EVANSTON, Ill. -- When members of Northwesterns football team had the chance to sign union cards back in January, some players signed their names, others did not. Running back Venric Mark said Tuesday that he wondered if the ones who did realized the ramifications of the decision and where it would lead. "I dont know if people kind of knew what they were or if they thought it was going to turn out the way it did. But at the end of the day, now its time to get back to work. I mean, we have a job to do." Whether being a student athlete is a job is at the centre of a national debate over whether college athletes should unionize. The Wildcats resumed spring practice Tuesday for the first time after a decision from a regional labour official that cleared the way for the formation of a union, setting up Northwestern as ground zero for the effort to organize athletes. The school is appealing. Former Wildcats quarterback Kain Colter has been serving as the face of the movement. Former UCLA linebacker Ramogi Huma, the designated president of the would-be union, said last week that the scholarship players would vote within 30 days on whether to authorize the College Athletes Players Association to represent them. The pair will be in Washington on Wednesday to meet with members of Congress. For now, theres a long list of unanswered questions before the team, such as when exactly the vote would be held, whether scholarships would be counted as taxable income and how it would affect the training schedule in a "work week" for those who play on the team. Could there be a division between players who signed union cards and those who did not? And what about the teams relationship with coach Pat Fitzgerald? "It doesnt threaten anything," said Mark, who would not say whether or not he signed a union card. "Northwestern has treated us all well and we know that. And we know that it is a privilege to be here so at the end of the day were all going to support our former teammate, but we also know were here to get a degree and were also here to play football." If Fitzgerald felt he was in an awkward spot, he wasnt about to say so on Tuesday. "No. Any football questions?" he said. Fitzgerald had not addressed the ruling from a regional director of the National Labor Relations Board with the team as of Tuesday morning. He and athletic administrators had an afternoon meeting with the schools lawyers. "You know theres a lot of things that well discuss here (with the team), but from the standpoint of the way that weve operated here, Ive got full confidence in the way we run our program and the guys have been terrific and I think theyve shown the commitment to the program," Fitzgerald said. "So its no change for us." Unionization would be a huge change to the landscape. Colter believes athletes lack basic protections, such as the guarantee of medical coverage and the promise of a four-year scholarship at most institutions. Scholarships are often renewed on an annual basis, and athletes feel vulnerable as a result, particularly if theres a change in coaches or philosophy. Colter has also testified about abandoning the idea of entering a pre-med program because of the time demands Northwestern places on its football players. He has also stressed that he enjoyed his time there and has praised Fitzgerald. Defensive lineman Chance Carter said he signed a union card. But he doesnt know how the team would vote if they have to make a decision this month to form a union. "I dont know," Carter said. "Im not sure what everyones reaction is. ... A lot of us just got back in town (after spring break). Were trying to figure things out." Carter said he only read the first and last parts of an email message from Colter addressing the ruling. He did say that Colter would answer players questions and address their concerns face-to-face when he returns to campus. Carter wasnt sure exactly when that will happen. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist Jersey . Not Peyton Manning. Hes holding on to the heartache to stoke his competitive fire. Frank Kaminsky Jersey . -- J.R. Sweezy was the one part of the Seattle Seahawks offensive line that had avoided injuries or having to change positions this season. http://www.hornetsteamproshop.com/ . Then Klay Thompson put his foot on the gas. Thompson scored 19 of his 30 points in the fourth quarter and Harrison Barnes scored 14 points in his season debut to help the Golden State Warriors to a 106-93 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday night. Cody Zeller Jersey . A groundswell for raising the number of playoff qualifiers to seven in each conference figures to get plenty of support from the 32 owners. Most notably, Arizonas Bill Bidwill, who saw his Cardinals go 10-6 and not get in, while Green Bay (8-7-1) qualified by winning the NFC North. Malik Monk Jersey . Ferrer was unable to find his rhythm in losing 6-4, 6-2 to Teymuraz Gabashvili in his opening match while Nadal struggled past fellow Spanish player Albert Ramos 7-6 (2), 6-4. Nadal eventually overcame his 103rd-ranked opponent to reach the third round, rebounding from a surprise loss to Ferrer in the Monte Carlo Masters quarterfinals.INDIANAPOLIS -- Atlantas Mike Scott hit Indiana with the first 3-point barrage Monday night. The Hawks defence staggered the Pacers with some late stops. Now Atlanta is heading home with a chance to deliver the knockout punch to the Eastern Conferences top seed. Scott scored all 17 of his points during the Hawks incredible second-quarter run, and the defence fended off the Pacers frantic fourth-quarter charge to hold on for a 107-97 victory and a stunning 3-2 lead in the first-round series. "We can play with this team," Scott said. "Theyre a great team, especially at home, great players, great coach, but we have a belief in ourselves as well." Why not? All the Hawks have to do is protect their home court and they will reach the second round for the first time since 2011, and throw the East into disarray after the talk all season was about an Indiana-Miami rematch in the conference finals. That looks like a long shot now. The Pacers havent won consecutive games with their regular starters in the lineup since mid-March and the leagues best regular-season home team (35-6) has inexplicably given away home court advantage to the Hawks -- twice. Theyre making it look easy, too. Atlanta shredded one of the leagues top defences during a remarkable second quarter, making 13 of 16 shots overall and 9 of 11 from beyond the arc. Scott made all five of his 3s during the decisive 30-6 run, which actually started with the final basket of the first quarter, to turn a 21-18 deficit into a 48-27 lead. Indiana never recovered. Atlanta outscored the Pacers 41-19 during that 12-minute stretch, matching the second-highest second-quarter scoring total in the franchises post-season history. The Hawks scored 41 against Detroit on March 17, 1986, and the St. Louis Hawks had 45 against Fort Wayne on March 14, 1957. Indiana, meanwhile, allowed a second-quarter franchise record, breaking the previous mark of 39 points set by Boston on April 23, 2005. The Hawks joined the 1970 Milwaukee Bucks as the only road teams in the shot-clock era to score at least 40 points in a quarter and give up fewer than 19. Not enough? Atlanta tied an NBA record with 9 3-pointers, most recently done in 2008, and also broke the franchise playoff record for 3s in a game with 15. The previous mark was 12. "I didnt even know," Kyle Korver said after making two 3s in the second quarter and another late in the game to keeep the Hawks in control.dddddddddddd. "Mike got hot. I dont know how many 3s he hit in that quarter. Mike hadnt shot the ball as well as he did tonight, but he hasnt shot that well all series." Shelvin Mack led the Hawks with 20 points, while Paul Millsap had 18. The Pacers, meanwhile, endured yet another bleak chapter in a second-half collapse that could go down as the worst in NBA history -- if they lose either of the next two games. And it was downright dismal. Roy Hibbert finished without a point or a rebound for the first time in his playoff career. Indiana was outrebounded for the first time in the series and its rebuilt bench was outscored 45-23. Paul George led the Pacers with 26 points and 12 rebounds. George Hill, Lance Stephenson and David West all had 16 points, not quite enough to rally on a night they were again serenaded with boos in the first half. "It was frustrating because we didnt make a change," George said of the Pacers defence. "We let them run the same action, the same shot. We didnt do nothing. So that was frustrating." The game changed in a hurry. Atlanta opened the second quarter with a free throw from Mack to tie the score at 21. Scott then made four consecutive 3s to push the lead to 33-21. Mack followed that with a midrange jumper, Korver made a 3, Scott scored on a putback and Korver hit his second 3. Mack followed that with two free throws and Scott closed the run with his last 3 of the game to make it 48-27. The Pacers still trailed 61-40 at halftime and by as many as 30 points in the third quarter before the frantic comeback. Indiana cut the deficit to 85-67 late in the third and with the crowd urging them on, the Pacers made it 96-87 on C.J. Watsons layup with 4:04 to go. But Korver answered with a 3 and the Hawks closed it out at the free throw line. "We dont do much for moral victories, we just dropped the ball," West said. "Everybodys got to be ready to play and I didnt think we responded well enough." Notes: The Pacers had a moment of silence to honour former coach Jack Ramsay, who died Monday at age 89. Ramsay led the Pacers to the first NBA playoff win in franchise history. ... Atlanta has three wins at Bankers Life Fieldhouse and is the only team to beat Indiana on its home court more than once this season. ... The Pacers are 0-10 in series when trailing 3-2. ' ' '