the vote would be held

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SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- No Chris Paul? No problem for the surging Los Angeles Clippers, who simply turned to their bench for help. Playing without their mercurial point guard for the first time this season, the Clippers got a big lift from Jamal Crawford and matched their best start since moving to Los Angeles. Crawford had a season-high 31 points off the bench, including a pair of free throws with 21 seconds left, and Los Angeles beat the Sacramento Kings 104-98 in overtime on Friday night. "Its weird because Im 33 but I feel like Im getting better," said Crawford, who added 11 assists and seven rebounds. "Im learning more, I have a great coach and great teammates. Ill continue to get better." The Clippers needed every bit of Crawfords big night after blowing a five-point lead late in the fourth quarter, then getting off to a sluggish start in overtime. Sacramento scored the first four points in the extra period on a pair of layups by Patrick Patterson. Blake Griffin got the Clippers on the board with a 19-foot jumper, then later scored on a dunk. DeAndre Jordan added a bucket off an offensive rebound, and Crawford followed with an 18-foot, step-back jumper with 1:28 remaining before sealing the win from the free throw line. "With Chris Paul out, I knew it was going to be (Crawfords) green light to take over the game," Sacramento coach Mike Malone said. "Hes a beast. Hes done that his whole career." Griffin added 21 points and 12 assists, while Jordan blocked a career-high nine shots for the Clippers. Los Angeles, which has won nine of its last 11, matched the 12-5 start set by the 2005-06 team. The win also moved Clippers coach Doc Rivers within one victory of 600 for his career. "Physically, I thought we were phenomenal most of the night," Rivers said. Sacramento, which missed two 3-pointers over the final 70 seconds, lost its third straight this season to its Western Conference foes. The Kings didnt go quietly. Trailing 94-89 with just under two minutes left in the fourth quarter, Sacramento scored the final two baskets in regulation to force the extra period. Greivis Vasquez made an off-balance 3-pointer that banked in off the backboard, and Ben McLemore added two free throws with 17 seconds left. Crawford had a chance to win it for Los Angeles but missed a long jumper from the top of the 3-point line at the buzzer. He more than made up for it in overtime. "I dont know what hes got against us," Vasquez said. "Every time he comes here he just goes off." The teams, who played six days earlier in Southern California, were much more restrained in their third matchup of the season. That might have been because Paul, who has been at the centre of much of the heat between them, did not play. Paul was held out for the first time this season after straining a hamstring against the New York Knicks on Wednesday. "We have a bunch of games coming up so its smarter to rest him," Rivers said before the game. "I think Chris knows its the right thing to do. Right now well just do things, guards, by committee." Darren Collison, who started in place of Paul, had seven points in the first half but didnt record his first assist until midway through the third quarter. Crawford came off the bench with 13 points and five assists in the first 24 minutes to help Los Angeles get going after a sluggish start. The Clippers, who edged the Kings 103-102 at home on Nov. 23, shot just 38 per cent in the first quarter and trailed by as much as eight before making their run. Crawford had nine points in the second quarter, including a driving layup with 5.3 seconds left that gave Los Angeles a 50-45 lead at the break. The Clippers maintained their slim lead for most of the third quarter. Griffin scored eight points in the period, while Crawford made his second 3-pointer with 44 seconds left to keep Los Angeles in front 73-72. McLemore and John Salmons finished with 14 points apiece. Notes: Griffin went over 5,000 career points. ... Derrick Williams had 12 points and a pair of thunderous dunks in his Sacramento debut. The second overall pick in the 2011 draft, Williams was acquired in a trade from the Minnesota Timberwolves earlier this week in exchange for Luc Mbah a Moute. Зарегистрируйтесь, чтобы увидеть ссылку! . He never mentioned anything about his hitting. The 33-year-old right-hander had success with both Sunday, pitching six solid innings and helping the offence-starved Mets with an RBI single as New York salvaged a doubleheader split with a 4-2 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks. Зарегистрируйтесь, чтобы увидеть ссылку! . Chris Heisey connected for his first grand slam and Devin Mesoraco homered and drove in a career high-tying four runs as Cincinnati took advantage of Tampa Bays depleted pitching staff for a 12-4 victory on Sunday. Зарегистрируйтесь, чтобы увидеть ссылку!. Murray beat Sam Querrey 7-6 (5), 6-7 (3), 6-1, 6-3 to clinch Britains opening-round victory against the United States on Sunday at Petco Park. "Im proud of the way Im playing just now, because I had to do a lot of work to get back to where I want to be," Murray said after celebrating with his teammates on the red clay court in a temporary stadium in left field of the downtown home of baseballs San Diego Padres. Зарегистрируйтесь, чтобы увидеть ссылку! .com) - In the absence of Dwight Howard, Donatas Motiejunas had a career night to keep the Houston Rockets winning streak alive. Зарегистрируйтесь, чтобы увидеть ссылку! . - A mixed martial arts fighter who changed his name to War Machine was ordered Friday to stand trial in Nevada state court on 34 felony charges including attempted murder, sexual assault and kidnapping that could get him life in prison for allegedly attacking his porn star ex-girlfriend and her friend.EVANSTON, Ill. -- When members of Northwesterns football team had the chance to sign union cards back in January, some players signed their names, others did not. Running back Venric Mark said Tuesday that he wondered if the ones who did realized the ramifications of the decision and where it would lead. "I dont know if people kind of knew what they were or if they thought it was going to turn out the way it did. But at the end of the day, now its time to get back to work. I mean, we have a job to do." Whether being a student athlete is a job is at the centre of a national debate over whether college athletes should unionize. The Wildcats resumed spring practice Tuesday for the first time after a decision from a regional labour official that cleared the way for the formation of a union, setting up Northwestern as ground zero for the effort to organize athletes. The school is appealing. Former Wildcats quarterback Kain Colter has been serving as the face of the movement. Former UCLA linebacker Ramogi Huma, the designated president of the would-be union, said last week that the scholarship players would vote within 30 days on whether to authorize the College Athletes Players Association to represent them. The pair will be in Washington on Wednesday to meet with members of Congress. For now, theres a long list of unanswered questions before the team, such as when exactly the vote would be held, whether scholarships would be counted as taxable income and how it would affect the training schedule in a "work week" for those who play on the team. Could there be a division between players who signed union cards and those who did not? And what about the teams relationship with coach Pat Fitzgerald? "It doesnt threaten anything," said Mark, who would not say whether or not he signed a union card. "Northwestern has treated us all well and we know that. And we know that it is a privilege to be here so at the end of the day were all going to support our former teammate, bbut we also know were here to get a degree and were also here to play football.ddddddddddddquot; If Fitzgerald felt he was in an awkward spot, he wasnt about to say so on Tuesday. "No. Any football questions?" he said. Fitzgerald had not addressed the ruling from a regional director of the National Labor Relations Board with the team as of Tuesday morning. He and athletic administrators had an afternoon meeting with the schools lawyers. "You know theres a lot of things that well discuss here (with the team), but from the standpoint of the way that weve operated here, Ive got full confidence in the way we run our program and the guys have been terrific and I think theyve shown the commitment to the program," Fitzgerald said. "So its no change for us." Unionization would be a huge change to the landscape. Colter believes athletes lack basic protections, such as the guarantee of medical coverage and the promise of a four-year scholarship at most institutions. Scholarships are often renewed on an annual basis, and athletes feel vulnerable as a result, particularly if theres a change in coaches or philosophy. Colter has also testified about abandoning the idea of entering a pre-med program because of the time demands Northwestern places on its football players. He has also stressed that he enjoyed his time there and has praised Fitzgerald. Defensive lineman Chance Carter said he signed a union card. But he doesnt know how the team would vote if they have to make a decision this month to form a union. "I dont know," Carter said. "Im not sure what everyones reaction is. ... A lot of us just got back in town (after spring break). Were trying to figure things out." Carter said he only read the first and last parts of an email message from Colter addressing the ruling. He did say that Colter would answer players questions and address their concerns face-to-face when he returns to campus. Carter wasnt sure exactly when that will happen. ' ' '