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MINNEAPOLIS -- The excuses came ready made for the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday night. Blake Griffin and Jamal Crawford were out with injuries. They were playing their fourth game of a five-game road trip. Chris Paul would have none of that. "I said, Fellas, lets be who we are. We got who we got, lets keep the train moving," Paul told them. "We said, No excuses." And no mercy on a Minnesota Timberwolves team that just wants this massively disappointing season to end. Darren Collison had 28 points and seven assists, and the Clippers didnt miss a beat with Griffin out with a back injury in a 114-104 victory. Paul had 22 points, nine assists and seven rebounds, and Matt Barnes scored 19 points for the Clippers (53-22). Griffin, the teams leading scorer, warmed up before the game but wasnt quite ready after being injured on Saturday night against Houston. Jared Dudley started in his place and scored 16 points, while DeAndre Jordan grabbed a career-high 24 rebounds to help the Clippers pull within two games of Oklahoma City for the second seed in the West. "Everyone keeps track," Dudley said. "We know we have another game against (the Thunder) at home and were just trying to win every game. We want that 2 seed and we know the 1 seed could be tough because San Antonio hasnt lost in a month or so." Kevin Love had 20 points, 13 rebounds and four assists for the Wolves. Crawford was out with a calf injury, but a lacklustre effort by the Wolves starters on the second night of a back-to-back made up for his absence. "Theyve got to bust it," Wolves coach Rick Adelman said. "They owe themselves that. Owe their teammates that; owe the organization, the fans." The Clippers hit 12 of 30 3-pointers and blew the game wide open with a 31-5 run in the third quarter. The Wolves led 59-57 early in the period, but Collison scored 16 points on 7-of-8 shooting in the quarter. The Clippers put their foot on the gas, scoring 13 points in transition during the surge, and punctuating it with a lob pass from Paul to Jordan for an 86-64 lead. Nikola Pekovic left seven minutes into the game when his bothersome right ankle flared up again, and only a spirited effort by Shabazz Muhammad (11 points) and the Timberwolves bench in the fourth quarter kept the game from getting out of hand. The Clippers went 13-2 in March, their second-best month in franchise history, and have won 16 of their last 18 to improve to more than 30 games over .500 for the first time in the teams 44-year history. And Paul has instilled this team with a nastiness that could serve it well in the post-season. With a 14-point lead and just over four minutes to play, the 6-foot Paul went up to swat a dunk attempt by Minnesotas 6-foot-11 rookie Gorgui Dieng. Paul was called for a foul, but he also sent Dieng crashing to the court. Message delivered. "Thats the attitude that we have to have that no matter what the obstacles you just keep playing," coach Doc Rivers said. "We have enough guys, and thats what we talked about today. We didnt mention the injuries. ... You just go out and play and itll work out if you believe that and play well." The Timberwolves were supposed to be in the playoff picture with the Clippers this season, but their 36-37 record to this point makes them one of the biggest disappointments in the league. Ricky Rubio had just three points on 1-for-6 shooting with five turnovers, Love was 8 for 21 and Kevin Martin was a non-factor with 12 points on 4-for-14 shooting. "Its definitely tough right now," Love said. "Weve got to try to finish this thing strong and just try to play well. ... Were a little beat up right now, but we still have to come and play and try to give it our best. But thats a very good team right there." NOTES: The Clippers hosted Iowa coach Fran McCaffery and his 14-year-old son, Patrick, who had a malignant tumour removed from his thyroid last month. Paul has been a vocal supporter of Patricks ever since first hearing about the boys situation. Patrick is a big fan of Paul, and the All-Star guard called him the day before he had surgery. ... Glen Davis had two points in four minutes after getting sent to the locker room against Houston for what Clippers coach Doc Rivers called an attitude problem. ... Love set the franchise record for made free throws in the first quarter, surpassing the 465 made by Tom Gugliotta in 1996-97. Adidas Nmd Outlet . A question that was repeatedly posed last season, and the season before that and in the 2011 campaign before that. Ultra Boost 4.0 Weiß Damen . The move will give Hentgen the "time needed to support his family and his fathers current health issues," the Blue Jays said in a release. Hentgen spent 10 of his 14 big-league seasons with the Blue Jays, winning a Cy Young Award in 1996. http://www.nmdschuhesale.de/lite-racer-s...eutschland.html. The top-ranked Spaniard won his fourth Madrid Open on Sunday after Kei Nishikori was forced to withdraw with a hip injury when trailing 2-6, 6-4, 3-0 in the final. And Nadal, who is coming off to uncharacteristic quarterfinal losses on clay, said his mental strength is still lacking just two weeks ahead of the French Open. Nmd Cs1 Primeknit Schuh Schwarz) . -- Orleans Darkwa ran in from 1 yard with 1:45 left, and the Miami Dolphins rallied from two scores down in the final minutes to beat the Dallas Cowboys 25-20 on Saturday night. Adidas Nmd Xr1 Deutschland . The Cavs announced the move Saturday, one day after LeBron James said hes returning to Cleveland. A 12-year veteran, Haywood has played in 794 NBA games, averaging 6.NEW YORK -- Former Tennessee Titans running back Chris Johnson visited the New York Jets on Tuesday, a person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press. Johnson was released by the Titans on April 7, three days after the team informed him of the decision. The former 2,000-yard rusher met with the Jets at their facility and took a physical, according to the person who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the team doesnt make player visits public. The running back attended the Knicks-Nets basketball game in Brooklyn on Tuesday night, and told reporters that his visit with the Jets "went well," but he wasnt ready to make a decision. The Jets were the first team Johnson has met with since becoming a free agent. Johnson spent six years at Tennessee and became one of the NFLs most exciting and dangerously fast running backs. The Jets are looking to add another playmaker to their backfield and envision Johnson teaming with Chris Ivory and Bilal Powell. Johnson, who turns 29 in September, is only the sixth player to rush for 1,000 yards in each of his first six seasons. But there have been questions about whether hell ever be the same player who rushed for 2,006 yards in 2009, when he earned his "CJ2K" nickname. Johnson finished with 1,077 yards -- the second-lowest total of his career -- and a career-worst 3.9-yard average last season. He also rushed for 100 or more yards just twice, including the regular-season finale in which he had 127 yards to go over the 1,000-yard mark. ESPN first reported Johnsons visit with the Jets on Tuesday. While his days as a workhorse running back -- hee carried the ball more than 300 times in 2009 and 2010 -- might be over, Johnson could be the perfect complement in coach Rex Ryans backfield.dddddddddddd Under new offensive co-ordinator Marty Mornhinweg, the Jets finished sixth in the league in rushing last year with Ivory and Powell sharing the load. Despite the solid production, New York is still looking to improve the position with a big-time runner who could serve as a potential No. 1 back with the powerful Ivory and versatile Powell creating a three-headed backfield. The Jets also have Mike Goodson, who is dealing with legal issues and recovering from torn knee ligaments, and Alex Green. The Titans cut ties with Johnson to avoid paying the $8 million he was due for this season, along with the final three seasons left on the $53.5 million contract he signed in 2011. Johnson, who set several franchise and NFL records during his time in Tennessee, repeatedly said he wouldnt take a pay cut this off-season. That prompted the Titans to unsuccessfully explore trade options this off-season. Johnsons exit appeared inevitable when Tennessee signed Dexter McCluster to a three-year deal and re-signed Leon Washington to join Shonn Greene in the backfield. After being told of Tennessees intentions to cut him, Johnson thanked the Titans and their fans. "I have grown so much as an individual and as teammate over the past few years, and I am excited about the opportunity to bring my experience and talents to a new organization," he said in a statement. "Im looking forward to the next chapter and cant wait to contribute to my new team." ' ' '