fortunate to represent the United States of America

Indianapolis, IN (SportsNetwork.com) - Chris Paul scored 17 points, handed out 15 assists and pulled down eight rebounds in the Los Angeles Clippers 103-96 win over the Indiana Pacers. Jamal Crawfords 18 off the bench led the Clippers, who have won nine games in a row. Blake Griffin scored 17 with 10 boards and DeAndre Jordan chipped in 12 points with 19 rebounds. C.J. Miles led all scorers with 30 points off Indianas bench. The Pacers reserves scored 66 points in their sixth straight loss. Lavoy Allen added 14 points and 13 rebounds in a reserve role and he was joined by Luis Scola, who finished with 12 points and 14 boards. Trailing by 17 entering the final quarter, the Pacers chipped away at the large deficit. A quick 12-4 spurt, including eight points from Miles, cut the deficit to 86-77. With two minutes remaining, Allens jumper pulled Indiana within two. Crawford answered with a jumper at the other end, then Miles rushed 3-pointer the next possession did not fall. Griffin split a pair of free throws and Indiana couldnt muster any offense from there, as Paul hit two free throws in the closing seconds to account for the final margin. It was basically a replay of the first half. The starters come in and get a big lead, and the second unit comes in and loses it. The starters have to hold on, and fortunately, they were able to do it, said Clippers coach Doc Rivers. Los Angeles appeared to pull away from Indiana with a big third quarter, shooting 50 percent from the field and limiting the Pacers to 27.3 percent. After Chris Copelands 3-pointer cut the Clippers lead to two points, Paul bookended a 10-0 Los Angeles run with a pair of jumpers. Matt Barnes scored all 11 of his points in the third. The high-scoring Clippers got off to a hot start, jumping out to a 15-8 lead while making six of their first seven shots from the field, with the only miss being a Jordan desperation heave to beat the shot clock. Los Angeles first quarter lead ballooned to as high as 15 with 3:37 left when Paul completed an alley-oop with Griffin in transition, but the Pacers were finally able to get their footing after that. Miles hit his first of four first half 3-pointers in the midst of a 12-2 Pacers run, but Spencer Hawes hit a triple himself with two seconds left to give the Clippers a 33-25 lead after one. Ive just been able to find some creases and make some shots, said Miles. I think that Ive been able to stay on the floor consistently and practice consistently has helped me out. The Pacers continued to chip away at the Los Angeles advantage and a pair of Solomon Hill free throws with 3:10 left gave them a one-point edge. The Clippers were able to respond and went on a 10-4 run to head to the locker room with a 54-49 lead. Game Notes Los Angeles snapped a three-game losing streak against Indiana ... Los Angeles J.J. Redick scored 16 points ... The Clippers have two more games on a three-game Eastern Conference road trip ... Indiana was held to 39 percent shooting in the setback. NMD Clearance . Got Jacks? Pulling off a comeback for the ages, feisty Stephen F. Austin became the latest No. 12 seed to pull off an upset, tying the game on Desmond Haymons did-that-just-happen four-point play with 3. Adidas NMD R1 Womens NZ ." The game can be seen live on TSN starting with Monday Night Countdown at 6:30 p.m et/3:30 p.m. pt. The Patriots, who had a bye in Week 10, will look to continue the offensive success they had a week earlier when New England scored 55 points and racked up 610 yards of total offense in a 55-31 drubbing of the Pittsburgh Steelers. http://www.nmdshoesnz.com/ . On Thursday, a judge said Varlamov could be released if he posted $5,000 bond and be allowed to travel with the team but he was ordered to stay away from his girlfriend, among other restrictions. Adidas Alphabounce NZ .A. Happ is coming off his first start of the year, a win at Philadelphia Monday. The former Phillie allowed three hits in five scoreless frames of a 3-0 triumph. Adidas Continental 80 NZ . The Grizzlies erased most of a 25-point deficit before Durant, the leagues scoring champion, got hot.Olympic figure skating champion Brian Boitano came out on Thursday, two days after he was named to the U.S. delegation for Sochi along with openly gay athletes Billie Jean King and Caitlin Cahow. The 1988 gold medallist had always kept his personal life private, saying in a statement that "being gay is just one part of who I am." But President Barack Obamas decision to include openly gay athletes in the delegation for the opening and closing ceremonies -- and not send high-ranking officials -- was widely seen as a message to Russia about its treatment of gays and lesbians. "First and foremost I am an American athlete and I am proud to live in a country that encourages diversity, openness and tolerance," Boitano said in his statement. "As an athlete, I hope we can remain focused on the Olympic spirit which celebrates achievement in sport by peoples of all nations." Russia has come under fierce criticism for passing national laws banning "gay propaganda," and some suggested the United States should boycott the Sochi Olympics in protest. Obama rejected that idea earlier this year, saying a stronger statement could be made by "gay and lesbian athletes bringing home the gold or silver or bronze." But his choices for the U.S. delegation left little doubt about Obamas disapproval of the new Russian law. For the first time since 2000, the U.S. will not send a president, former president, first lady or vice-president to the Olympics. This years group is led by former Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, and others in the delegation include U..ddddddddddddS. Ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul, deputy Secretary of State William Burns and presidential adviser Rob Nabors. Of the five athletes in the delegation, three -- Boitano, King and Cahow -- are openly gay. Boitano and King will attend the opening ceremony. Cahow, a two-time medallist in womens hockey, will attend the closing ceremony with Olympic speed skating champions Bonnie Blair and Eric Heiden. "I have been fortunate to represent the United States of America in three different Olympics, and now I am honoured to be part of the presidential delegation to the Olympics in Sochi," Boitano, who is in Europe, said in his statement. "It has been my experience from competing around the world and in Russia that Olympic athletes can come together in friendship, peace and mutual respect regardless of their individual countrys practices." Earlier this month, IOC President Thomas Bach said Russia would set up public protest zones in Sochi for "people who want to express their opinion or want to demonstrate for or against something." Meanwhile, the IOC approved a letter going out to athletes reminding them to refrain from protests or political gestures during the Sochi Games -- reiterating Rule 50 of the Olympic charter, which forbids demonstrations on Olympic grounds. Bach previously said hed received assurances from Russian President Vladimir Putin that gays will not be discriminated against in Sochi. But the Russian law has raised questions about what could happen to athletes who wear pins or badges or carry flags supporting gay rights. ' ' '