31.   Before that fateful phone call Wednesday night after Jerry West had closed the deal, Buss said he was skeptical the move could be made.

32.   Bethesda, Md.-based Lockheed Martin plans to close the deal, unveiled Thursday, for Century City-based Northrop Grumman by the end of the year.

33.   Blackwell was unavailable for comment and a spokesman said he preferred to delay talking until the deal was officially closed.

34.   Bookfinder.com puts buyers and sellers directly in touch with each other to close the deal.

35.   Both sides hope to close the deal by January.

36.   Both, however, gave credit to the Clinton administration for helping close the deal.

37.   A half dozen more meetings and many more phone calls closed the deal.

38.   A competitor, moving as fast as a computer, has already closed the deal.

39.   A gas station had occupied the site, and the insurance company providing the financing asked for more assurances about liability before it would close the deal.

40.   A major complaint of American exporters is that while they await license approval, foreign competitors can close deals.