We should all be in the right position, use charts and pay attention to them, make sure we're communicating — all the little stuff."

That type of error cost the Dodgers the game Tuesday. With the score tied in the 10th inning, the Phillies' Carlos Ruiz popped up to shallow left field. Ramirez and Crawford converged on the ball, but neither of them called off the other. The ball dropped and Ruiz reached second base. Ruiz later scored the winning run.

"That's just a ball we've got to catch," Mattingly said. "It doesn't matter what happened at this point, it's a ball we've got to catch. It's as simple as that."

Mattingly doesn't think the Dodgers can count on their offense to bail them out if they make the playoffs. "We've got an offense capable of scoring, but when you get good pitching, it stops it," Mattingly said. "All good pitching seems to continually stop offense."

As it is, the Dodgers' offense has slowed down. In six of the last eight games leading up to Wednesday, the Dodgers scored two or fewer runs. "It's tough because we're not hitting the way we want to," Crawford said. "Defense is one of the things you have to do every day to help the pitchers out. We're not doing it. It's something we have to adjust."

Mattingly warned that errors could contribute to another of the Dodgers' concerns: overworking the bullpen. "If it's costing you more pitches, it's costing you extra guys out of the bullpen," he said. "It's always costing you something."

dylan.hernandez@latimes.com

Twitter: @dylanohernandez

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New map could refocus state's pollution battles

The California Environmental Protection Agency has released a statewide list of census tracts most burdened by pollution, providing a first-of-its-kind ranking certain to pressure regulators to clean up neighborhoods with long-standing health risks.

Many of the worst pollution pockets identified and mapped by state officials are in the San Joaquin Valley, Los Angeles County and the Inland Empire. Their residents are largely low-income Latinos who have had little power to force improvements in their communities.

By providing the public with an objective accounting of conditions in areas as small as a few thousand residents, Cal/EPA has created a powerful tool to spur regulators to act in highly polluted neighborhoods, state officials and environmental activists say.

"It is a major breakthrough that will give us a better opportunity to direct or redirect precious resources to the communities that need it the most," said state Sen. Kevin de León (D-Los Angeles).

De León wrote a 2012 law that requires the state to spend 25% of the auction proceeds from California's greenhouse gas-cutting cap-and-trade program to benefit disadvantaged communities that face disproportionate effects from pollution and climate change.

The screening tool, called CalEnviroScreen, was developed by the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, a branch of Cal/EPA, to pinpoint the communities with the highest exposure and vulnerability to multiple environmental hazards, including polluted air and water, waste facilities and contaminated soil.

The rankings, however, are not based only on measures of environmental exposure. They also take into account socioeconomic characteristics and health data on residents to assess the overall vulnerability of communities. Those factors include poverty, education, unemployment, rates of asthma and low-birth-weight infants.

Putting all 19 criteria together, state officials say, gives the best indication of the environmental risks faced by California's most vulnerable populations. Government agencies could address those risks through a variety of measures, including environmental enforcement, cleanups and economic remedies, such as creating sustainable development projects to provide jobs.

Teresa DeAnda, who lives in a house with a view of rows of almond trees in Earlimart, a small agricultural town along Highway 99 in Tulare County, looked up the ranking of her neighborhood online and learned it scored among the worst 10% in the state for fine particle air pollution, contaminated drinking water and pesticide use.

"I was startled but not surprised," said DeAnda, director of the Committee for the Well Being of Earlimart, a community group formed some 15 years ago to fight pesticides that drift through the air and into the community from surrounding farms. "I wish that they would take the next step and try to make it safer for us and remediate all the pollution that we're bombarded with here."

Gov. Jerry Brown's proposed budget for 2014-15 would set aside $225 million of $850 million in cap-and-trade proceeds for disadvantaged communities.

Budget documents say projects could include energy-efficiency upgrades for homes in low-income areas, improvements to bus and rail systems, urban forestry projects and programs to fund cleaner trucks and equipment near ports, rail yards and distribution centers.

The environmental health assessment, published in draft form this week, was a major update to an initiative that includes an interactive online map and is being refined over time by Cal/EPA. The state's first such report last year assessed the state by ZIP Code and yielded broadly similar results, showing that Latinos and African Americans make up a disproportionately high percentage of the population in areas most affected by pollution.

But the previous list was criticized by environmental justice groups and researchers who complained that ZIP Codes were too large and arbitrary to reveal much.

California has about 8,000 census tracts compared with about 1,800 ZIP Codes. "This scale of analysis represents a finer level of resolution for many parts of the state," the Cal/EPA report says.

Manuel Pastor, director of the USC Program for Environmental and Regional Equity, who developed a precursor to the state's screening tool, agreed.

"This will be an extraordinarily useful tool because it lets us look at the state neighborhood by neighborhood," he said.

Some of the worst-scoring neighborhoods sit next to busy ports, rail yards and freeways in places such as Boyle Heights, Long Beach, San Bernardino and San Jose, where residents are exposed to higher levels of air pollution from vehicle exhaust.

Topping the list is a tract in Fresno crisscrossed by freeways, where more than 3,000 people live with the some of the state's highest levels of toxic air releases and asthma rates.

A pocket of homes west of the LA/Ontario International Airport is high on the list because it has some of the state's worst smog, diesel soot and a high number of cleanup sites and hazardous waste facilities.

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L.A. County leaders consider reforms of child services

Los Angeles County supervisors have begun weighing recommendations to dramatically rework the safety net for tens of thousands of abused and neglected children, including what would be the most significant reorganization of county government since 2007.

The Blue Ribbon Commission on Child Protection has said a linchpin of a proposed package of reforms is the creation of a new child welfare czar. The executive would have broad powers to move money and people across departmental lines to support a more unified and effective approach to the protection of children, the panel said.

The five-member county board voted to order additional study of some of the commission's recommendations, prior to a possible approval of the proposed changes next month.

Commissioner Andrea Rich said the new office shouldn't just add more bureaucracy and costs atop the child welfare system. "If it becomes that, we should do away with it immediately," she said. "It should act as a knife that cuts through bureaucratic layers."

The commission called on the county's five elected supervisors to clarify the mission and roles of various agencies charged with protecting vulnerable children. That directive should include clear and reliable data gathering and goals to track the success of county departments.

Successful reform of an oft-criticized child protection system will require months, if not years, of investment, reorganization and lobbying for changes in state law by county supervisors, the commission said.

The overhaul could face an uphill battle.

The county's chief executive, William T Fujioka, who might have to surrender some budgeting authority under the proposal, released a report prior to Tuesday's meeting that said the county already tracks statistics regarding the well-being of children. The panel of experts found county departments use different measures of performance.

Fujioka's report also raised financial and legal concerns about some of the panel's recommendations, including more extensive health screening of foster children. Children's advocates say those issues can be addressed if the county makes a commitment to improving medical evaluation for abused and neglected children.

Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas said the commission's work represents "a potential breakthrough moment. It not only identified the problems, it provided solutions."

Supervisor Gloria Molina said her greatest responsibility as county supervisor is the protection of children. "I think the board is committed to this kind of reform," she said.

But Philip Browning, the county's director of the Department of Children and Family Services, said he was not aware of any large systems where a child welfare czar has been attempted.

And Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich was cool to the idea of creating a new agency for a child protection overseer.

He also expressed disappointment that the commission did not examine ways that agreements with county employee unions may block needed changes, including moving workers to understaffed areas of the county.

Supervisors Don Knabe and Zev Yaroslavsky had opposed the creation of the blue ribbon commission. They said Tuesday they would review the report, but said it contained little that was new. Yaroslavsky said some of the ideas in the panel's report were "turkeys."

The commission of child welfare experts and community leaders was appointed by the supervisors last

summer after the death of

8-year-old Gabriel Fernandez.

The boy was found in May with his skull cracked, three ribs broken, and his skin bruised and burned. BB pellets were embedded in his lung and groin, and two teeth were knocked out. County social workers had investigated six reports of abuse but allowed Gabriel to stay with his mother and her boyfriend. Sheriff's deputies separately investigated at least four more reports but did not rescue the boy or cross report the complaints to county social workers.

Pearl Sinthia Fernandez, 29, and Isauro Aguirre, 32, each face one count of capital murder with the special circumstance of torture.

Dan Scott, a commissioner and former child abuse expert for the Sheriff's Department, bristled at the criticism the commission has received from some county supervisors.

"I was very disappointed to have these ideas dismissed as turkeys after all the thought and work we put in," Scott said.

Even if some of the commission's recommendation are not new, he said, they should be considered seriously.

"If everyone tells you something needs to be fixed, then maybe it needs to be fixed."

garrett.therolf@latimes.com

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When Albert Pujols hits No. 500, the ball is retrieved by Angels fan

WASHINGTON — Albert Pujols didn't hit his 500th home run in front of a hometown crowd, but at least he was able to hit it to an Angels fan.

Tom Sherrill, a 29-year-old Air Force staff sergeant from Pomona who is in town for computer training, retrieved the ball Pujols hit for his milestone homer into the left-center field seats in Nationals Park and presented it to the Angels slugger after the game.

"I've been an Angels fan for 20 years, and I had no intentions other than to give the ball to Albert," Sherrill said. "They gave me this cool hat and made it sound like more stuff might come later, but I'll be happy with anything they give me."

Sherrill wasn't sitting in the outfield seats to begin the game, but when Pujols hit his 499th homer in the first inning, the fan moved in an effort to position himself to catch the ball.

But it still took some luck — and some tough luck on the part of a fan named Chris Gordon, a Buffalo native — for Sherrill to get the ball.

"As he hit the ball, right off the bat I could tell it was going over my head, so I took off sprinting up the stairs," Sherrill said. "As I got close to it, I saw Chris coming down and thought 'It's over, he's going to get the ball.' But he squared up on it and blocked it, and it came right to me."

When asked who "Chris" was, Sherrill, who was outside the Angels' clubhouse waiting to meet Pujols, pointed to Gordon and said, "He's this gentleman over here with the welt."

The fan who caught the ball from homer No. 499 also gave it to Pujols, who said both would go into his trophy case at home.

"They were pretty honest to give them back," Pujols said. "I appreciate that."

mike.digiovanna@latimes.com

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Clippers show power and poise in charging back into the playoffs

The Clippers needed an answer, and quick.

They gave one, and wow.

Their response Monday night to a playoff-opening debacle against the Golden State Warriors was powerful enough to temporarily subdue thoughts of the historic Clippers jinx while empowering dreams of a landmark Clippers spring.

The answer was visible across the Staples Center sky in a flying Blake Griffin, and across the Staples Center floor in a skidding Chris Paul.

The answer was audible on the Staples Center sideline with a screaming and confrontational Doc Rivers, and in the stands with thousands of red shirts whose owners' roars lasted deep into the sweaty night.

More than anything, the answer could be felt in the slumped shoulders and blank stares of a Warriors team that was warned these might not be same old postseason Clippers, and this is not going to be your usual first-round dance.

"They are who I thought they are," said Rivers afterward of his team, his voice filled with relief.

The final score was 138-98, the Clippers winning a game by what felt like a lot more than 40 points.

The final image was of Golden State's Stephen Curry throwing his mouthpiece across the court at the feet of official Rodney Mott late in the third quarter while loudly cursing. And he had just made a layup. Yeah, the Warriors were that frustrated.

It was a game in which Golden State was assessed 11 more fouls, but it was about more than officials who seemed intent on making up for the many bad calls issued by a different crew in the opener.

It was a game in which the Warriors were beaten not by the officials, but by the vengeful power of Griffin's 35 points, the open fearlessness of a bench that seemingly scored at will, and the calm determination that Rivers has seemingly instilled in all of them.

That is, when Rivers wasn't shouting down the Warriors' 35-year-old Jermaine O'Neal during a second-quarter confrontation that resulted in double technical fouls. Yeah, their new coach will fight for them, even if it is against the oldest guy on the court.

"We're just a couple of stubborn old fools," said Rivers.

The stubborn series is now tied at one game apiece, and the next steps aren't any easier. The series moves to Oakland's Oracle Arena on Thursday and Sunday, where the Clippers have lost five in a row, 15 of 17.

"It's going to be hard, they're going to be ready, they're going to give it all to us," said Rivers.

Another response like this will be needed. But if nothing else, it's clear these Clippers have it in them.

"That momentum, that energy, that camaraderie we played with … we were together all night," said Griffin. "It didn't splinter once."

It started Monday night with Griffin, who sat on the bench for much of the first game with foul trouble, and who was better known for throwing water on a Golden State fan after fouling out than for throwing the ball into the basket.

In Game 1, Griffin had just 16 points. Yet with five minutes left in the second quarter Monday, he already had 16 points, and continued roaring through the Warriors with a flying dunk that seemingly began in East L.A., spinning drives around every golden bridge in sight, and had just four missed shots in 17 attempts.

But his best number of the night? Zero fouls.

Though Chris Paul had 10 assists, he struggled offensively, and Griffin's biggest assist came from a place that was one of the Clippers' biggest Game 1 problems.

The Clippers bench made just eight of 30 shots in the opener? Midway through the second quarter, the bench had already made eight baskets, on 11 shots.

Led by Danny Granger and Hedo Turkoglu, they scored 58 points, making 21 of 38 shots, including eight three-pointers, which was double the number hit by Golden State's entire team.

It was a night with contributions from everyone. Billy Crystal engaged in a courtside makeout session on the Kiss Cam. Ralph Lawler, the Clippers' venerable broadcaster, smiled for the cheering crowd when he was recognized for his 76th birthday.

Even the fans had a direct impact when, after cheering for forlorn benchwarmer Jared Dudley, they were finally rewarded with his late appearance. And, yes, he even scored.

The party concluded during a timeout with about two minutes left in the game, when loudspeakers blared a song that had many dancing in joy and relief.

"Happy" may be a cliche tune at sports events this days, but on Monday it fit, the Clippers finally charging into these playoffs like everyone expected, playing like a room without a roof.

bill.plaschke@latimes.com

twitter: @billplaschke

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Warriors All-Star Stephen Curry is out of sorts

Stephen Curry isn't one to snap at referees. Technical fouls aren't his thing.

But his shot hadn't been falling, his team was getting crushed by the Clippers and, yeah, he was angry.

So he picked up his first technical foul this season after yelling at a non-call, thinking he was fouled by Chris Paul and/or Blake Griffin on a layup in the Clippers' 138-98 dismantling of the Golden State Warriors.

Strange game for Curry, an All-Star who pretty much disappeared as the Clippers took a 26-point halftime lead Monday. He missed seven of his first eight shots, which was odd because of all the pregame talk about him.

"He's one of the all-time great shooters," Warriors Coach Mark Jackson said beforehand, adding that Curry had turned "from a star into a superstar."

That can be true on many nights. Not the important part of Game 2 in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs.

Curry was awful in the first half, scoring four points on one-for-six shooting as the Warriors trailed by 26 points.

He was so off that Clippers fans chanted "Overrated" as he shot free throws. It was only the second quarter.

His first made three-point shot didn't come until the 7-minute 49-second mark of the third quarter. He missed all five before that.

He then went on a nice run — "About time, Curry," a Clippers fan derisively yelled — but his team trailed by 32 points after three quarters. He finished with 24 points.

Curry wasn't great in Game 1, scoring 14 points on six-for-16 shooting, but the Warriors won that one.

"We played bad. We were awful," Jackson said after Game 2. "We had some bad performances out there and we were out of character."

Jackson knows something about the art of shooting, having played with Reggie Miller in Indiana in the 1990s.

If you gathered a handful of the best shooters ever in a gym to see who owned the best touch, Curry would win at least something, Jackson theorized before Game 2.

"If you said, OK, there's a variety of shots — you're going to shoot one-legged, you're going to push the ball in transition and stop and pop at the three, you're going to take a run off your left foot, then Steph Curry's going to win," Jackson said. "He's the best shooter when you're talking about variety that I've ever seen."

Curry had been enjoying an overwhelmingly successful season, seemingly beating the ankle issues that plagued him earlier in his career. It helped that the Warriors added quality backup Steve Blake as well as Jordan Crawford to help, "relieving some of those minutes," normally sopped up by Curry, Jackson said.

"It's been easier on [Curry's] body," he added. "Those guys are two guys that play at a high level;. They're not afraid of the moment. Especially Steve, he's a natural point guard."

Yeah, about Blake. Clippers fans were ready from the start Monday. They actually booed Blake when he checked into the game. His crime was being traded by the hated Lakers to the Warriors two months ago.

It's not exactly retribution for Chris Paul getting booed at Dodgers games by pro-Lakers crowds. It's something, though.

So was the Clippers' effort Monday night. Curry has something to prove Thursday in Oakland, where the Warriors have won five in a row against the Clippers.

But Monday wasn't a total loss for the Warriors.

Andre Iguodala and Andrew Bogut each earned votes for the NBA defensive player-of-the-year award, which went to Chicago's Joakim Noah.

Iguodala finished fifth in the voting, picking up one first-place vote and seven second-place votes, while Bogut was 10th with one vote for first place and a vote for second place.

Bogut hadn't played in this series and remained out indefinitely because of a fractured rib.

A panel of 125 media members voted.

mike.bresnahan@latimes.com

Twitter: @Mike_Bresnahan

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Neel Kashkari proposes major education overhaul

Saying that better schools are critical for California's prosperity, GOP gubernatorial candidate Neel Kashkari proposes changing the way education is funded, making traditional schools more like charters and increasing online learning.

"We must reject the status quo," the former U.S. Treasury official says in a 33-page policy paper set for release Tuesday.

He calls for money to be sent directly to the state's 10,000 public schools rather than to their districts. He would throw out much of the state's education code, which governs the operation of schools, and effectively allow most schools to operate under the same rules as charters.

He also calls for increased vocational education, longer school days and years, and merit pay for teachers.

"We can absolutely transform California's education system into a force that not only lifts student achievement but ultimately addresses income inequality and eradicates poverty from our communities," Kashkari's proposal says.

The plan is the second that the candidate has released; it follows a proposal for creating jobs. Kashkari's main GOP rival in the race, Assemblyman Tim Donnelly (R-Twin Peaks), has not released any policy proposals. Incumbent Gov. Jerry Brown, a Democrat, periodically travels the state touting his accomplishments.

California is spending more than half of its $98-billion general fund budget this year on K-12 and higher education. After years of cutbacks, Brown proposes more funding for both in his spending blueprint for the fiscal year that begins July 1.

But the state's students rank among the bottom in reading and math of the 50 states, and the higher education system is so overburdened that many students cannot get into some required courses, delaying their graduation and increasing their student loan debt.

Kashkari would deal with the latter by linking a portion of state funding to campus performance, measured by such markers as graduation and course completion rates.

He would also require the University of California and California State University systems to place 20% of their courses online within four years, though he offers no details about how he would force them to do so. The governor and Legislature have limited control over the public universities, particularly the UC system.

Kashkari would also create a scholarship program that waived tuition for students majoring in science, technology, engineering or math, in exchange for a small — unspecified — percentage of their future earnings.

Oregon has a similar program, and U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Florida) introduced legislation for a federal version earlier this year that would be financed by private investors.

Education experts said that although they were intrigued by some of Kashkari's ideas — such as directing money to schools rather than districts, or increasing the school year — they say that a paradox is woven through the proposal.

As Kashkari is calling for more local control and less authority at the state level, he is also calling for bold changes that would require centralized intervention.

"There is a mix of suspicion of big government with big initiatives and big goals, and so you see kind of this contradictory mix," said John Rogers, director of the Institute for Democracy, Education and Access at UCLA. He "wants to, at least rhetorically, suggest we need less government, not more.… It's very difficult to do both of those things … at the same time."

Kashkari also uses his education plan to accuse Brown of complacency and Democrats of an alliance with teachers' unions that have been impediments to change.

"Every child deserves a good education and states demand a better workforce, yet Democrats refuse to prioritize children over the interests that fund their political machines," Kashkari's proposal says.

Brown has been a beneficiary of the California Teachers Assn., which spent nearly $5 million to help elect him in 2010 and many millions more to advance the tax increase he put on the statewide ballot in 2012.

And even some who have been skeptical of Brown say that they have been impressed by his work on education.

One of the governor's first acts after taking office in 2011 was sacking seven members of the state Board of Education, including vocal proponents of charter schools. One of the replacements was a California Teachers Assn. lobbyist.

Among those Brown booted was Ben Austin, chief executive of Parent Revolution, a Los Angeles nonprofit group that lobbied for California's parent-trigger law.

"While the governor is not perfect…he's exceeded expectations when it comes to making tough calls on behalf of kids," Austin said.

He cited Brown's school funding shift that provides more money to schools with the most disadvantaged students and gives districts more control over some funds the state sends them. He also cited Brown's veto of a bill backed by the teachers union that purported to streamline the process for firing bad teachers but actually increased teacher protections.

Austin also found a lot to like in Kashkari's proposal, such as eliminating parts of the education code and further localizing school funding decisions. Austin is a self-described "partisan Democrat" but said he has not decided whom to support for governor.

"I think both … bring something real to the table in terms of a kids-first agenda," he said.

seema.mehta@latimes.com

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