He worked two games in the 2010 finals, indicating that he still rated as one of the league's top officials.
Crawford is the only referee in N.B.A. history to work three Game 7s in the finals, and those three nights, he said, continue to inspire him.
In some places, it is not unusual for football referees to work two games on long and exhausting Friday nights.
These officials would work two games for $4,000 and be paid whether a settlement is reached or not, a league official with knowledge of the talks said.
MICHAEL STABILE With Just One Look At the Staten Island Catholic Youth Organization, Michael Stabile was known as "a go-to guy," a referee who would come to a basketball game on a moment's notice, who would work two games a night if asked.
Linear regression models of the last three Raiders games indicate that the final score this week will be 53-9, buthatat is shoddy statistical work: three games are a small sample, and no one expects the Raiders to score 9 points.4 p.m. Line: Eagles by 14 Bills (1-4) at Jets (3-2) The Bills' offensive line committed nine false starts against the nonthreatening Browns.
The right-hander Phil Hughes threw 49 pitches against Yankees minor leaguers Tuesday in Tampa, Fla. Hughes, who is trying to build arm strength after a sluggish start to his season, is essentially repeating spring training and has worked two simulated games.
But the replacements now have far less experience than those that worked one regular-season game during the last lockout in 2001.
Starter Cole Hamels won Game 1 and worked six strong innings in Game 5. Hamels, 24, was not born when the city last won a championship.
He worked five solid innings in Game 3 of the division series in Cincinnati, and after a shaky beginning to his Game 2 start against St . Louis he settled in and gave the Giants their first win of this series.
