LeBron James raises eyebrows when he shoves David Blatt aside while the coach was arguing a call with a referee during the first half of the game at Phoenix.

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Many Cavaliers fans wonder whether LeBron James really respects coach David Blatt.

For some, those questions were amplified Tuesday night.

James raised eyebrows when he shoved Blatt aside while the coach was arguing a call with a referee during the first half of the game at Phoenix. Blatt was upset because of an offensive foul called against James.

Some saw it as James trying to prevent Blatt from getting a technical and was eager to get play restarted, meaning James was looking out for his coach. Both Blatt and James say that's exactly what happened.

Blatt told Cleveland.com reporter Joe Vardon after the game that James was trying to prevent him from drawing a technical. James also told Vardon that was his intent.

On the shove, Blatt said LeBron was trying to protect him from getting a technical, which he was "more than fine with"

— Joe Vardon (@joevardon) January 14, 2015

But some saw it differently while watching the game ... as evidence that James has little regard for Blatt and isn't listening to him. Others targeted James for scorn, saying he overstepped his bounds.

It likely is much ado about nothing. NBA writer Matt Moore of CBSSports.com recalls that James caused an uproar during his first season with the Miami Heat when he bumped into coach Erik Spoelstra. That worked out OK: They went to four straight NBA Finals, won two titles and Spoelstra is still coaching the Heat.

Watching how this team is struggling now, it's difficult to envision that scenario in Cleveland.

Go below to read some of the reaction from Twitter:

Submit the photos you take at the athletic events at your school.

Submit the photos you take at the athletic events at your school.

LeBron James scored 33 points in his return from injury, but the Cavaliers lost their sixth in a row.

PHOENIX, Ariz. – LeBron James as dominant in his return after two weeks missed due to injury, but his 33-points were not enough to save his Cavaliers from their sixth consecutive loss.

James, who hadn't played since Dec. 28 because of nagging back and knee injuries, registered his ninth game of 30 or more points this year in a 107-100 loss to the Phoenix Suns.

James, who had missed eight consecutive games (and a career-high nine for the season), added seven rebounds, five assists, five turnovers and shot 11-of-18 in 37 minutes. Perhaps most importantly for him, he looked quicker and got to the rim more often than maybe any other time this season.

Earlier Tuesday, James said his two-week absence, and watching the Cavs lose most of the games, was "the most difficult thing I've been through." His team is 1-8 without him.

Here is an instant, quarter-by-quarter briefing on James' performance against the Suns.

1st Quarter

Stats: 9 pts, 1 rb, 2 ast, 3-7 FG, 1-2 FT

Highlight: James caught the ball on the left wing, and with a previously unseen burst of speed exploded toward the rim for a reverse slam at 7:59.

Briefing: He had a little trouble controlling the ball – one of his two turnovers was a fumble and he missed a couple layups – but James was moving sorta like he did in the old days. He had a steal (and nearly a second) early, and he also canned a turnaround three-pointer before the shot clock ran out. The bad part – Cleveland was up 11-10 when he went to the bench at 6:14. He returned four minutes later and the Cavs trailed by eight. The team has to find a way to hold its own when he isn't playing.

2^nd Quarter

Stats: 7 pts, 4 rbs, 1 ast, 2-2 FG, 3-6 FT

Highlight: Shawn Marion missed a put-back attempt on a missed James free throw, and James soared threw the air for a two-handed slam off Marion's miss with 1.5 seconds left.

Briefing: Had there been no dunk for James, this would've been the highlight. James was whistled for an offensive foul with 9:05 to go, and from the look of it, James had a right to complain. As he was pleading his case to the ref, coach David Blatt tried to step in and argue. James shoved Blatt out of the way to finish making his own point. Just seconds earlier (on the game clock, not in real time) James was elbowed by P.J Tucker in the head and crumpled to the court. Toward the end, James was called for a foul on Isaiah Thomas' missed three-pointer. Thomas nailed all three foul shots.

3^rd Quarter

Stats: 5 pts, 2 rbs, 0 ast, 1-2 FG, 3-4 FT

Highlight: After a glacially slow quarter, James split the defense near the top of the key and rocked the rim with a right-handed dunk with 5.4 seconds to go.

Briefing: The misery of the third quarter – or most of the quarter – can't be overstated. The Cavs fell behind by 19 and James sat for five minutes having scored one point and missed his only shot. And when he returned with 43 seconds remaining, James recorded a rebound, two free throws, and that dunk. J.R. Smith, who scored 15 of his season-high 29 points in the quarter, drilled a three off a steal right after James' dunk, and just like that the Cavs went into the fourth quarter trailing by just six.

4^th Quarter

Stats: 12 pts, 0 rbs, 2 ast, 5-7 FG, 1-1 FT

Highlight: James knifed into the lane and spun one around the rim and in, then converted his free throw with 51.1 seconds left.

Briefing: A three-pointer by James with 8:21 tied the game at 88. The comeback was complete. The Cavs even went ahead. And then...oof. The Suns locked down the Cavaliers on consecutive possessions with less than two minutes left, forcing bad shots that resulted in no points. James' missed three-pointer with 21.9 seconds left and the Cavs down by five essentially sealed it. That James scored 12 in the fourth and played 37 minutes are good signs for his personal health. That the Cavs lost, again, well...

Totals: 33 pts, 7 rbs, 5 ast, 11-18 FG, 8-13 FT, 37 min

Markieff Morris scored 35 as the Phoenix Suns defeated the Cavs, 107-100, Tuesday night.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Cavaliers lost to the Suns, 107-100, Tuesday night at US Airways Center in Phoenix, Ariz. Here is a capsule look at the game from The Plain Dealer reporter Dennis Manoloff:

Losing, Inc: The Cavs (19-20) have dropped six in a row and 10 of 12. They are sub-.500 for the first time since Nov. 24 (6-7).

Down, up, down: For the Cavs, the game against the Suns unfolded in three distinct parts.

The first part lasted 2 3/4 quarters. The Cavs were typically brutal defensively and fell behind, 80-61. It appeared as if they were headed for yet another listless, blowout defeat.

The second part lasted about eight minutes, from late in the third until midway through the fourth. The Cavs finally put forth effort defensively, which carried over to the other end. Tristan Thompson's dunk with 7:31 remaining in the fourth gave the Cavs a 90-88 lead.

At that point, a team as talented as Cleveland's should have been able to complete the comeback by pulling away. Instead, in the third part, the Cavs were too often disjointed offensively and allowed the Suns (23-18) to recover and win by seven.

King superb: LeBron James played for the first time since Dec. 28. He missed the previous eight games because of left-knee and back discomfort. In his nine games missed overall, the Cavs are 1-8.

LeBron scored 33 on 11-of-18 from the field and 8-of-13 from the line. He had seven rebounds, five assists and five turnovers. The plan was to manage LeBron's minutes in the first game after a layoff; he played 37. 

LeBron had an interesting evening, to say the least. It included absorbing two whacks on the head by Suns players and repositioning Cavs coach David Blatt near the bench.

The latter sent Twitter into hyper-drive. With 9:08 left in the second quarter and the Cavs trailing, 39-31, LeBron was whistled for an offensive foul. Blatt became as angry as he has been at any moment the entire season.

As Blatt seemingly begged for his first technical as an NBA head coach, LeBron, who also appeared to be engaged with the official, moved Blatt out of the way. Fox Sports Ohio carried a chunk of Blatt's postgame interview, during which he matter-of-factly  told reporters that LeBron was protecting him from getting a technical and that LeBron was not arguing with anybody.

How much LeBron respects Blatt, only LeBron knows for sure. The visual of the push certainly doesn't quell speculation that the respect is lacking.

Heat check: Cavs off-guard J.R. Smith shot 10-of-19 from the field, including 8-of-14 from 3-point range, and scored 29 in 39 minutes.

However, Smith was scoreless in the all-important fourth quarter.

Not enough help: As bad as they were defensively for the majority of the night, the Cavs still likely would have won if a starter beyond LeBron and Smith had shown up.

Power forward Kevin Love grabbed nine rebounds, but he was 3-of-11 from the field and scored nine in 27 minutes. He encountered all sorts of problems attempting to check Suns forward Markieff Morris and ended with a game-worst +/- of -20. Yes, +/- can be misleading; it was not in this case.

Point guard Kyrie Irving had six assists, but he was 4-of-14 from the field and scored nine in 45 minutes. Perhaps more painful: Irving committed eight turnovers.

Irving rarely seemed comfortable with what the Cavs were doing offensively.

The Cavs can't expect to prevail when two-thirds of their Big Three, Love and Irving, combine for 18 points in 72 minutes.

Center Timofey Mozgov, who cost the Cavs two first-round picks in a recent trade with Denver, was a 7-1 mess against the Suns. In 17 minutes, he went 0-of-3 from the field and 2-of-2 from the line for two points. He finished with six rebounds, four turnovers and three fouls.

Too much Markieff Morris: Morris torched the Cavs for 35 points on 15-of-21 from the field and 3-of-4 from the line in 38 minutes. Not all of the damage was done against Love.

Morris entered averaging 15.6 points.

LeBron James returned to the Cleveland Cavaliers' lineup after an eight-game absence. He was hoping to help the team end its season-long losing skid. But James' return wasn't enough as the Cavs lost their sixth straight game, 107-100, against the Phoenix Suns.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- LeBron James returned to the Cleveland Cavaliers' lineup after an eight-game absence. He was hoping to help the team end its season-long losing skid. But James' return wasn't enough as the Cavs lost their sixth straight game, 107-100, against the Phoenix Suns.

James finished with a team-high 33 points to go with seven rebounds and five assists. The other two members of Cleveland's Big Three, Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving, didn't help much, each scoring nine points.

J.R. Smith, in the starting lineup again, added 29 points and helped the Cavs erase a one-time 19-point Phoenix advantage before faltering late.

The Cavs, 19-20, are now below .500 for the first time since Nov. 24.

Here are five observations from the most recent loss:

The Return 2.0 – The Return happened on July 11, 2014. That's when LeBron James announced his much-anticipated free agency decision. But he had been out for so many games that the on-court product looked a lot like the last four years in Cleveland.

James came back after an eight-game absence, the longest streak of games missed during his NBA career, and found the form that made him a four-time MVP.

He looked healthy, rested and spry, attacking the rim with a purpose and showing the kind of explosiveness that had been missing prior to his injury. He knocked down outside jumpers, drove to the basket for layups and even had a few turn-back-the-clock dunks, which he admitted he wasn't capable of two weeks ago because of his achy back and knee.

This one, his first bucket and most impressive dunk of the season, helped him emphatically announce his arrival.

James' return was the talk leading up to the game. It was one of the few positives to take from the loss against Phoenix as he helped spark a third quarter run, taking over point guard duties, something that will likely continue moving forward.

Love sits entire fourth quarter – It happened once before during a Friday night win in Orlando. The Cavs played the final 12 minutes, crunch time, without three-time All-Star Kevin Love.

Head coach David Blatt made the same decision on Tuesday night against the Suns. Some of it might have had to do with the Suns' lineup, but Love wasn't having a good night before being relegated to the bench. He scored nine points on 3-of-11 shooting to go with nine rebounds.

With Love sitting, the offense ignited and the defensive intensity, energy and effort all picked up. The Cavs were trailing by 17 points when he went to the bench.

The small-ball lineup helped the Cavs get back in the game, outscoring Phoenix, 39-29, the rest of the way. But that wasn't good enough because the Cavs dug too big of a hole early against a playoff-caliber opponent.

Still, the play of the defense during Love's absence shouldn't be ignored. The Cavs allowed 22 points in the fourth quarter, the second-fewest in a quarter since last Monday in Philadelphia.

Some may quibble with the decision. After all, James Jones of all players was playing meaningful minutes in the fourth quarter and failed to box out burly P.J. Tucker on a critical rebound attempt. But Blatt made the right decision. The team played much better with Love on the bench. And that is a problem.

Love was brought to Cleveland to complete a formidable Big Three, to give the Cavs another option during crunch time and help this team compete for a championship.

Instead, he didn't play well enough to earn fourth quarter minutes against Orlando earlier and now Phoenix. And it may continue if Love's defense continues to be a liability.

One of the most important players on the roster, he has sat for the entire fourth quarter on two separate occasions. One time it resulted in a win, one of two for the Cavs in the last 11 games. The other time, Tuesday, it resulted in the Cavs showing well in a loss.

To sum it up: In two of Cleveland's three best showings during the last 11 games, a disappointing stretch of basketball, Love has sat the entire fourth quarter.

Whether it was the right decision or not is irrelevant. Him not being on the court is concerning. The fact that Blatt felt Jones was a better option late or even Mike Miller speaks volumes. Love didn't deserve minutes in the fourth quarter because of how poorly he was playing. He had the worst plus/minus (-20) of any player on the roster.

Ball movement – In the last five games the Cavs have turned into a predictable offense, one that doesn't share the ball. James was supposed to help with ball movement, but to no avail.  

The Cavs had 16 assists on Tuesday night, and are averaging 17.2 in the last five games.

Irving led the way with six but also had eight turnovers to go with his measly nine points. James added five helpers. J.R. Smith and Shawn Marion each had two and Matthew Dellavedova had one. That's it. That's not enough.

Phoenix, a team ranked 21^st in the NBA in the category, finished with 23 dimes.

Many of the players have spoken about how lethal the Cavs' offense can be when playing the right way. That involves sharing. It also may take a little bit of time. After all, James, the team's primary ball handler, was playing with Timofey Mozgov and Smith for the first time.

One Morris is too much – Markieff Morris, one of the Morris twins, gave the Cavs fits, and it started early. I joked on Twitter that maybe the Cavs were confused early because there are two guys named Morris that look alike on the Suns. Perhaps they didn't know which guy to cover. 

Taking a page out of every other NBA's teams playbook, the Suns directed their offense right at Cleveland's glaring weakness: Love.

Morris scored inside and outside. He hit three-pointers and face-up jumpers. By the time the first quarter came to an end Morris had eight points and was on his way to a season-high point total.

Averaging 15 points per game this season, Morris finished with a career-high 36 points, including key buckets late.

The Cavs tried a lot of different defenders on him, but none worked. Even James took his turn trying to guard the former first-round pick, but by the time the switch was made it was too late. Morris was already scorching hot.

LeBron's old team – The Cavs' loss gave them 20 on the season. Very few expected this kind of play. Even people in the organization have a look of bewilderment.

Cleveland now has just one fewer loss than James' old team, the Miami Heat, a team not much was expected of following James' departure. They weren't supposed to be anything more than a team fighting for one of the final Eastern Conference playoff spots.

Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh have both missed time due to injury. First-round selection Shabazz Napier has spent some time in the D-League. And Miami is just 4-6 in the last 10 games. Yet as poorly as they have played, they have one more loss than the Cavs and are breathing down their neck in the standings.

It's only January, but the season is approaching the halfway point, and Miami and Cleveland being that close is stunning.

Even with the injuries the Cavs have dealt with, there is way, way more talent on the Cavaliers' roster. There's no reason the two teams should have similar records.

They do. And why? Because Miami plays like a team while the Cavs don't.

Browns fans are dreaming of Ray Farmer drafting Cardale Jones to be groomed by Haslam's BFF, Peyton Manning, after he joins the team with Adam Gase.

CLEVELAND, Ohio-- Ohio State's 2014 football season went from a nightmare beginning to a dream ending, as Cardale Jones went from the Glenville cradle of Superman and quarterbacks, to leading the Buckeyes to the National Championship.

Supreman sprang from the minds of  Glenville's Jerry Siegal and Joe Schuster.  Cardale Jones sprang from the Glenville  academic and football academy of Ted Ginn.  Glennville just hasn't produced a comic Superman, it's produced real Supermen, which Siegel, Schuster, Ginn and Jones, are living proof.

It's the stuff of dreams for third-string quarterback Jones, to come off the bench after two years, and lead Ohio State to the Big Ten Championship, a Sugar Bowl victory and now a National Championship, with teammates like Bedford's Tyvis Powell.

With most of the team returning, Buckeye fans our now dreaming of the team returning to the championship game in the coming years.

Meanwhile Browns' fans are dreaming of Ray Farmer drafting Jones to be groomed by Haslam's BFF, Peyton Manning, after he joins the team along with offensive coordinator Adam Gase.    Note: I may be feeling the effects of tear gas that floated up from High Street in Columbus.

LeBron James shoved his coach to "protect" him. But James couldn't protect the Cavaliers from another loss.

PHOENIX, Ariz. – LeBron James' feet were quicker. His attacks on the rim were more frequent and ferocious.

His one-handed shoves of Cavaliers coach David Blatt, well, they packed more of a wallop, too.

To say James looked like his old self on Tuesday night in his return to the floor after sitting out a career-long two weeks because of injury would be to refer to years past.

Because the explosive first step, the blowing past defenders and finishing with monster dunks James displayed in the Cavaliers' 107-100 loss to the Phoenix Suns had been few and far between in his first 29 games this year.

Playing for the first time since Dec. 28 after two weeks rehabbing a bad knee and back that James said had bothered him all season, he scored 33 points, grabbed seven rebounds and tallied five assists in nearly 37 minutes.

But it was the way he came about those points, beginning with the first two on a reverse slam in traffic initiated after he zoomed past his defender with a quick first step in the opening quarter.

"I couldn't make those moves two weeks ago," James said. "I know it and for me to come back and feel (like) myself again it was pretty good."

The Cavaliers were a mess in those eight consecutive games without James and clearly haven't cleaned everything up yet. They've gone 1-8 when James sits because of injury (he missed a game Dec. 11) and have now lost six in a row, the most recent defeat of course coming with James on the floor and playing well.

Cleveland is 19-20. This is the latest any of James' teams have been under .500 since his rookie year, according to ESPN's stats shop. At some point the Cavaliers are going to run out of the time they insist they still have to get themselves right come playoffs.

"Time is not something that any of us have a lot of, and that's a life lesson, too," Blatt said. "You've got to maximize when you can. I'm a realistic person and I know that when you put a lot of moving parts together on the fly, it's not always the smoothest thing."

Don't get the wrong idea. Blatt wasn't talking about, say, his own job or anything, or at least that's not the question he answered. Rather, he was asked before the game if the Cavaliers needed to begin winning and playing better in short order, now that James is back?

And Blatt proved prescient. The Cavs committed 19 turnovers and were down by 19 points in the third quarter. Kevin Love (nine points) didn't play at all in the fourth quarter, coach's decision.

The Cavaliers' six-game losing streak actually started the day Cavs general manager David Griffin affirmed Blatt as Cleveland's coach, said James was on board with that and insisted "the narrative" to the contrary "is over."

There was a scene Tuesday night, though, that in real time did not look good but was explained away by James and Blatt with enough consistency to dramatically lessen its impact.

James was whistled for an offensive foul in the second quarter and was pleading his case to one of the two officials who didn't make the call. Blatt came over and was arguing as well, and James shoved Blatt out of the way.

"I just thought my guy was taking a lot of hard hits, and I didn't like it and I was expressing my opinion," Blatt said. "And LeBron stepped in to sort of protect me in that situation, which is more than fine. What I really wanted to do is protect him."

James said Blatt "was getting a little fired up about it too and he was on his way to a technical, so I just got him up out of the way before he got a T."

"So, I was just protecting my coach," James said.

Had Blatt been whistled for a technical, it would've been his first. But that's beside the point. The absolute last thing this team needs – maybe even less than another James injury – is more controversy.

The Cavs had a scare on the James injury front, too. Actually, it occurred just seconds on the game clock before the James-Blatt shove, when James was elbowed in the back of the head by P.J. Tucker.

James crumpled to the floor and stayed there for a while, and at first glimpse it looked like he could be headed for the league's concussion protocol. That would've meant another week away, had things progressed.

James shook it off and returned to produce his ninth 30-point game this season. The Cavaliers still lost, but James looked good doing it.

"Same Bron, just being himself," said Kyrie Irving, who scored just nine points on 4-of-14 shooting. "He looks healthy, I mean, I would hope he would look a lot more spry after he had the two weeks of rest. He took it and he needed it and we needed him back."

When this five-game Western trip concludes Friday in Los Angeles, the Cavaliers will have played 41 games – exactly half of one season.

So there is indeed "time" for the Cavaliers, with a healthy James, a soon-to-be-healthy Iman Shumpert, and the team's other new and holdover pieces to get it right.

But they've got to start shoving their way in that direction.

Urban Meyer has brought a national championship to Ohio State. What does that mean for the Buckeyes in the South? Bill and I are going on a quest to find out.

ROCKWALL, Texas -- Maybe we'll come across as the biggest trolls on the planet. That's not our intention, we just want answers.

Ohio State is coming off a National Championship after beating Oregon 42-20 in AT&T Stadium on Monday night, and because of it the face of college football has been altered. 

A Big Ten – not SEC – team is at the top of the sport. And through recruiting at an elite level and superior talent development, Urban Meyer has built a Buckeyes program primed for further ascension. 

Bill and I want to know the impact Ohio State's recent success is having on the South. 

So we chucked our airplane tickets back from Dallas, rented a car and have created a route through the South back to Ohio. During our trip we'll be pursuing stories about Ohio State, its recruiting efforts and other things that pop up. 

Though we have a schedule, we don't want to publish it because we expect things to fall through and unexpected things to pop up. We expect it to be an adventure, a chance to really get a feel for how Ohio State is perceived in the South – especially now that the Buckeyes just beat Alabama on the way to a national championship. 

So be sure to check back daily as we post stories from our trip through Texas, Louisiana, Alabama, Georgia and Kentucky. If you have ideas or suggestions, feel free to leave it in the comments below. We plan to engage with all of you. 

Thanks for following along through the entire football season. 

Here's the good news – we aren't close to being done. 

Some of our coverage from Tuesday: 

• Urban Meyer on Ohio State QB Cardale Jones: 'He could play in the NFL'

• Northeast Ohio's Cardale Jones and Tyvis Powell together from their couch to representing Buckeyes on biggest stage

• 'I can't wait to go out recruiting': The real reason Ohio State's Urban Meyer is perhaps the best in college football

• Ohio State football: How the Buckeyes developed a championship defense and won a sixth national title

• Ohio State's National Championship shows why Luke Fickell fought to remain a Buckeye: 'This is a special place'

• Ohio State football: Buckeyes schedule date for official National Championship celebration in Ohio Stadium

• Ari's national title game memory

• Doug's national title game memory

• Bill's national title game memory 

The loss of Alex Mack played a pivotal role in the Browns season.

BEREA, Ohio – As prospective coordinators look at the positives of the Browns' offense they're not starting at quarterback. Or, probably wide receiver given the uncertainty surrounding Josh Gordon's future.

No, they're starting up front. What was a decent offensive line in 2013 got better with the addition of guard Joel Bitonio, who looks like a future Pro Bowler. Before the injury to All-Pro center Alex Mack the Browns arguably possessed one of the league's top units. Even after losing Mack to a broken leg in Week 5 and the problems they endured in replacing him, ProFootballFocus rated the line the NFL's sixth best in its year-end rankings. A big part of that is due to the line's left side, perennial All Pro Joe Thomas and Bitonio.

The offense was a tale of two halves. It ranked 13th in scoring through nine weeks, but finished 27th overall (18.7 points). The line adapted quickly to the wide-zone blocking scheme preferred by former coordinator Kyle Shanahan and, despite a brutal finish, showed a 21-yard-per-game improvement in rushing. The Browns also were 13th best at protecting the quarterback, allowing 31 sacks.

It will be interesting to see whether the next coordinator sticks with the wide-zone scheme and retains line coach Andy Moeller.

With eyes to 2015, the Browns must upgrade their depth at the position. Although it's tough to replace a player like Mack, the drop off should have been as dramatic. The topic of offensive-line depth doesn't do much for ratings, but it became a major story as the Browns (7-9) faltered down the stretch.

Primary contributors

Joe Thomas: The individual honors continue to pile up. So do the seasons without a playoff appearance. The left tackle earned his eighth trip to the Pro Bowl in as many seasons and was named first-team All Pro for a fifth time. He excelled in the new zone-blocking system, but could not prevent the offense from bottoming out in the final weeks. He finished with a 33.5 ProFootballFocus rating, the third best for tackles behind leader the Eagles' Jason Peters (38.2).

Joel Bitonio: The left guard was easily the Browns best draft pick and among the league's top rookies. The second rounder finished second to Odell Beckham for PFF's Offensive Rookie of the Year award. Bitonio had the fifth-best PFF rating for guards (22.4). The Ravens' Marshal Yanda was the best at 43.4.

Alex Mack: The All Pro center was enjoying perhaps the best start to a season in his career when he broke his leg Oct. 12. Mack's athleticism and quickness were perfectly suited for the wide-zone blocking scheme. The Browns were averaging 146.4 yards per game rushing at the time of his injury and finished with a 108-yard average. Mack will be ready for next season, but it could be his last in Cleveland if he chooses to opt out of his contract.

John Greco: The right guard had another solid season, one which saw him move to center for one game as the club scrambled to replace Mack. Greco had a 15.6 PFF rating.

Mitchell Schwartz: The right tackle had a better season in 2014 despite a rough patch in the middle. Still, it's a position the Browns might want to upgrade in the draft. Schwartz had a PFF rating of 0.5.

Paul McQuistan: Acquired in free agency from the Seahawks, McQuistan did not supply the depth the Browns needed. He started one game at right guard against Jacksonville and played so poorly the club had to move Greco back to the position and find another center. He earned a -6.8 PFF rating for his 121 snaps. It's hard to believe the same player started 14 games or the Super-Bowl Seahawks.

Nick McDonald: The veteran reserve could not hold down the center job, giving way to Ryan Seymour. His -28.3 PFF rating was third worst among all centers.

Ryan Seymour: He served as the Browns' fourth center of the season. The Vanderbilt product earned several starts before injuring his hamstring. He had a PFF rating of -5.1.

Browns top unrestricted free agents: None.

Top potential free agents: G Mike Iupati (49ers), OT Bryan Bulaga (Packers), OT Doug Free (Cowboys).

Top draft prospects: OT Andrus Peat (Stanford), OT Brandon Scherff (Iowa), OT Lael Collins (LSU), G A.J. Cann (South Carolina), C Cameron Erving (Florida State.

This marks the sixth installment of a position-by-position breakdown of the Browns' season. Coming Thursday: Wide receivers.

Previously

Defensive line

Linebackers

Secondary

Running backs

How LeBron James returned to his dominant form in two weeks without touching a ball.

Phoenix, Ariz. – LeBron James knew it. He couldn't continue on like this.

With his team struggling to find any level of consistency, a two-week shelved James -- even at 60 percent -- would be an overwhelming journey for the Cavaliers to travel down and it was.

They were 1-7 with him sidelined, but he had to do it. He had to nurse his ailing knee and back.

"I'm serious, I haven't felt right in a long time," James told Northeast Ohio Media Group. "The way I was playing out there, that wasn't me. I had to do something."

He fought the thought of recuperating for months. The same guy that convinced him to take a load off is the same guy that revived him to his athletic, bruising, vintage steamrolling self.

Mike Mancias, James' personal trainer, urged the four-time MVP to shut it down for a couple of weeks, telling the star that in the end, it would do him and the team some good.

The proof is in the pudding.

In his much-anticipated return against the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday, James showed up and showed out. It didn't take long to see that he had an extra gear that nobody else had. His lighting quick first step was back and his legs were filled with bounce.

James' very first basket came in electric fashion. He drove baseline passed two defenders and stuffed down a reverse slam right over the head of Suns' center Alex Len.

Then later in the half, James missed the second of his two free throws. Shawn Marion grabbed the offensive board and threw up a floater that clanked off the front iron. Out of nowhere, James appeared in the picture, catching it off the rim for the two-handed putback dunk.

"I haven't felt like this in a long time," James said to NEOMG after logging 37 minutes. "I wasn't doing that before I took the rest."

His final and arguably his best highlight came as the third quarter was coming to a close. He brought the ball up and split the Suns' pick-and-roll defense with a behind-the-back dribble to finish with an emphatic, classic James tomahawk slam.

Which begs the question: What did LeBron do in those two weeks to get regain his explosion?

He wouldn't divulge much, but said his rehabilitation program consisted of kinesthetic exercises, some dynamic and static stretching, pool work, mental stimulation and a pesky trainer who was attached to his hip around the clock.

"He was with me all the time, having me do this, doing that. I got tired of seeing him," James told NEOMG. "It was a very frustrating process, but you see he got me ready."

The end result was 33 points on 11-of-18 from the field, seven rebounds and five assists in a 107-100 loss to the Suns at U.S. Airways Center. James a bit surprised himself.

"I was able to do that and Monday's practice was my first real time playing basketball," he said. "Mike did an excellent job getting me prepared for tonight."

Despite the loss and rallying back from 19 to give themselves a chance to break their five-game losing streak, head coach David Blatt was extremely pleased with the production his All-Star provided.

"I thought he was terrific," Blatt said. "It's not new for anybody, but I just thought he laid it out there. That wasn't easy for him because he hasn't played in a competitive game in eight games. I just thought he was terrific."

The next two games in Los Angeles will test if James can sustain this high level of play. Cleveland takes on the Lakers on Thursday, followed by the Clippers on Friday to conclude this five-game road trip.

The revitalized James says he's up for the task.

"I feel great," he said. "I'm ready to continue playing."

Cleveland Cavaliers overcame a 19-point deficit but weren't able to pull off the road steal, losing 107-100 to the Phoenix Suns.

PHOENIX, Ariz. – The Cleveland Cavaliers almost stole the game in LeBron James' return after coming back from 19, but the Phoenix Suns held on to get the 107-100 win on Tuesday night.

James, who missed the last eight games with knee and back issues, returned in a mighty way, producing a team-high 33 points, seven rebounds and five assists. He proved the two-week rest did him some good. He had an extra gear, some pep in his step.

To demonstrate how well he was feeling, his first field goal was a baseline reverse slam in traffic that rocked U.S. Airways Center.

In the midst of the 19-point deficit in the third, J.R. Smith scored 15 of his 29 points in the quarter. To cap it off, he stole an inbounds pass with five seconds remaining and nailed a turnaround 3-pointer to enter the fourth down 85-79.

Five minutes later James sliced to the basket and found a rolling Tristan Thompson for a two-handed dunk that gave the Cavaliers a 90-88 lead. A well-coached Suns team maintained its composure and finished the game off with its 23^rd win of the season.

Phoenix's Markieff Morris went to work on Kevin Love in the midpost area, facing him up for drives to the baskets and midrange jumpers. Love was targeted as Morris scored 16 of his 35 points in the first half.

Cleveland (19-20) allowed Phoenix to shoot 53 percent in the game. Their pick-and-roll defense was poor. They have lost six straight and 10 of their last 12 games.

Kyrie Irving only had nine points on 4-of-14 shooting to go with six assists. Thompson supplied 10 points and six boards off the bench.

No Love in fourth

Blatt played without his All-Star power forward in the fourth quarter. The team's defensive intensity picked up when James was used as the power forward.

James played Morris better. This is the second time this season Love has sat out the final quarter for defensive purposes. The first time was against Orlando on Dec. 26. He ended the game with nine points and nine rebounds.

The push

Early in the second quarter James was arguing with referee Eric Lewis near the Cavaliers' bench. Blatt took it upon himself to intervene as he got in between the two and started to let the ref have it.

James then nudged his coach off the court to continue his beef with the official. It was a strange sequence.

Who's on deck?

Cleveland will conclude its five-game road trip in Los Angeles with a back-to-back matchup with the Lakers and Clippers beginning on Thursday.

Ganim and her husband, Ron started the Brecksville gymnastics program in 1965 and have won a record 13 state championships as a result.

Ganim and her husband, Ron started the Brecksville gymnastics program in 1965 and have won a record 13 state championships as a result.

The Cleveland Cavaliers have been pushovers and that must change in a hurry.

LOS ANGELES – Sooner rather than later, the Cleveland Cavaliers are going to stand up to teams and learn to push back.

You have to give LeBron James credit. He had the right idea in Tuesday's 107-100 loss to Phoenix when he pushed head coach David Blatt off the court to prevent him from collecting his first NBA technical.

The organization's preference would be for James to shove the opponent, but hey, at least someone is manhandling somebody.

Teams do not fear the Cavaliers, and that's exactly what General Manager David Griffin wants to change.

Griffin said before the additions of Timofey Mozgov, J.R. Smith and Iman Shumpert, that the team lacked players "personified by grit and toughness." Judging by a 0-3 road trip so far, that statement still holds true.

Suns power forward Markieff Morris is a fine prospect with unlimited potential, but he's no Kevin Love. However, he played the role of Love on Tuesday. The four-year veteran was perhaps the best player on the court that night.

Love couldn't stay with him. Morris drove past him several times. Given room, he splashed in high-arching jumpers. It got so bad that head coach Jeff Hornacek force-fed Morris, targeting Love as if he didn't belong.

Blatt came to that conclusion, sitting his All-Star the final 15 minutes of the game.

"It's not what we're looking for out there," Love said after his team dropped 10 of their last 12 games. "It's something that we need to say enough is enough and go out there and play."

James was then assigned to Morris. He accepted the challenge and guarded exceptionally, forcing Morris to take tough, off-balance jump shots.

To get inside his head even further, James let Morris know whenever he locked him up on possessions. The two trash talked up and down the court at each other. Morris, not intimidated, was seen saying, "You're flopping all the time."

"I'll take the challenge on anybody," James said after his return game of 33 points, seven rebounds and five assists. "The guy had a heck of a game, obviously a career-high for himself. We let him get it going early. I tried to turn his water off and he still made a couple of shots. I just tried to make it tough.

"For me, I'm going to make it tough on you. You're going to miss more than you make. I believe that. I'm just going to play as well as I can. I'm going to try to force you to stuff that you don't like to do. If you make it, then kudos to you, but I'm going to give myself the best chance to get a stop."

That was the second time in the last three weeks where a player has called out James for his theatrics. Orlando's Tobias Harris called him on it the day after Christmas, the incident that prompted James to deactivate "chill mode."

In the end, Morris led the Suns with a career- and game-high 35 points. Regardless of how great James is and how talented the Cavaliers are, teams aren't unnerved when they face them.

Mozgov was nonexistent. He compiled four turnovers in 16 minutes without a single block. Blatt was badly outcoached, Irving coughed up the ball eight times and Love was lost. If it wasn't for Smith catching fire in third quarter and almost single-handedly erasing a 19-point deficit, the final outcome would have been another double-digit domination.

The most aggressive play of the night for the Cavaliers was James' push on Blatt. There were no hard fouls. There are as of yet no enforcers. James was hit around the head a couple of times without retaliation.

Aside from James' moment, the only push the Cavaliers seem to be familiar with is being a pushover. Nobody is scared of this team. 

That must change in a hurry.

Marc Trestman interview with the Browns on Wednesday, but new Raiders coach Jack Del Rio might try to lure him out west. Trestman is a former Raiders coordinator.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Former Bears head coach Marc Trestman interviewed for the Browns' offensive coordinator vacancy Wednesday, but new Raiders head coach Jack Del Rio is also reportedly interested in luring him back to Oakland to run his offense there.

Del Rio has been recruiting Trestman for some time, according to Mike Garafolo and Alex Marvez of Fox Sports.

Trestman, the former Browns offensive coordinator, served as Raiders coordinator in 2002, when the club led the NFL with 389.8 yards per game, including 279.7 passing. Under Trestman's tutelage, quarterback Rich Gannon earned NFL MVP honors that year and the Raiders advanced to the Super Bowl, where they lost to the Buccaneers.

Trestman, who interviewed for the Browns head coaching vacancy two years ago, went 13-19 with the Bears, including 5-11 this season.

Del Rio might also be interested in hiring Broncos offensive coordinator Adam Gase, who was passed over for the 49ers head coach vacancy Wednesday. The 49ers have promoted defensive line coach Jim Tomsula to succeed Jim Harbaugh. If Gase doesn't get a head coach job -- he also interviewed with the Bears and Falcons -- he could wind up on the Browns' radar for offensive coordinator.

Gase interviewed for the Browns head coaching vacancy last year, and was a favorite of Browns owner Jimmy Haslam, but Gase took himself out of the running to focus on the Broncos' Super Bowl campaign.

Trestman is one of about 10 candidates who have been on the Browns' radar to replace Kyle Shanahan, who resigned last week. The others include their tight ends coach Brian Angelichio, Raiders senior offensive assistant Al Saunders, Raiders quarterbacks coach John DeFilippo, Cowboys offensive coordinator Bill Callahan, Cowboys passing game coordinator Scott Linehan, Former Bills head coach Chan Gailey, Jets assistant head coach/running backs coach Anthony Lynn and Bills senior offensive assistant Jim Hostler.

Here is where things stand with some of those candidates:

Brian Angelichio: Angelichio, who will interview for the coordinator vacancy, was hired by the Browns last year even before they hired Shanahan. The club admired the job he did with the tight ends despite the fact he lost Pro Bowler Jordan Cameron for six games to a shoulder injury and concussion. Angelichio has 21 years' coaching experience, including three in the NFL. He spent two seasons coaching tight ends in Tampa Bay before coming to Cleveland. He's been a coordinator at the college level.

Jim Hostler: Hostler will interview with the Browns later this week, according to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com. Hostler worked with Pettine in 2008 when both were with the Baltimore Ravens, Pettine as outside linebackers coach and Hostler as receivers coach. Before joining the Bills last year as senior offensive assistant, Hostler spent six seasons as Ravens receivers coach, where he helped Torrey Smith and Anquan Boldin excel. He served as 49ers offensive coordinator in 2007, but was fired after the season. Midway through 2007, the 49ers offensive ranked last in the NFL.
 
Al Saunders: Saunders, whom the Browns plan to interview, brings 41 years' coaching experience, including 32 in the NFL. He's spent the past four seasons with the Raiders, where he served as coordinator and senior offensive assistant. As coordinator in 2011, he guided the Raiders to top-10 finishes  in total offense and rushing. The Raiders also ranked second in the NFL in explosive plays of 20 yards or more with 84. Saunders, who's worked with some of the greatest coaches in the NFL, including Don Coryell, Joe Gibbs and Dick Vermeil, was part of the Rams' "Greatest Show on Turf'' that won the Super Bowl in 1999. Saunders might be considered in a package deal with DeFilippo, who's viewed as a rising talent but hasn't run an offense yet.

Bill Callahan: Pettine and Callahan worked together for three years with the New York Jets under Rex Ryan from 2009-11. Pettine has a comfort level with Callahan, which is important after losing Shanahan so abruptly. Pettine tried to hire Callahan last year as his first coordinator, but Jerry Jones blocked it. At the same time, he stripped Callahan of his play-calling duties and gave them Linehan. As many as eight teams are interested in interviewing Callahan, according to the Dallas Morning News. The Browns are one of them. New Bills coach Rex Ryan is also reportedly interested.

Anthony Lynn: The Browns will interview the former Jets assistant next week at the Senior Bowl, a league source told Northeast Ohio Media Group. He will also interview with the Jaguars. Pettine also has strong ties to Lynn, the Browns' running backs coach in 2007-08, from their four seasons together on the Jets' staff from 2009-12. During that span, the Jets led the NFL with 13,156 yards rushing.

John DeFilippo: The Youngstown native will interview with the Browns on Friday. Again, if the Browns don't think he's ready to run the offense himself, they could possibly pair him with Saunders. But DeFilippo, 36, has earned the respect of his peers, including Pettine, who worked with him in 2009 in New York. That year, as assistant quarterbacks coach, DeFilippo helped rookie Mark Sanchez lead the team to the AFC Championship Game. He has a knack for working with young quarterbacks, which would be a plus if the Browns stick with Johnny Manziel or draft a potential starter. He's been a coordinator at San Jose State.

Chan Gailey:  New Jets head coach Todd Bowles, the former Browns assistant, is expected to hire former Bills head coach Chan Gailey as his coordinator, according to multiple reports. The Browns interviewed Gailey Tuesday for their vacancy, but he's expected to be off the market soon. Gailey, who's been out of football since the Bills fired him in 2012, has been a coordinator for the Steelers, Dolphins and Chiefs.

The podcast took a look at the big weekend ahead in local hoops.

The podcast took a look at the big weekend ahead in local hoops.

Here is a look at the top Northeast Ohio wrestling records in the area.

Here is a look at the top Northeast Ohio wrestling records in the area.

Mentor beat Westlake, 59-51, and improves to 9-2.

Mentor beat Westlake, 59-51, and improves to 9-2.

Offer something for our Top Ten list of things that Meyer should do on the show.

COLUMBUS -- Top Ten things Urban Meyer should do when he's on Late Show with David Letterman on Friday night.

10. Announce who the starting quarterback will be next year

9. Explain Taylor Decker's tattoos

8. Talk about when his wife's hair caught on fire

7. Do a Joey Bosa impression

6. Tell an Earle Bruce story

5. Reveal what kind of tattoo he's going to get, as he promised his players

4. Wear a half shirt like Ezekiel Elliott

3. Rap like Jalin Marshall and Dontre Wilson

2. Wear khakis to troll Jim Harbaugh

1. Revel in Ohio State's National Championship

Letterman's show announced on Wednesday that Meyer will appear as a guest on Friday's show. Late Show tapes its Friday show on Thursday, so that means Meyer will actually be heading to New York shortly.

That Top 10 list was pretty lame. Offer your better additions to a Top 10 list of what Meyer should do on the show in the comments below.

JUST ANNOUNCED: Urban Meyer, head coach of the national champion Ohio State #Buckeyes, joins Dave this Friday night! @OSUCoachMeyer

— Letterman (@Letterman) January 15, 2015

Akron Zips shoot 16-of-19 inside the arc against Bowling Green to win in dominating fashion to clog the MAC East Division standings.

AKRON, Ohio -- The Akron Zips put the defensive lockdown on the Bowling Green Falcons for a 67-50 victory on Wednesday night in Rhodes Arena. The Zips' win created an early logjam atop the Mid-American Conference East Division Standings.

"Not much to say after a game like that,'' BG coach Chris Jans said. "We got beat by the better team."

Bowling Green (10-4, 2-1) led, 11-9, then saw the Zips (11-5, 2-1) go on a massive run for 23-point lead. The Falcons closed the gap to 13 points, briefly, in the second half, but trailed by 20 most of the night. Akron's defense held the Falcons to 32.8 percent shooting.

"We tried to get kills, getting three straight stops as much as possible,'' Akron sixth-man Deji Ibitayo said.

If not for 17 Akron turnovers, missing 10 of 21 free throws and 32 percent shooting on 3-pointers, the Zips' margin of victory would have been even greater.

The Zips, coming off an 84-67 road loss to Toledo, took it to the Falcons from the outset. Once the Zips settled in, they had a 26-2 run to take a 36-13 lead enroute to a 38-22 halftime lead.

BG's best player, 6-8 Richaun Holmes, was saddled with a pair of fouls while his counterpart in the post, Akron's Pat Forsythe was having his way when he got the ball.

"Credit them,'' Jans began. "We said they would go after Richaun. Mission accomplished."

Problem was, his teammates seldom looked for him as the 6-11 post man finished with 10 points, making all his field goals and missing all four of his free throws. Holmes would foul out with 10 points as well.

True to form, Akron was launching at every opportunity, making 5-of-14 3-pointers in the opening half, 8-of-25 for the game. The Zips were 16-of-19 inside the arc.

"Wow, I didn't know that,'' Ibitayo said of Akron's dominance inside.

The hot hand for Akron was Ibitayo with 13 points at the half, and 15 for the game. His line was typical for the Zips overall - 3-of-3 inside the arc, 2-for-7 outside.

"My main agenda was to bring the boost that was needed,'' Ibitayo said.

Maddy Moyer led Mentor with 19 points in a 59-51 win against No. 15 Westlake.

Maddy Moyer led Mentor with 19 points in a 59-51 win against No. 15 Westlake.