Overtime

GLENDALE, Ariz. - There was the celebratory group hug taking place by the glass, followed by a loud chorus of boos and then objects being tossed on the ice by some fans. Yes, the Kings' long strange journey to the Stanley Cup finals - returning there again for the first time in 19 years - ended with one long thrilling night of hockey and in somewhat surreal fashion. Weren't they supposed to be showered with champagne, not debris? The final step of the journey back to the finals came courtesy of the man who received more criticism since he arrived in Los Angeles a little more than a year ago than any other Kings player in recent memory.

Hint No. 1 that this was something big. Text messages. "It's one of those signs you've done something unusual," he said. Hint No. 2 that this was something extra big. An outpouring of fan support, post-midnight, adjacent to LAX after the Kings' flight had landed. "It was like driving down a hallway lined with human flesh," he said. "You couldn't see anything except people screaming and Kings jerseys. It was a feeling that not anyone will forget ever, I think on the Kings team.

I broke it to Kobe Bryant after Sunday's Lakers thriller. It's now Jordan Hill's team. "Well, he's got the right first name for it," says Bryant, yuks all around after a game that would have been remembered for Ron Artest's vicious assault if it weren't for such an improbable and stirring victory. Winning cures so many ills and covers up so many problems but unfortunately does not wipe out a suspension that is surely to come with the playoffs about to begin.

Four carwash workers filed suit Monday claiming that a family of carwash owners routinely withheld pay for overtime and denied them breaks during the summer. The lawsuit is one of a series filed on behalf of carwash workers since 2008 in an attempt by unions and immigrant advocates to improve conditions in an industry in which competition is fierce, profit margins are low and workers are often undocumented immigrants from Mexico and Central America. A Times report on the industry found it rife with nonpayment of overtime, false pay records and other abuses.

Saying he didn't want to damage California's agricultural economy, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Wednesday vetoed a first-in-the-nation bill that would have given farmworkers the same rights to overtime pay enjoyed by all other hourly workers in California. Applying the eight-hour day to agriculture would be burdensome to business and reverse longstanding labor practices, Schwarzenegger wrote in a veto message. As recently as 1999, state lawmakers approved a bill that specifically exempted farmworkers from the eight-hour day, he said, "recognizing that agricultural work is different from other industries: it is seasonal, subject to unpredictability of Mother Nature and requires the harvesting of perishable goods."

  Metta World Peace delivered the body blow and Kobe Bryant the knockout. Bryant made a fadeaway jumper and a pair of free throws late in the second overtime Sunday afternoon at Staples Center to help the Lakers emerge with a testy 114-106 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder. Long after World Peace had been ejected for elbowing James Harden in the head late in the second quarter while celebrating a dunk, Bryant's heroics gave the Lakers their first victory over the Thunder and an important measure of momentum heading into the playoffs.

at Wyoming 86, Pepperdine 82 (OT): A.J. Davis scored 20 points as the Cowboys edged the Waves in the World Vision Basketball Challenge. The Cowboys (3-4) lost a 13-point second-half lead but outscored the Waves, 7-3, in overtime for their only victory of the tournament. Tournament most valuable player Keion Bell scored 28 points for Pepperdine (3-4), which won the event with victories over Hampton and Monmouth. Junior forward Jonathan Dupre scored 16 points for the Waves. -- associated press TODAY'S SCHEDULE Cal State Bakersfield at Cal State Northridge.

Dallas 111, at Atlanta 103 (OT): Dirk Nowitzki scored 37 points and Jason Kidd had a triple-double (19 points, 17 assists and 16 rebounds) in the Mavericks' sixth win in row. Cleveland 126, at Toronto 118 (OT): Mo Williams made back-to-back three-pointers in overtime. at New Orleans 100, Orlando 93: David West scored 40 points and the Hornets outscored the Magic in the fourth quarter, 28-13. Charlotte 93, at Memphis 89: Stephen Jackson scored 32 points and had a season-high 11 rebounds.

Brian Ching scored six minutes into overtime and the Houston Dynamo advanced to the Western Conference final for the third time in four years with a 1-0 win against the Seattle Sounders on Sunday. The teams dueled to a scoreless tie in the first leg of their two-game semifinal on Oct. 29, setting up the winner-take-all match in Houston. Fittingly, the league's top two defensive teams during the regular season played 90 more minutes without a goal before Ching's game-winner. The Dynamo advance to the single-game Western final.

Nicklas Backstrom scored 2:56 into the second overtime Saturday to give the visiting Washington Capitals a 2-1 victory over the Boston Bruins and tie the first-round playoff series at a game apiece. Braden Holtby stopped 43 shots for Washington in his second career postseason game. Tim Thomas made 37 saves for the defending Stanley Cup champions. Troy Brouwer opened the scoring for the Capitals in the second period, and Benoit Pouliot tied it with 7:47 left in regulation.

GLENDALE, Ariz. - There was the celebratory group hug taking place by the glass, followed by a loud chorus of boos and then objects being tossed on the ice by some fans. Yes, the Kings' long strange journey to the Stanley Cup finals - returning there again for the first time in 19 years - ended with one long thrilling night of hockey and in somewhat surreal fashion. Weren't they supposed to be showered with champagne, not debris? The final step of the journey back to the finals came courtesy of the man who received more criticism since he arrived in Los Angeles a little more than a year ago than any other Kings player in recent memory.

SAN ANTONIO -- With the Clippers and Kings having playoff games on Sunday at Staples Center, a scheduling conflict could arise. The Kings are scheduled to play the Phoenix Coyotes in Game 4 of the NHL Western Conference finals at noon and the Clippers are scheduled to play the San Antonio Spurs in Game 4 of the NBA Western Conference semifinals at 7:30 p.m. If the Kings go past one overtime period, the start of the Clippers' game could be...

Chris Paul, the shortest player on the Clippers roster, led the team in rebounds Monday evening. "That was an accident," said Paul, who at 6 feet is a mere pipsqueak among a starting lineup that includes two players who are nearly a foot taller. He finished with nine boards, equaling the combined total of Blake Griffin (five) and DeAndre Jordan (four). Jordan had a theory as to why the team's diminutive point guard dominated in such an unusual category. "I think he steals all our rebounds," Jordan joked.

Chris Paul scored eight points in overtime and Mo Williams made two free throws with 7.2 seconds left in the OT to help the Clippers escape with a 101-97 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies in Game 4 of their Western Conference first-round playoff series Monday night at Staples Center. The Clippers lead the best-of-seven series, 3-1, and can close it out with a victory Wednesday night in Memphis. Paul, the closer the Clippers can't seem to live without, nearly had a triple-double with 27 points, nine rebounds and seven assists.

Brad Keselowski got a huge push from Kyle Busch to take the lead with a lap to go Sunday, then used a calculated move to prevent Busch from taking the win away from him at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway. A nine-car accident with four laps remaining brought out the yellow flag, setting up a two-lap overtime sprint to the finish. Keselowski ended up in Victory Lane for the second time this season, and continued a hot streak for team owner Roger Penske , who won for the first time in the Sprint Cup Series at Talladega.

Rajon Rondo had a triple-double with 17 points, 14 rebounds and 12 assists to lead the Celtics to a 90-84 overtime victory over the visiting Atlanta Hawks on Friday night and give Boston a 2-1 lead in the first-round playoff series. Game 4 is Sunday night. Ray Allen returned after missing almost a month and scored 13 points in 38 minutes. Kevin Garnett had 20 points and 13 rebounds and Paul Pierce scored 21 points one game after leading Boston with 36 points and 14 rebounds.

WASHINGTON — High-tech workers across the country could see smaller paychecks under an industry-led campaign to revise labor laws to further limit overtime benefits. Some of the multinational firms behind the effort, such as IBM and Intel, say the changes are necessary to keep jobs from going overseas, where technology workers are paid a fraction of U.S. wages. Computer workers, however, see it as an effort to squeeze more work out of employees for less pay in an industry that's notorious for killer hours and all-nighters.

                                        The jaw jutted as Kobe Bryant willed his way and made late-game baskets. His eyes focused intently as he defended. His stoic expressions calmed the Lakers as they nearly did the impossible in their 114-108 double overtime victory Sunday over the Oklahoma City Thunder by overcoming an 18-point deficit.

While at the scorer's table Sunday, Devin Ebanks heard from Lakers Coach Mike Brown just how much his responsibility had increased. "You got Kevin Durant," Brown whispered in his ear. Those words uttered before the fourth quarter turned prophetic in the Lakers' 114-106 double-overtime victory. Although Durant finished the game with 35 points, Ebanks played a large part in holding him to five in the quarter, none in the first overtime, and only 11-of-34 shooting for the day. "I'm not intimidated by anybody," Ebanks said.