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OKLAHOMA CITY -- NBA scoring leader Kevin Durant marveled at what Jamal Crawford did to his team. Crawford scored 36 points to help the Los Angeles Clippers beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 125-117 on Sunday afternoon. Durant scored 42 points, but such performances are almost expected from him. Crawford, on the other hand, averages about 19 points. Hes known to be streaky, and in this game, he was on. He made 5 of 8 three-pointers, many of which were launched from well beyond the line. "Jamal Crawford comes across halfcourt shooting," Durant said. "Youve got confidence once you start seeing the ball go in the rim." Matt Barnes scored 24 points, Chris Paul had 18 points, 12 assists and eight rebounds, Blake Griffin scored 20 points and DeAndre Jordan added 18 points and 12 rebounds for the Clippers, who snapped a two-game skid and beat the team with the leagues best record. "We were on the plane yesterday flying here and we were just talking about how we hadnt beaten any good teams on the road, any really good teams, and this would be a perfect time to start," Paul said. "Doc (Clippers coach Doc Rivers) was on us, telling us that in the playoffs, youre going to lose a home game at some point and youve got to be able to win on the road. Hopefully this is a win for us that gets us moving." Durant also had 10 assists, and Serge Ibaka added 20 points for the Thunder, who lost their second straight. It was the most points the Thunder have allowed this season, and it came on the heels of a 103-81 home loss to Miami on Thursday. "Weve just got to get over this little slow stretch that were in," Durant said. "Wed better. Weve got to play defence. Thats the thing. We cant just let teams come in here and do whatever they want offensively." Oklahoma City overcame a 15-point deficit late in the third quarter to take a 115-112 lead on a three-pointer by Durant with 2:43 to play, but the Clippers controlled the game from there. A three-pointer by Crawford with 1:30 remaining gave Los Angeles a 119-115 lead. Crawford scored again on a floating jumper in the final minute to push the lead to 121-117. "Jamal made timely shots," Paul said. "Every time they made a run and we just needed a bucket, Jamal was our guy." Oklahoma Citys Russell Westbrook missed a three-pointer on the other end, and Paul made two free throws to extend the Clippers lead to six. Paul sprained his right thumb against Memphis on Friday, and he wasnt sure hed play. "I think the credit goes to our training staff," he said. "I came here to the arena thinking that I wasnt playing, but they found a way." The Clippers shot 66 per cent in the first half to take a 72-66 lead at the break. Barnes made a three-pointer with 9.8 seconds left in the first half, and a loose ball foul was called on Ibaka away from the shot. Griffin made the free throw to give the Clippers a 72-64 lead. Durant closed the half with a long two-pointer. The Clippers scored 44 points in the second quarter, just short of their season high of 46 in a period. The Clippers had 27 fast-break points at halftime. "We really couldnt get ourselves in front of them, and they were beating us down the floor early, and it gave them some confidence and led them to winning the game," Westbrook said. Griffin hit a three-pointer to push the Clippers lead to 91-79 with 3:26 left in the third quarter. Darren Collisons layup pushed the lead to 95-80 late in the third quarter, but Oklahoma City outscored the Clippers 13-4 in the final two minutes of the period to cut its deficit to 99-93. Derek Fisher hit two 3-pointers to start the rally, and then Durant made a 3 with 1.6 seconds left in the quarter. The Thunder trimmed the Clippers edge to a point on a pair of free throws by Jeremy Lamb, and Fisher tied it at 107 on a 3-pointer with just over six minutes to play. The Clippers kept the offence working from there, holding on for a win that they hope launches their playoff push. "Its very important," Crawford said. "Coming down the stretch, we just want to continue to do our game, every single night, no matter who were playing. It doesnt matter. As long as we keep getting better down the stretch, I think well be in good shape." NOTES: The Clippers made their first five shots. ... Thunder centre Kendrick Perkins missed Sundays game against the Los Angeles Clippers with a strained left groin. He was injured during the third quarter of Oklahoma Citys loss to Miami on Thursday night. Steven Adams, a rookie, got his third career start in Perkins place. ... Rivers and Crawford were issued technical fouls in the first quarter. Paul was given one in the second quarter. ... Clippers guard J.J. Redick sat out with a bulging disc in his lower back. He had missed the previous six games. He has played in just 30 games this season while dealing with wrist, hip and back injuries. He averages 15.7 points and 2.2 assists per game. Clearance Air Max 95 Uk .A. Dickey, even though he was coming off a Cy Young Award in 2012. Many felt the Jays would regret giving up righthanded pitcher prospect Noah Syndergaard and catcher Travis DArnaud over the long haul. Air Max 95 Clearance Sale . -- LeGarrette Blount wasnt satisfied with three short touchdown runs, not against a team coming off the second greatest comeback in playoff history. http://www.airmax95saleuk.com/ .com) - James Harden had 32 points, including a tying layup late in regulation, and the Houston Rockets scored eight of their 13 points in overtime at the foul line to beat the Memphis Grizzlies 117-111 on Friday night. Cheap Air Max 95 Wholesale . -- Kyrie Irvings last-minute 3-pointer helped seal another victory for Cleveland -- and the Cavaliers longest winning streak since LeBron James left. Cheap Air Max 95 Wholesale Uk . Bjoergen pulled away from Swedens Charlotte Kalla on the final straight to win in 38 minutes, 33.6 seconds and defend her title from the 2010 Vancouver Games. Kalla was 1.8 seconds back. Heidi Weng of Norway took bronze. ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Matt Shoemaker is off to a successful start in the major leagues. Just ask a select group of baseballs best pitchers. The rookie right-hander won his fifth straight decision, C.J. Cron and Kole Calhoun homered in the fourth inning against Yu Darvish, and the Los Angeles Angels completed a three-game sweep of the Texas Rangers with a 5-2 victory on Sunday night. Darvish is the latest in a group of top-of-the-rotation pitchers that Shoemaker has opposed this season, including Cliff Lee, David Price, James Shields and Chris Sale. The 27-year-old Shoemaker is 3-0 in those starts with a 2.83 ERA. "Its definitely something Ill savour," he said. "As a pitcher, your focus is huge, so I think that can definitely help a little bit more. I mean, it doesnt really come into play for me -- but in the aftermath, its pretty cool. Those guys have done a lot for this game, and hopefully I can be in their shoes one day down the road." Cron went deep for the third straight game, helping the Angels pull within five games of AL West-leading Oakland. Calhoun was credited with the first run of the game on a replay reversal in the first inning that led to the ejection of Texas manager Ron Washington by plate umpire Bill Miller. Shoemaker (5-1) allowed a run and eight hits in 7 2-3 innings with six strikeouts and two walks. The only run against him came in the sixth, when his attempted pickoff throw to first hit Elvis Andrus and rolled away from Cron, allowing Leonys Martin to score. Joe Smith allowed Brad Snyders two-out homer in the ninth before Chris Gimenez grounded out to end the game. Snyder entered in the fourth after first baseman Donnie Murphy left because of soreness in his left knee. Darvish (7-4) allowed five runs and five hits through six innings, striking out nine and issuing four walks -- three of them to No. 7 hitter Hank Conger. This was the fourth time in 75 major league starts that Darvish allowed two homers in one inning -- and the third time against the Angels. He came in 7-1 with a 3.82 ERA in 11 starts against the Halos, including six straight victories. The injury-decimated Rangers remain a season-worst 11 1/2 games behind Oakland after losing for the fifth straight time and 10th time in their last 14. The play that resulted in Washingtons second ejection of the season began when Martin charged Albert Pujols hit-and-run single to centre field, and then missed the cutofff man as the ball sailed into foul territory between third base and home.dddddddddddd Darvish alertly backed up the play and threw to Gimenez for the tag on Calhoun, who tried to score all the way from first. But Gimenez took the throw while standing in front of the dish, leaving Calhoun no clear path. And according to the new rules instituted this season by Major League Baseball to cut down on collisions, that was a violation. So when Angels manager Mike Scioscia came out to challenge Millers original ruling, the replay was checked and Calhoun was declared safe. Gimenez was charged with an error. "I saw Darvish up the line and I knew he had to make a tough play," Calhoun said. "To his credit, he put it right on the money and I didnt have anywhere to slide. I couldnt go inside or outside because there was no lane, which the catcher is supposed to give now due to this new rule. So I slid right into him. You hope you make that contact and put it in their hands and make them overturn it. And they made the right call." Washington, who lost Alex Rios and Michael Choice to ejections in Saturday nights extra-inning loss for arguing balls and strikes with umpire Vic Carapazza, came out of the dugout yelling at Miller -- who motioned to him that he wasnt allowed to argue a replay reversal. But the argument continued, and Washington was tossed. "What got me thrown out was the call that was made out of New York," Washington said. "Youre not supposed to come out and question that, but you cant stop instincts of the game from happening. And to me, that was an instinctive play. There were no intentions of blocking the plate. The ball took him there." NOTES: Shoemakers only loss came in relief against the New York Mets, when he gave up a home run to Anthony Recker in the 13th inning on April 12 at Angel Stadium. ... Darvish has allowed just three first-inning runs in his 14 starts this season. The other two also were by the Angels, on home runs by Aybar and Pujols on May 4 at the "Big A" in his 14-3 victory. ... INF Howie Kendrick, whose RBI double off Jason Frasor in the 10th inning Saturday gave the Angels a 3-2 win, got the day off. He is 0 for 19 against Darvish with seven strikeouts. ... Rangers closer Joakim Soria hasnt pitched since his last save on June 14. Theres nothing physically wrong with him. Its just that the Rangers have lost six of seven since then, and the lone victory was by a 14-8 score. ' ' '