( CNN ) -- First came the revelations , then the anger , then the resounding victory . After an emotional few days , the Los Angeles Clippers emerged from a dark cloud with a much-needed playoff win Tuesday night . Fans cheered and chanted `` We are One '' as the team defeated the Golden State Warriors , 113-103 . Hours before , Clippers owner Donald Sterling had been banned for life from the NBA for racist remarks revealed over the weekend . The focus now turns to whether Sterling will sell the team , something he indicated he would not do -- but that was before he was banned . With the Clippers ' win , an ugly situation turned into a rebirth . The team lived up to the impromptu `` We are One '' slogan , printed in stark , black-and-white letters on its website . `` You think it 's just the players ; it 's the fans , too . Everybody was going through this , '' Clippers Coach Doc Rivers said after the game . `` It was almost like everybody wanted to exhale tonight , and it was good . '' Audio of Sterling 's conversation with a female friend was released Friday night , triggering a firestorm that led to his lifetime ban and a $ 2.5 million fine . NBA Commissioner Adam Silver detailed Sterling 's punishment at a news conference eight hours before the Clippers ' fifth game of the playoff series with the Warriors . NBA owners , players and others had called for swift , firm punishment since TMZ posted the audio featuring the incendiary comments . `` I hope that every bigot in this country sees what happened to Mr. Sterling and recognizes that if he can fall , so can you , '' said Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson , a former NBA All-Star . Johnson led the players union 's efforts on this matter . Under the lifetime ban , Sterling is prohibited from NBA games or practices , stepping foot inside any Clippers facility , taking part in business or personnel decisions , or having a role in league activities such as attending NBA Board of Governors meetings . Silver said he 'd do anything in his power to compel the NBA Board of Governors to force Sterling to sell the Clippers . He said he was hopeful he 'd get the needed three-quarters of the league 's owners -- meaning at least 23 -- to back the move . Sterling could fight any such move in court . Before the punishment was announced , Jim Gray of Fox News reported that he spoke with Sterling and that the owner told him the team is not for sale . At the time , Sterling did not know what his fate would be . Silver did not lay out a detailed timetable for action but said the league would start using its advisory finance committee to bring the issue before the owners `` immediately . '' If Sterling does sell the team , he 'd profit considerably : He bought the Clippers for $ 12 million in 1981 , and the team is now worth $ 575 million , according to Forbes magazine . 'Now the healing process begins ' Sterling 's inflammatory sentiments came packaged in a 10-minute recording that TMZ said occurred during an April 9 conversation with his girlfriend V. Stiviano . On the recording , a man and woman argue about photos posted to Instagram in which she appears with African-Americans . The man says he does n't want the woman bringing any black people to games with her . The sports website Deadspin on Sunday posted five additional minutes of what it said was part of the same audio recording . Neither website has said how it obtained the recordings ; the law firm representing Stiviano said she did n't release them to TMZ . Clippers President Andy Roeser suggested Saturday that the audio was aimed at `` getting even '' with Sterling over a lawsuit . Last month , Rochelle Sterling filed a lawsuit against Stiviano , who she said was having an affair with her husband . She accused her of going after extremely wealthy older men . Roeser said that the offensive comments are `` not consistent with , nor does it reflect ( Sterling 's ) views , beliefs or feelings . '' At the time , he cast doubt on whether Sterling made the comments . Silver expressed no such doubts Tuesday , saying the Clippers owner `` acknowledged it was his voice on the tape . '' Asked whether he expressed any remorse , the commissioner said , `` Mr. Sterling has not expressed those views directly to me . '' The Clippers applauded Silver 's decision . `` Now the healing process begins , '' the team said . CNN 's Jill Martin and Steve Almasy contributed to this report .
They cheer and chant ` ` We are back '' as the team defeats the Golden State Warriors . Years before , Clippers owner Donald Sterling had been banned from the NBA . ` ` It was almost like everybody wanted to play basketball , '' Clippers Coach Doc Rivers says .