Read what Cleveland Cavaliers coach David Blatt said to reporters following Game 1 of the Eastern Conference playoffs opening round game against the Boston Celtics. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Here are Cleveland Cavaliers coach David Blatt's postgame remarks following his team's 113-100 win against the Boston Celtics in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference opening round series in the 2015 NBA playoffs.

Blatt: First off, my girls came all the way from Israel to see the game. That's pretty neat.

Talk about the way your bench played today.

Blatt: In the playoffs, each game is doing to develop a little different. This was the first game, before adjustments and corrections and things like that. But your'e going to need a contribution from everyone who steps on the floor. The important thing is that guys can come in and give the team a lift or play  major minutes when necessary. You look at Shawn Marion, who comes in and give us two steals and that turns into five points. That was an enormous contribution. And (Iman) Shumpert comes in and has to play more minutes than he is used to because J.R. Smith was in foul trouble. We played it the way that we needed to to win the game. Those guys stepped up, each in his own way.

Did you make any adjustments at the end of the first quarter?

Blatt: They had in the first quarter 15 points from one-on-one situations. In other words, they're running a play and moving the ball, but somewhere in the offense it was a man-on-man situation and we got broken down off the dribble, or a shot that wasn't defended the way we normally would. We just locked in a lot better and didn't give them so many easy one-on-one plays. They run good stuff and your'e going to get beat by that sometimes, but you've got to do a great job defending the ball. In the first quarter, we did not.

Kevin Love got off to a slow start, but his teammates seemed to celebrate the way he kept working hard on offense.

Blatt: I really like the way Kevin was locked in the whole game. He was playing the game regardless of whether the shot was going in or not. He continued to play. The guy finished with 19 points, 12 rebounds and he drew two charges. One of them was at a critical time. Everyone was worried what Kyrie and Kevin were going to do in their first playoff games. Kyrie had 30 and Kevin had 19 and 12, and Tristan. So I guess there's the answer.

In this big first playoff game, how did you keep the team from playing overhyped, staying in control mentally?

Blatt: We were much better than the first game against the NY Knicks, where the buildup and the hype was just so great. In that game, we actually started up 13 and spiked and couldn't play any more. Today, it took us a little time to get our second wind. LeBron kind of forced himself to hit that limit, and then get that second wind. We're a different team now, we're more mature, more ready for this kind of thing. I like the way we handled that.

How was Kyrie able to get good looks and stay in rhythm the entire game?

Blatt: We found him when we needed to, and we gave him the space to play, and helped him to create. Listen, he's a tough guy to guard. Let's be honest. He has the ability to create his own shot, create for others, and we have other guys around him who can create for him and get looks at the basket. It's no big secret. That's the way it works.

What will you remember from a personal standpoint about your first playoff game?

Blatt: That my three daughters came from Israel to see it. It's the first time they're in Cleveland. I wish my son was here, too, but he had to stay home and play basketball.

How much time and effort did LeBron have to exert in propping up Kevin and Kyrie to get them ready for this game?

Blatt: He lost his breath early and was waiting to get his second wind and pushed himself to that point. I saw LeBron on the court telling everybody to calm down, it's going to be OK, stay cool, stay poised. From that point we caught our stride and then created a little bit of separation by the end of the half. LeBron with his experience and knowledge of these situations was mature about how he approached it and helped the younger guys. They responded very well to that leadership.

How big were the two second half shots by James Jones?

Blatt: JJ came in from the bench as he has done for several months. He's always ready. To me, James, besides being an unbelievable person and personality, he's like that doctor on call, always ready to come in and do what needs to be done when called on. He made huge shots at a critical juncture at that point in the game.

What is it about Kyrie on the big stage?

Blatt: He's a guy who believes in his abilities and he loves to play basketball. When the stage is big, he's happy. He's anxious to help his team. He's been tremendous as a two-way player. These kind of games, I think he loves to play them.

 

Read what Boston Celtics coach Brad Stevens said following his team's 113-100 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference playoffs opening round.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - A transcript of Boston Celtics coach Brad Stevens after Boston's 113-100 loss in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference first round playoff series against the Cavaliers at Quicken Loans Arena.

You were toe-to-toe with them through the first quarter. Where did things go sideways?

Stevens: Right from the start. I said this to Lisa Solters at the end of the first quarter. I was watching the Bucks-Bulls last night with my wife. I told her if we were 22-22 at the end of the first we are in trouble. It was 22-22 at 3:19. We knew we had not done a good job making it as difficult as we needed to for them to score. I thought it was really a game where we were offensively good in the first half, and defensively good in the second, but we never really put it together.

Assess your defense against LeBron.

Stevens: You're rotating, you're trapping. I thought we did as good of a job on LeBron as we could have done. We have to rotate to block out, rotate to challenge shooters. You have to pick your poison a little bit because it's a really good team.

Seems liked Kevin Love, Kyrie Irving got hot at the same time. 

Stevens: Love is 5-for-14. For the most part we guarded him as well as we could. Kyrie I thought we defended him really well on a couple of shots that he just hit. The ones you look at as a coach are not the ones where they go Superman on you. It's the ones where you turn the ball over. The ones that kill you are the offensive rebounds. The superhuman shots do not. We have to be able to bounce back from that.

They forced Avery Bradley and Evan Turner to become more catalysts in the offense.

Stevens: I think all of Avery's field goals came in the second half. They did a good job of smothering him. With that, you become a screener -- a guy who helps others. Credit to them for doing that. Offensively I felt great going into halftime. We got stagnant on a number of possessions. We've got to keep that ball moving. Their length and athleticism is too much if we let them load up on a lack of movement.

Kelly Olynyk got it going in the first half.

Stevens: We need that from all of our skilled bigs. We need those guys to be able to put it in, to stretch the floor to shot it, stretch the floor, make good decisions on the floor. We had a coupel of guys who played really well and a couple of guys who didn't. There are a lot of things we can take away from this game. As far as Kelly, I think it helps when you get a layup right off the bat. That makes you feel good to see the ball go through the net. You can tell he was locked in offensively early on. We needed that. Hopefully we can bottle that.

How do you get your big men more involved in rebounding?

Stevens: Each play is its own unique entity. Sometimes you're matched up and you need to block your matchup out. Sometimes LeBron is doubled, sometimes we were on Tristan Thompson's body and it didn't matter, and Mozgov as well. This is what great teams do to you. They put you in a position where you have to pick your poison. We're going to have to do a better job of rotating.

What did they do differently in the second half to disrupt you offensively?

Stevens: The bottom line is we've got to keep that ball moving before we drive. We have to keep that ball moving before we make drives. And we need to have multiple drives to be the best we can be. Your margin is greatly decreased when you're playing a team of this caliber. You have to be great at both ends all the time, all 48 minutes.

What was your message to the team after the game?

Stevens: We'll learn from it and improve from it. We want to keep it simple and not overdo it. This is a long series. We have to learn from what we didn't do well and do more of what we did do well.

 

Boston point guard Isaiah Thomas

On Boston's mindset after tonight's game

"We're still confident. Coach said we did a lot of really great things and we did some bad things. They kind of evened out, and that's why we ended up losing the game. So we're still confident. Guys are ready for Game 2, knowing that good or bad you've got to have a short memory. There are possibly seven games in this series, and it could go either way. But we're still confident and we're excited."

On facing Kyrie Irving when he has a game like tonight

"First off, he's a talented basketball player. He's one of the guys that takes tough shots and makes tough shots. There were times we were right in his face at the end of the shot clock, and he buried a three. That's just his game. We've got to somehow try to take those away from him and make him into a playmaker and not so much of a scorer. He's a hell of a player and we've got to slow him down to win this series."

On whether it's deflating to face a team that's shooting as well as Cleveland did tonight

"It's frustrating, but coach always says, 'onto the next play.' No matter if it's good or bad, we've got to focus on the next play. It sucks because you play good defense for 23 seconds on the shot clock, then they make a hell of a shot. But that's what great players do. We've got to move on to the next play, so that's what we're worried about."

See reaction from Twitter following the Cavaliers Game 1 win over Boston.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Cavaliers have a 1-0 series lead on Boston following their 113-100 win over the Celtics on Sunday afternoon. It was the team's first playoff win since 2010, also over the Celtics.

Take a look at the Storify below to see what fans had to say about the win and the performance of Kyrie Irving in his first career playoff appearance.

TJ House lost his second straight start, but Carlos Santana hit the 100th homer of his career Sunday in a 7-2 loss to the Twins at Target Field. Watch video

MINNEAPOLIS - Here's what the Indians had to say about their 7-2 loss to the Twins on Sunday at Target Field.

Manager Terry Francona

On left-hander TJ House, who took the loss and allowed five runs on seven hits in 5 2/3 innings.

"I thought coming out his stuff was flat and looked a little sluggish. When TJ is good, he's got the good two-seam going down in the zone. Off of that comes his breaking ball and change up.

"He didn't have much of a feel for his change up. He was yanking it and falling behind. He had the two lead-off walks (second and fourth inning) and they both scored."

On relieving House with Anthony Swarzak in the sixth inning with the Twins leading, 4-1.

"We brought Anthony in with the idea of trying to keep the game right where it was. That didn't work very well."

Explanation: Swarzak allowed a three-run homer to Torii Hunter to ice the game.

On right-hander Trevor May, who held the Indians to one run on four hits in six innings for the win.

"He's a taller guy (6-5) and when he threw it down in the zone he was good. Then he threw it up in the zone and threw a change up off that. We hit some balls hard, but not enough.

"The one time we strung some hits together (third inning) there were two outs. He kind of took the sting out of our bats."

On concerns about the offense

"I always want us to have 15 hits and nine runs. We have to fight through this. Until you really get rolling, you have to find a way to win by one run. There are going to be some days when Mossie (Brandon Moss) gets hot and hits a bunch of home runs.

"But until we do, we have to find ways to win closer games."

TJ House

On what happened against the Twins.

"I just couldn't catch my groove and carry it through the extended period of the start. One inning I'd feel great. The next inning I was all over the place. I was definitely a step forward compared to the first start."

On the health of his left arm.

"I'm fine. It's just a combination of things. I just can't get my groove right now."

On not being able to take a regular turn in the rotation because of off days and being the fifth man in the rotation.

"There are just a bunch of things going on. You can't put your finger on one certain thing. Right now I've got to get back in the strike zone, be aggressive and stay ahead of those hitters when I am. I'm better when I pitch that way."

On pitching for a team struggling to score runs.

"From my starts, I can't go out there and give up these big-run innings. It's hard to put these guys in a position where they have to press to put runs on the board to win.

"No one wants to go out there down 4-0. They already have enough pressure to go out and have success. It's difficult when a guy like me is going out there and giving up a ton of runs early."

Carlos Santana

On hitting your 100^th home run.

"I'm happy. It was a long wait for me. I was trying too hard, but I'm excited to hit the 100^th home run in my career."

What's your next goal?

"The next step is 200. You never know."

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Check out photos from Quicken Loans Arena as Cavs fans check out the team's 113-100 win in Game 1 of their opening-round series with the Boston Celtics.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Check out photos from Quicken Loans Arena as fans cheer on the Cavaliers en route to a 113-100 win in Game 1 of their opening-round series with the Boston Celtics.

More Cavaliers-Celtics slideshows

Read what LeBron James, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love had to say following the Cleveland Cavaliers' 113-100 win against the Boston Celtics in Game 1 of the 2015 Eastern Conference playoffs. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Here are postgame remarks from LeBron James, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love following the Cleveland Cavaliers' 113-100 win against the Boston Celtics in Game 1 of their 2015 Eastern Conference opening round playoff series.

To LeBron: How did these two playoff first-timers do today?

James: I thought thy were phenomenal. Kyrie is our floor general. He set the tone early. Obviously, he's able to shoot ball wellEven with kevin's shot not falling early, it was just the rhythm he was in. When Kevin shoots eight free throws that shows he's very aggressive. They succeeded their first time out. Our fans were very intense. We have to just play the game. If you don't like a ref's call, you've got to maintain your game plan and play your game. They were making a lot of shots early on. You have to focus on the next possession.

To LeBron: Talk about Boston's start at beginning. When it got out to 8-point lead, how much did that kick-start you?

James: I don't think we need a kick start, it's the postseason. Teams are going to make plays. We need to figure out how to continue how to execute.

To Kyrie: What is it about the big stage that brings the best out of you?

Irving: You think about preparation, and moments you mentally put yourself in. It makes things easier when I have guys like his around me. It makes my job easier and I'm able to be myself. We have to give each other confidence. Now that its the postseason, we just have to lift each other up.

To LeBron: Talk about the way your bench played.

James: All we ask out of our bench is to defend and give high energy. Everything else is extra credit for us. Shump brings a bolt of energy. He can guard 1-4. He's going to lock in on that. Delly is going to go 110 percent. TT does that, too with screen-and-rolls. And he catches lobs.  Trix comes in for a few seconds at the end of the third and gets two steals. Those possessions count. He started the fourth right back down on the bench. That's a true professional. 

To Kyrie: Talk about the shot before the halftime buzzer.

Irving: Delly forced Isaiah into tough shot. I had to step up in transition. It was just me and Evan Turner. Somebdy set a good screen and without it, I wouldn't have had that shot.

To Kevin: Talk about how the gam went for you from start to finish

Love: Obvoiusly, coming into my first playoff game, I was anxious and there were nerves. The fans were great. They were waving shirts and red batons. That played into it. More than anything I wanted to stay aggressive. I really wanted to go out and get that second wind and make a big impact. From second quarter on, I was able to play my game.  

To LeBron: It looked like you were trying to get the ball to Kevin early. Did you make it a focus to keep him involved?

James: It's very important that Kevin stays involved for our rhythm to feel like he's a part of what we're doing. We have to find a way to get Kev touches. Him and JR find themselves open for 3's. We wanted him to stay with it. He did that in the second half.

 

To Kevin: Do you see anything different in LeBron now that Game 1 is in the books?

Love: Naturally, he sets the tone, being our leader. Everyone who's been around him the last few days can tell he's been locked in. It's good to get the first one out the way. As we get further in series, that will be more so. He's a guy we look to in all situations.

To LeBron: Did you get a sense of ho the Celtics might play you the rest of the series? 

James: We've seen what kind of pace this team plays at, especially when Isaiah comes in the game. We did a great job of just going out and playing. You want to feel the gameout and see what happens. For a first game for a young group, I think we did a successful job, but we need to be much better in Game 2.

To Kyrie and Kevin: Did you feel the need to prove yourselves on the postseason stage?

Ivring: We all have our egos. We all have things that we want to accomplish. But now the only thing that matters is taking care of each other. We had all those expectations. Now all that matters is winning with my brothers.

Love: We got together before we went out. Perk said doesn't matter who, all that matters is the name on the front of the chest.

To Kyrie: Describe your comfort level out on the floor.

Irving: Having four days of prep, being in the war room and going over film, the biggest adjustment for me is that every single possession matters.  I'm glad I got game one out the way. Game 2 will definitely be adjustment period. I'm glad we got to feel them out. Game one was strictly a learning experience.

To Kyrie: What is the attitude shared by the Big 3?

Irving: We're all learning from each other. LeBron's been a champion. Me and Kev don't have that experience. You want that as a competitor. You want your best players to be at their best. We set the tone physically and mentally. We have to hold each other accountable. We set the tone.

The Cavs played their first playoff game since 2010 on Sunday afternoon. They defeated the Celtics, 113-100, at The Q.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Kyrie Irving scored 30 in his first career playoff game and LeBron James had 20 points, seven assists and six rebounds as the Cavaliers defeated the Boston Celtics, 113-100, Sunday afternoon at The Q. Here is a capsule look at the game after a dvr review of the ABC telecast:

Back on the board: The Cavs played in their first playoff game since 2010.

Talent disparity: The Cavs won because they have a Big Three -- and Boston doesn't. 

LeBron, Irving and Kevin Love combined for 69 points, 21 rebounds and 13 assists.

Irving shot 11-of-21 from the field, including 5-of-9 from 3-point range.

Love, also appearing in his first career playoff game, shot 5-of-14 from the field but went 7-of-8 from the line and grabbed 12 rebounds.

LeBron eased into his 10th straight postseason with a solid performance.

All about the matchups: Passing and cutting are great in theory. For this particular game, though, the Cavs relied primarily on breaking down the Celtics off the dribble and on isolations. Because they could.

Don't forget about us: Cleveland's bench factored in the outcome. James Jones made several timely shots, Tristan Thompson was relentless, and Iman Shumpert played well defensively.

Work to be done: The Cavs need to be better collectively on defense. They made it too easy for the Celtics, who shot 46.8 percent from the field and had 24 assists on 37 baskets.

Presumably, a better opponent would have punished Cleveland for the lack of consistent attention to detail defensively.  

The road to 113: Here is a look at the Cavs' possessions against the Celtics:

FIRST QUARTER

1. Love isolation on left block, misses fadeaway jumper. J.R. Smith offensive rebound, misses from right.

2. LeBron isolation left block vs. Evan Turner, draws shooting foul on Tyler Zeller. Makes one of two free throws. Celtics, 2-1.

3. LeBron rebounds Boston miss, coast-to-coast layup. Cavs, 3-2.

4. Irving makes turnaround from edge of restricted area off set piece (LeBron entry pass). Cavs, 5-4.

5. J.R. Smith misses runner in lane out of halfcourt set.

6. Irving shakes Marcus Smart out top, drives, makes short running jumper off glass from left over Zeller. Cavs, 7-6.

ABC analyst Mark Jackson said: "I'll take great offense over great defense any day of the week.''

7. Love misses open 3-pointer from left wing in halfcourt set. Good ball movement. LeBron pass.

8. Smith misses open 3-pointer topside left (Mozgov pass).

9. Smith makes 3-pointer from right side (LeBron assist after dribble-penetration). Cavs, 10-8.

10. Smith misses 3-pointer left side. Timofey Mozgov draws loose-ball foul. Smith drives, draws shooting foul on Zeller. Makes one of two free throws. Cavs, 11-8.

11. Tristan Thompson gets ball on left block, drives into paint, draws shooting foul on Kelly Olynyk. Makes two free throws. Cavs, 13-11.

12. Thompson misses lefty hook in lane.

13. Smith receives pass from Irving on right side, shakes Avery Bradley, makes long jumper. Celtics, 16-15.

14. After Celtics field goal, Irving moves coast-to-coast, weaving through traffic for layup. Celtics, 18-17.

15. Shumpert misses badly on 3-pointer from right wing.

16. Jones makes 3-pointer from left baseline. Good ball movement around perimeter (Irving assist). Celtics, 22-20.

17. Irving misses layup in transition, Thompson put-back. Tied, 22-22.

18. LeBron one-on-one vs. Jae Crowder, misses step-back jumper from top of key.

19. Irving misses in paint off drive, Thompson misses put-back attempt.

20. LeBron draws foul on floor against Crowder after iso on right side. Makes two free throws. Celtics, 26-24.

21. Irving uses Thompson high screen, splits two Celtics, makes layup. Celtics, 29-26.

22. After Celtics field goal, Irving goes coast-to-coast and misses layup. Hustling Thompson draws loose-ball foul. Makes one of two free throws. Celtics, 31-27.

23. Jones misses open 3-pointer from right corner (LeBron pass).

(Celtics lead, 31-27, after one quarter.)

SECOND QUARTER

24. LeBron turnover off dribble (Crowder steals).

25. Shumpert misses step-back 3-pointer topside after disjointed halfcourt set. Timofey Mozgov rebound negated because of shot-clock violation (on floor: LeBron,  Mozgov, Matthew Dellavedova, Jones, Shumpert).

26. Mozgov draws shooting foul on Jared Sullinger on dunk attempt from left baseline (LeBron bounce pass). Makes two free throws. Celtics, 34-29.

27. LeBron one-on-one, makes lefty runner off glass on left. Celtics, 37-31.

28. Love airballs 7-foot jump-hook. Mozgov rebounds, short shot blocked.

29. Love denied in low block, Cavs retain possession. Irving makes topside 3-pointer over Marcus Smart off inbounds pass from LeBron. Shot clock under 5. Celtics, 38-34.

30. Smith makes 3-pointer from left wing in transition (LeBron skip-pass). Celtics, 38-37.

31. Smith misses deep right-wing 3-pointer. Mozgov pass after being defended in low block.

32. Love makes 3-pointer from left wing (LeBron difficult cross-court pass to Smith, who finds Love). Tied, 40-40.

33. Love misses long jumper on left side. Tried to draw foul off pump-fake.

34. LeBron one-on-one, shakes Smart, drives, makes twisting layup over Olynyk. Cavs, 42-40.

35. Love stripped in paint. Cavs retain possession. LeBron beats Turner one-on-one, makes twisting righty layup from left side. Cavs, 44-42.

36. LeBron misses fadeaway on left with shot clock winding down after Smith opts not to shoot open 15-footer. Thompson put-back dunk. Cavs, 46-42.

37. Thompson mishandles good feed from LeBron and doesn't shoot. Irving eventually makes contested 3-pointer from left side over Isaiah Thomas with shot clock at 6. Cavs, 49-42.

Irving 14 points in 16 minutes.

38. Love misses open jumper from top of key after pump-fake. Love rebounds and  feeds Thompson, who makes shot in restricted area. Cavs, 51-44.

39. LeBron steals, full-court pass (69 1/2 feet) over two Celtics to Love, who makes layup. Cavs, 53-44.

40. Love misses contested 12-foot jump-hook in paint.

41. Irving misses contested mid-range jumper on right side against Thomas.

42. Love deflects Thomas pass, controls, passes to LeBron for one-handed dunk. Cavs, 55-48.

43. Love misses open 3-pointer from right side after good ball movement. Thompson beats three Celtics for rebound. LeBron eventually feeds Love inside. Love draws shooting foul. Makes one free throw. Cavs, 56-50.

44. Irving makes catch-and-shoot 3-pointer from topside right. Shumpert pass. Cavs, 59-52.

45. LeBron misses left-wing 3-pointer. Cavs retain possession. Shumpert throws away inbounds pass.

46. Irving 3-pointer from deep left wing as time expires. Cavs, 62-54. 

Irving 20 points. 8-of-12 FGs, 4-of-4 from 3.

Jackson: "This just in: He's not nervous about playoff basketball.''

THIRD QUARTER

1. Smith misses open 3-pointer on right wing. Love rebounds, eventually draws shooting foul on drive after bounce-pass from Irving. Makes two free throws. Cavs, 64-54.

2. LeBron bad-pass turnover on attempted entry to Love.

3. Mozgov makes drop-in after good high-low entry from Love. Cavs, 66-58.

4. Irving pull-up 3-pointer on right wing. Uses Mozgov rub-screen. Cavs, 69-58.

5. LeBron moves from right to left with lefty dribble against Turner, makes righty layup. Cavs, 71-58.

6. Mozgov fumbles ball in lane after entry from Irving. Celtics gain possession.

7. Irving misses right-wing 3-pointer, Mozgov rebounds. Mozgov denied on put-back attempt.

8. Irving misses contested runner. Cavs retain possession. Irving eventually misses 3-pointer from right baseline. Love rebounds, makes shot in restricted area after power move. Cavs, 73-60.

9. Shumpert makes 3-pointer on right side (Love, who had ball in lane, spotted him open). Cavs, 76-62.

Cavs' 10th 3-pointer.

10. Thompson dunk in halfcourt set (LeBron drew two Celtics, flipped to Thompson). Cavs, 78-62.

11. Love makes 2-footer after LeBron's high bounce pass eludes Thompson. Love gathers and scores. Cavs, 80-62.

12. Love backs down Jonas Jerebko on right block, uses strength to draw shooting foul (LeBron entry pass). Makes two free throws. Cavs, 82-62.

13.  LeBron turnover after spin-dribble into lane. Celtics double-team. Timeout: LeBron banged left knee against Zeller.

14. Irving misses contested mid-range jumper from left side against Thomas.

15. LeBron misses 19-foot jumper from left side against Crowder.

16. LeBron misses contested lefty layup.

17. Jones misses 3-pointer from right wing.

(Celtics 14-0 run)

18. Jones makes contested mid-range turnaround jumper from right side. Cavs, 84-76.

19. Irving draws foul on floor after Celtics turnover. Makes two free throws. Cavs, 86-76.

20. Shumpert draws loose-ball foul on Crowder after Celtics miss. Makes two free throws. Cavs, 88-76.

21. Jones makes 3-pointer from right wing at buzzer (Dellavedova pass). Cavs, 91-76.

FOURTH QUARTER

22. LeBron makes 3-pointer from topside left over Smart, who gave him too much room. Cavs, 94-76.

23. LeBron misses jumper from left wing against Crowder.

24. LeBron bad-pass turnover on attempted kick-out after drive.

25. Dellavedova spinning lefty layup. Cavs, 96-81.

26. LeBron bad-pass turnover in transition.

27. Dellavedova alley-oop attempt to Thompson stolen by Celtics.

28. Cavs rebound Celtics miss, draw loose-ball foul on Turner.

29. Love draws shooting foul on Jerebko after jump-hook in lane (LeBron entry pass). Makes two of two free throws. Cavs, 98-81.

30. LeBron misses badly on 3-pointer from topside left.

31. Irving uses screen by Thompson, makes 19-foot jumper to right of key and draws foul. Makes free throw. Cavs, 101-86.

32. Irving misses 3-pointer from topside right with shot clock under 4.

33. Thompson fouled after Celtics make (hack-a-Thompson). Makes one of two free throws. Cavs, 102-89.

34. Irving makes Uncle Drew layup. Cavs, 104-89.

35. Shumpert misses 3-pointer from left side (LeBron pass after dribble-penetration).

36. Mozgov draws foul on floor underneath. Makes two free throws. Cavs, 106-93.

37. Mozgov misses layup attempt off LeBron lob.

38. LeBron one-on-one against Crowder, cuts across lane from right to left, makes layup. Cavs, 108-96.

39. Love makes 3-pointer from right baseline. Terrific pass by LeBron from lane after iso at foul line. Cavs, 111-98.

40. LeBron misses step-back from topside right against Crowder.

41. Irving draws foul after Celtics miss field-goal attempt. Misses both free throws.

42. LeBron misses jumper topside right. Shumpert rebounds. Irving misses contested jumper on left baseline.

43. LeBron misses turnaround jumper on left side after back-down.

44. Shumpert draws foul on floor. Makes two free throws. Cavs, 113-100.

45. Shumpert dribbles out clock.

The Boston Celtics struggled to rebound the ball effectively and stop the Cleveland Cavaliers from getting rebounds, especially on the offensive glass in Sunday's 113-100 loss at Quicken Loans Arena.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - The statistics from Sunday's 113-100 Cleveland Cavaliers win over the Boston Celtics in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference playoffs are similar in most categories. 

The shooting percentages are close - 46.8 percent for the Celtics, 45.1 percent for Cleveland. Boston had seven steals, Cleveland six. The Celtics' 14 turnovers were only two more than those of the Cavaliers.

The one stat that showed a glaring difference was rebounds, which is going to be a point of emphasis with the Celtics moving forward, coach Brad Stevens and Celtics players said after the game.

Cleveland won the overall rebounding battle, 46-34, and had a solid showing on the offensive glass, besting the Celtics 15-7. The Cavaliers had 10 offensive rebounds in the first half, to Boston's one.

"They did a great job of moving the ball around," Boston forward Evan Turner told reporters. "When you move the ball around and you're trying to stop shots from going up, it gives time to guys like (Cavaliers center Timofey) Mozgov, (Cavaliers forward Kevin) Love and Tristan Thompson to get rebounds. We have to fight off their bigs."

Love led the team in rebounds with 12, but the combination of Mozgov, Love and Thompson had 10 of Cleveland's 15 offensive rebounds. Thompson came off the bench to grab six rebounds, four offensive.

Those offensive rebounds gave the Cavs extra opportunities to score, and they cashed in. Cleveland had 18 second chance points, compared to 11 for Boston.

Said Turner: "You can't give a team like this more than one shot per trip down."

 

Boston coach Brad Stevens said the rebounding battle in Game 1 was troubling because of the ball movement and spacing of the Cavaliers. Stevens said the Celtics had bodies down low to box out Cleveland's post players, but "it didn't matter" because of how well the Cavaliers were shooting.

"They put you in a position where you have to pick your poison," Stevens said. "We're going to have to do a better job of rotating."

Cleveland presents a tough challenge for Boston, which was often out of position under the glass because its players had to choose whether to leap out and contest a shot, or pack the paint and get out in transition after a miss.

Cleveland's 41 percent 3-point percentage on 13-of-31 shooting made it difficult for the Celtics, whose starting frontcourt had 10 total rebounds, none offensive.

The Celtics ranked 13^th in the league in the regular season in opponent offensive rebounds, and give up an average of 10.9 per game. They give up 44.7 total rebounds per game, which ranked 26^th in the league in the regular season, so rebounding may continue to be an issue for Boston, regardless of how much it is emphasized in practice.

"I think it's one thing we emphasized coming into the series," said Boston center Jae Crowder, who had five total rebounds. "Now that we know, we have to take a closer look tomorrow. We need to react better and get those guys off the boards. That's going to be a huge point in Game 2.

"Our guards need to get in and rebound. They're not going five guys to the glass, so guards come back into play to clean up the glass and help the bigs and not just leave them on an island."

Contact sports producer Cameron Moon by email (cmoon@cleveland.com) or on Twitter (@MoonCameron20). Or log in and leave a message in the comments section below.

St. Ignatius lineman Liam Eichenberg commits to Notre Dame.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – After a couple of final visits to colleges this month for four-star football recruit Liam Eichenberg, the junior was ready to commit and announced he selected Notre Dame on Sunday.

The 6-foot-6, 290-pound offensive tackle was down to the Irish and Ohio State.

“Liam certainly believes he’s going to be an offensive tackle and I think he fits perfectly in that position ever since he got to the school,” St. Ignatius coach Chuck Kyle said.

Eichenberg has a number of intangibles that can help at Notre Dame, Kyle said, including his technique and work ethic.

Eichenberg was named a cleveland.com All-Star and was Division I Northeast Ohio Lakes District first team and an All-Ohio honorable mention selection.

Elyria coach Kevin Fell prepared for Eichenberg and the Wildcats in a first round playoff matchup last November, which St. lgnatius won, 42-14.

“To be effective as a tall kid you have to bend your knees and get under people, and he was like a perfect blocking specimen,” Elyria coach Kevin Fell said. “He was always there right up against you. St. Ignatius throws the ball a lot like many teams nowadays and he’s an excellent pass blocker.”

Fell said the Fighting Irish will not only add size to their line, but agility as well. 

“I felt like looking at him as a sophomore that potentially he could be one of the best football players to come out of there,” Fell said. “Ohio State seems to be getting everybody, but Notre Dame got one today for sure.”

Contact Nathaniel Cline via email (ncline@cleveland.com) or Twitter (@nathanielcline).

Kevin Love started off slow in his playoff debut and dodge a criticism bullet with a strong finish to help Cavs defeat Celtics in Game 1.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - The Cleveland Cavaliers' Big 3 took the podium together after Game 1 of Sunday's 113-100 victory over the Boston Celtics at Quicken Loans Arena.

The postgame presser was being aired live on NBA TV. LeBron James sat between Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love. They each had their own individual microphones in front of them, but Love's mic was the only one without an NBA TV logo mic flag.

His was just bare. It was a regular, ordinary black microphone. For a little over four minutes, he sat and watched James and Irving answer question after question before someone finally threw an inquiry his way.

These two examples are symbolic to how much Love has had to sacrifice this season. Not only has he willingly given up shot attempts and media attention, but apparently he has also given up the right to speak into a mic with a mic flag that matches the other two members of the Big 3.

Love went for 19 points and a game-high 12 rebounds in his playoff debut to aid in The Big 3 accounting for a whopping 69 points. Irving erupted for 30 points in his first postseason appearance and James danced around the stat-sheet for 20 points, six rebounds, seven assists and two steals.

All three performed at a high level, but Love still managed to get overlooked.

"Can I get the NBA TV [microphone]?" he asked James and Irving in a playful manner, generating laughs from the two and the media contingent after I asked him his first question. "I finally got a question too. I'm a little hyped. I want to make it count."

Love waited for a moment to see if it was possible before moving on and proceeding to reply through his uncovered mic. If a device snub was all Love had to endure after the game, it was a highly successful night considering what could have been had he finished the game like he started.

The power forward missed his first four shots and three of them failed to hit iron. It looked like he was pressing. At intermission, he was 2-of-11 from the field. His whole offensive game was out of sync and the stories about his inability to perform in big games were merely hours away from being published.

But James continued to feed the big guy, knowing consistent production out of Love will only take them to even greater heights.

"Its very important that Kev stays involved," James said. "For our ultimate goal, Kev has to be in a rhythm or at least touching the ball and feel like he's a part of what we're doing, which he is."

In the second half, Love was much more aggressive. He got down on the block and James found him. On a couple of occasions Love tried to power the ball right through his opponent's number as if no one was standing there. It got him to the foul line six times and he went a perfect 3-for-3 from the floor to finish the game 5-of-14 from the field.

That ferocious mindset on the court is how Love must play to carry his share of the workload. The Love narrative was on the verge of being ugly.

Tristan Thompson came off the bench for 12 points and six boards. He provided so much hustle and toughness that it would have been understandable if David Blatt chose to go with a Thompson-Timofey Mozgov frontcourt for the second half.

After all, Blatt's narrative would have been told much differently had the Cavaliers dropped the first game at home. He had a lot to lose too. Fortunately for Love, he was able to turn the corner.

"Obviously coming into my first playoff game, it was a little bit of just anxiousness," Love said. "I don't think it was nerves. It was so much excitement. The fans were great. They were waving the shirts. They had their little red batons going and everything. So I think that really played into it. And more than anything, I just wanted to stay aggressive like LeBron said.

"We've been drilling a lot the last few of days, the preparation has been great, and so I just wanted to really get that second wind and go out there and make a big impact. I think the second half, and really the second quarter from there on, I felt like I kind of settled myself and was able to play my game."

Members of The Big 3 have reached the conclusion that winning a championship will be predicated on how well they play. Due to his erratic regular season, Love has been the forgotten representative of the team's best three players. Some fans on social media have even suggested that JR Smith has taken Love's place in the last month or so.

But make no mistake about it, Love is a valuable member of the team and he has a unique skillset that cannot be duplicated. A couple of more games like this will jog everyone's memory to why he was brought to Cleveland in the first place. He was brought in as the final piece to a three-headed monster to help the Cavaliers contend for a championship.

Love reintroduced himself to the basketball world on Sunday. That mic flag is surely coming his way, but most importantly they hope an NBA title is coming their way, as well. This team will go as far as The Big 3 takes them and Love will have to play a huge part in that.

"As you prepare and get ready for the postseason, you want your best players to be at their best and we set the tone at both ends of the floor," Irving said. "We set it mentally. Physically and mentally we want to be there for everyone and most importantly there for each other, but we have to hold each other accountable. And its just simple as it can be. We got together, we are the Big 3, we have really great players on this team but we set the tone."

The Cleveland Cavaliers began their playoff run with a Game 1 win on Sunday afternoon.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Cleveland Cavaliers began their playoff run with a Game 1 win on Sunday afternoon.

The game against Boston followed the same script as the Cavaliers' season, with the young and inexperienced team getting off to a slow start before finding their rhythm and sprinting to the finish.

"I don't think tight," LeBron James said. "I just think the nerves. Our fans were very excited and intense. For us, as a ball club, we just have to play the game. Not worry about what is going on, not worry about the refs. If you like a call or don't like a call it's not what its about. It's about how we can get better each possession. They were making a lot of shots early on. We felt like some plays didn't go our way, but just have to maintain the game plan and go out and focus on the next possession."

Trailing by four at the end of the first quarter, the Cavs looked in for a fight, but outscored the feisty Celtics, 86-69, the rest of the way en route to a 113-100 and 1-0 series lead.

Here are five observations:

LeBron James focused on teammates early -- Sunday marked James' 10th appearance in the postseason and first playoff game since losing in the NBA Finals last season. Carrying a business-like demeanor, James focused on his teammates early on Sunday afternoon, trying to get them going.

He needed and wanted Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love to play well. That's why the first play of the game went to Love, who missed a step back jumper.

"It's very important that Kev stays involved," James said. "For our ultimate goal, Kev has to be in a rhythm or at least touching the ball and feel like he's a part of what we're doing, which he is. I know I'm going to have the ball a lot and Kyrie is going to have the ball a lot, but I just try to find a way to get Kev touches. Even though he was missing shots early, those were great shots and he was very aggressive. I wanted him to stay with it, one of our slogans, and he did that. It's huge for our team."

A few possessions later, James found Irving cutting to the basket, leading to a layup and Irving's first-ever playoff hoop. Then James delivered an on-target pass to J.R. Smith for his first bucket, fittingly a three-pointer.

"LeBron being our leader, he sets the tone," Love said. "Everybody that has been around him the last few days you can tell he's been locked in. It's good to get the first one out of the way and I think as time goes on and we get further down the series that will even be more so, but he's a guy we look to in all different situations."

Of the Cavs' first 24 official shots, James hoisted just two. He looked for his offense periodically, driving and getting to the free throw line when those opportunities were there, but most of that came after the first quarter.

He finished with 20 points, a team-high seven assists, six rebounds, two steals and one block in 42 minutes.

"First game is always a feel-out game and see how teams are going to play you individually or as a team," James said. "We've seen what type of pace this team plays with and when Isaiah Thomas comes into the game their pace goes up even higher. We will watch film tomorrow when we go to practice and see the things we can do better going into Game 2.

"I think our first test today, we did a great job. Just go out and play. You don't want to get too much into adjustments in Game 1. Just go out and play, feel the game and see what happens. For our first time being together in the playoff I think we did a successful job. We need to be much better in Game 2 for sure."

Big Three makes the difference -- It's no secret. James mentioned it a few times in the days leading up to Sunday's postseason opener. For the Cavs to be great the Big Three has to lead the way, and that's what happened Sunday.

Irving performed like a veteran in his playoff introduction, finishing with a game-high 30 points on 11-of-21 from the field, including 5-of-9 from three-point range. The five triples were the second most all-time in a player's postseason debut.

"He's our floor general," James said of Irving. "He set the tone early one with his ability to make shots, get into the lane. He was able to shoot the ball extremely well and mix it up. I thought he was phenomenal."

Irving scored 20 of his 30 points in the first half, an outburst punctuated by a buzzer-beating three pointer.

"Kyrie Irving...BANG at the buzzer!" #NBAonABC #NBARapidReplay http://t.co/n4xpDAouPW

-- NBA (@NBA) April 19, 2015

"It was just me and Evan Turner," Irving said. "It was a big time shot going into the half, but without that screen and without our pace coming down, I wouldn't have gotten that shot."

Irving is no stranger to big moments. In a January game without James, Irving netted 55 points to lead the team to a win against the Portland Trail Blazers. He topped that performance in San Antonio, scoring 57 points and helping beat the Spurs in overtime.

But his knack for shining under the bright lights was apparent even before this season. During last year's All-Star game, sharing the stage with the game's most sublime talents, it was Irving who emerged as MVP. Then this summer while playing for Team USA at the FIBA World Championships, the point guard dazzled, again being named MVP.

"He's a guy who believes in his abilities and loves to play basketball," Blatt said. "When the stage is bright he's ready."

Added Irving: "You just think about the preparation and those moments that you mentally put yourself in way before playing in them. It makes it easier for me when I have guys like this who have my back and are consistently giving me confidence every time out. It just makes my job to go out there easier and just be myself. The first time we actually got together, that was the first thing that we said. We've got to continue to give each other confidence game to game, now especially in the postseason. We just have to lift each other up every single game."

Things didn't come as easily for Love. The power forward was 2-of-11 from the field in the first half, finishing with six points. He was getting pushed around and looking for whistles instead of powering through the defenders. As the noise grew louder and the questions arose, Love answered in the second half.

"He turned it around in the second half," James said. "He was very aggressive getting the ball where he wanted, getting touches where he wanted and when Kev shoots eight free throws it lets me know he's very aggressive. For him to have a double-double tonight, those two guys, they succeeded for their first time being in the postseason."

Love finished with 19 points, a game-high 12 rebounds, four assists and one steal in 33 minutes, becoming the first player in Cavs history to tally those numbers in their playoff debut.

"I just really liked the way Kevin was locked in the whole game," Blatt said. "He was playing the game regardless of whether the shot was going in or not. He really played a great game. Everybody was worried about how Kevin and Kyrie would do in their first playoff games. Well I guess we got the answer."

Blatt's right. The mark of a great player is finding a way to put an imprint on the outcome even when the shots aren't falling, and Love did as the talented trio combined for 69 points on 24-of-53 from the field.

"I just think the attitude we all share," Irving said. "Bron is a champion. Me and Kev don't really have that experience, but we're all learning from each other. I think the biggest thing is you want that as a competitor. You want your best players to be at their best. We have to hold each other accountable. We got together. We are the Big Three. We have a lot of great players on this team, but we set the tone."

Backcourt dominance -- The one thing that makes Boston unique is its ability to play small, oftentimes with a talented and diverse three-guard lineup.

Rookie Marcus Smart scored 10 points on 4-of-6 from the field. Avery Bradley, known for his defense and improved outside shooting, had a forgettable day, finishing with seven points on 3-of-10 from the field.

"I think all of Avery's field goals came in the second half," Said Celtics coach Brad Stevens. "They did a good job of smothering him. Offensively I felt great going into halftime. We got stagnant on a number of possessions. We've got to keep that ball moving. Their length and athleticism is too much if we let them load up on a lack of movement."

Thomas was the only member of the trio to make a positive impact, scoring 22 points and dishing out 10 assists. Thomas, Smart and Bradley combined for 39 points -- only nine more than Irving by himself.  

"He's a talented basketball player," Thomas said. "He's one of the guys that takes tough shots and makes tough shots. There were times we were right in his face at the end of the shot clock, and he buried a three. That's just his game. We've got to somehow try to take away those from him and make him into a playmaker and not so much of a scorer. He's a hell of a player and we've got to slow him down to win the series."

Cleaning the glass -- Entering the series against Boston with a decided advantage on the interior, The Cavs showed it early, especially on the glass.

"Sometimes you're matched up and you need to block your matchup out. Sometimes LeBron is doubled and sometimes we were on Tristan Thompson's body and it didn't matter, and (Timofey) Mozgov as well," Stevens said. "This is what great teams do to you. They put you in a position where you have to pick your poison. We're going to have to do a better job of rotating."

The Cavs outrebounded the Celtics 46-34, including 15-8 on the offensive boards.

Thompson had four of those offensive rebounds while Mozgov had three as they got 18 second chance points compared to 11 for the Celtics.

"Double-T always comes in with all the activity in the world," James said. "He gives us second possessions, he screens and rolls and he catches lobs. He does so many great things for us."

Thompson finished with 12 points and six rebounds in 26 productive minutes.

The Cavs are one of the most explosive offenses in the NBA and it's challenging enough to force misses. To not collect the rebound and give them second and third looks in the same possession is the quickest way to a loss.

Unsung heroes -- The Celtics boast the highest scoring second unit in the NBA, averaging better than 41 points. Stevens' unit, led by Thomas, did its job once again, but the Cavs' second unit, dead last in scoring, held its own.

"For us, all we ask out of our bench is to just defend and give us high energy," James said. "Everything else is always extra credit for us."

There was plenty of that as the second unit scored 29 points, still being outscored by 26, but made a handful of pivotal plays that stood out more than the final numbers.

Iman Shumpert got extended minutes for Smith, who was sent to the bench early in the third quarter with four fouls. Shumpert played his typical pesky defense and brought energy.

James Jones played 15 minutes and buried a backbreaking three-pointer at the end of the third quarter, his second three-point hit.

"Champ comes in whenever you need him," James said. "It could be one second, it could be 30 minutes. He's going to give us that ability to shoot the ball and he's just a great mind. He knows how to play the game."

Shawn Marion played less than a minute, but had two momentum-shifting steals, one that led to Jones' triple.

"You're going to need a contribution from everyone who steps out on the floor," Blatt said. "You're going to get better days from some and maybe less outstanding days from others, but the important thing is that guys can come in and give a team a lift or play major minutes when necessary. Those guys stepped up when we needed them each in his own way."

James was effusive in his praise for The Matrix.

"I thought the most important guy off the bench was Trix," James said. "Trix comes in for those seconds at the end of the third quarter and gets back-to-back steals. Those possessions count, especially in the postseason where every possession is important. He comes in and gives us two steals. At the start of the fourth, he sits right back down. That's just a true professional right there."

Cleveland.com's Chris Fedor, Joe Vardon and Chris Haynes recapped the win against the Celtics during the postgame show. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Game 1 of the 2015 NBA playoffs is in the books for the Cleveland Cavaliers.

In a back-and-forth game that featured nine lead changes, the Cavs pulled away late, beating the Boston Celtics, 113-100.

Kyrie Irving, making his playoff debut, scored 30 points on 11-of-21 from the field, including 5-of-9 from three-point range. Kevin Love added 19 points and 12 rebounds while LeBron James scored 20 points, registered a team-high seven assists and pulled down six rebounds. 

The Cavs have taken a 1-0 series lead against seventh-seeded Boston in the best-of-seven format, with Game 2 coming on Tuesday night at Quicken Loans Arena. 

Cleveland.com's Chris Fedor, Joe Vardon and Chris Haynes recapped the win against the Celtics during the postgame show.

The trio talked about James' approach, Love rebounding from a shaky first half, Irving's play on a big stage and the bench stepping up. The guys also talked about whether the Celtics, after seeing the first game, can win one game during the series and the kinds of adjustments they will have to make before Tuesday night.

The Indians finished with six singles and one solo homer in a 7-2 loss to the Twins on Sunday in Minnesota.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Indians lost to the Twins, 7-2, Sunday afternoon at Target Field in Minneapolis, Minn. Here is a capsule look at the game after an accelerated dvr review of the Fox SportsTime Ohio telecast:

One word: Yikes.

Nothing to see here: This dvr review was not going to take long, regardless of outcome, because the Cavs-Celtics playoff game Sunday afternoon took precedence. Once the outcome in Minnesota was known, a review became almost pointless. Still, it needed to be done.

The Indians (4-7) managed four hits and one run in six innings against right-hander Trevor May. The Indians are supposed to be equipped to handle most righties, and certainly May.

Last season, his first in the majors, May went 3-6 with a 7.88 ERA and 1.77 WHIP in 10 games (nine starts) with Minnesota. In his one previous appearance this season, May gave up five runs on eight hits in 5 1/3 innings of a loss to Kansas City.

May only is in the rotation because Ricky Nolasco is on the disabled list.

Yet the Indians barely made May work. They had four singles -- three with two outs in the third to produce a run -- and zero walks. May threw 60 of 97 pitches for strikes.

Tom Emanski, and Fred McGriff, would cringe if forced to watch the majority of Tribe ABs against May.

Twins lefty reliever Aaron Thompson worked two scoreless innings and righty J.R. Graham allowed a solo homer to Carlos Santana in the ninth.

Failure to capitalize: The Indians dropped two of three in Minnesota. That, in itself, is a problem because they are supposed to be good and the Twins are supposed to be bad. (The Twins, to their credit, have won four of five and are 5-7.)

The Indians not only lost two to the Twins, they lost in games started by May and right-hander Mike Pelfrey. Neither makes anybody's list of most formidable pitchers in the AL Central, let alone MLB.

The meaning of 1/162nd: Players and managers on teams with bad records in April, and even May, often maintain that everything is magnified early in a season, and that plenty of time remains. Correct and correct.

However, each game matters. Losses in April can sting in September, no matter if they are not easily remembered.

Indians personnel need not go back any further than last year to know the truth. The Tribe went 11-17 in March/April, kicking away an assortment of games in the process. Those lost opportunities came back to haunt down the stretch; the Tribe finished 85-77 but did not qualify for the playoffs.

No House party: Tribe lefty T.J. House, who entered at 3-0 with a 2.01 ERA in four career starts against the Twins, allowed five runs on seven hits in 5 2/3 innings. He walked two and struck out two.

House is 0-2 with a 14.14 ERA in two starts this season. The Tigers rocked him April 12 in Cleveland.

The essence of House's start against the Twins can be captured in one batter -- and that batter didn't even get a hit.

After House worked a 1-2-3 first in 11 pitches, he faced lefty Kennys Vargas to lead off the second. Vargas had been 0-for-9 with five strikeouts in the series.

House threw four straight balls to Vargas. It triggered a three-run outburst.

Vargas finished the series at 1-for-12 with six strikeouts.   

TJ House has made two starts this season and he's been knocked around both times. The lefty allowed five runs on seven hits in 5 1/3 innings Sunday as the Twins beat the Indians, 7-2.

MINNEAPOLIS -- All things considered, that could have gone better.

Last year TJ House owned the Twins. On Sunday afternoon at Target Field, they owned him.

The Twins, whose offensive struggles rival the Indians, used 11 hits and Trevor May's pitching to coast to a 7-2 victory. The Twins won the three-game series by taking the first and third games.

Last year House went 3-0 with a 2.01 ERA in four starts against the Twins. On Sunday, he was gone after 5 1/3 innings, five runs and seven hits.

At least one thing went right for House (0-2). He entered the game with a 40.50 ERA after allowing six runs on six hits in 1 1/3 innings against Detroit on April 12. House's effort Sunday reduced his ERA to 14.14.

May (1-1, 4.76) held the Indians to one run on four hits in six innings. He struck out four and didn't walk a batter.

In his other two starts against the Tribe, May was 1-1 with a 8.38 ERA.

Century mark

Carlos Santana, silent for much of the weekend, homered to start the ninth for the 100th home run of his career. Sixteen of them have come against the Twins, but Santana was only 1-for-12 in the series before driving a 3-2 pitch from J.R. Graham off the facing of the upper deck in right center field.

Welcome home

Right-hander Anthony Swarzak, before winning a job in Indians bullpen out of spring training, spent the last 11 years in the Twins organization. Before his return to Target Field this weekend, he was pitching well and looking forward to showing the Twins what they were missing.

He got his chance in the sixth inning Sunday, but gave up a three-run homer to Torii Hunter as the Twins turned a 4-1 lead into a 7-1 lead.

Swarzak allowed two runs on three hits in two-thirds of an inning. He walked one, struck out two in 23 pitches.

In his first three appearances of the season, Swarzak allowed one run in 4 1/3 innings.

Where's the beef?

Until the ninth, the Indians had managed to score just one run. It came on three straight two-out singles by Michael Bourn, Jason Kipnis and Michael Brantley in the third. Brantley's single to right cut the Twins lead to 3-1.

Missed connections

The Twins made it 4-1 in the fourth on a single by Shane Robinson.

On the play before that, Eduardo Escobar sent a grounder to Lonnie Chisenhall at third with Kurt Suzuki on second and Oswaldo Arcia on first. Chisenhall had a chance to force Suzuki at third, but tried to go for the double play. Arcia was forced at second, but Escobar beat the relay from second.

It's always best to go for the double play, but it didn't look like the chances to turn that were very good.

Brian Dozier, the next batter, sent another shot to Chisenhall at third. He got off a quick throw to second, but the sliding Robinson disrupted Kipnis' relay to first and the Indians missed turning a second straight double play. 

Error shortstop

The Twins took a 3-0 lead in the second with the third run scored on an error by shortstop Jose Ramirez.

After the Twins took a 2-0 lead on a sacrifice fly by Arcia and a single by Escobar, they had runners on the corners with one out. Robinson sent a sharp grounder to short for what should have been a double play, but Ramirez couldn't handle it cleanly as Suzuki scored from third.

It was Ramirez's first error of the season.

That's better

House retired the Twins in order in the first, which was much better than his first inning of the season.

Detroit scored three runs on three hits against House in his first inning of the season.

House's second inning wasn't as good. He allowed three runs on two hits and a walk as he faced eight batters.

Thanks for coming

The Indians and Twins drew 17,923 fans to Target Field on Sunday.

What's next?

The Indians open a three-game series against the White Sox on Monday night with Trevor Bauer (2-0, 1.50) facing Chicago lefty John Danks (0-2, 6.97) at 8:10 at U.S. Cellular Field.

Bauer flip-flopped in the rotation with Carlos Carrasco so Carrasco could have an extra day to recover from getting hit by a line drive in the jaw last week by line drive against the White Sox.

Last week Bauer went six innings against the White Sox in Cleveland for a 4-2 victory.

The junior forward is the second Northeast Ohio player in Ohio State's class of 2016.

MENTOR, Ohio -- Mentor junior Micah Potter committed to play basketball at Ohio State on Monday. He joins St. Edward junior Derek Funderburk as the second member of the Buckeyes' 2016 recruiting class.

PROUD TO SAY THAT IM OFFICIALLY A BUCKEYE 🌰⭕️🙌🏻❗️⭕️ #GoBuckspic.twitter.com/ejZvrhlZla

— Micah Potter (@BigJam_23) April 20, 2015

Potter, a 6-foot-10 forward, just wrapped up his first season as a starter for Mentor. He took a huge step forward this season and averaged 20.2 points and 9.1 rebounds as a junior.

The decision was made by Potter after visiting campus on Saturday. He was offered by Ohio State on March 26.

Contact high school sports reporter David Cassilo by email (dcassilo@cleveland.com) or Twitter (@dcassilo). Or log in and leave a message in the comments section below.

Willoughby South junior guard Nik Urban is going to bring leadership and effort along with his physical attributes to Northwestern football.

WILLOUGHBY, Ohio – When Willoughby South junior offensive lineman Nik Urban talked with Northwestern football coach Pat Fitzgerald, he knew he had found his new home.

Urban recently told the Northeast Ohio Media Group the relationships between players and coaches was going to stand out the most in his mind as the recruiting process wore on.

“Sitting with Coach Fitzgerald really made me realize the coach I’d be playing for,” Urban said. “I can’t beat that. I can’t beat the education, the kind of football and the people, the coaches and players.”

So Urban wrapped up his recruitment, tweeting his verbal commitment on Sunday morning, hours after letting Fitzgerald and the coaching staff know first.

Beyond blessed to say I will be continuing my academic and football career at Northwestern University!! #GoCatspic.twitter.com/Rf9kAvoK4X

— Nik Urban (@nikurbs73) April 19, 2015

“Coach Fitzgerald was shocked,” Urban said. “He said ‘I didn’t think this was going to happen!’ He started screaming and jumping up and down and ran over and gave me a hug. As soon as that happened, the offensive line coach gave me a big hug.

“They’re awesome people to be playing for.”

Urban chose the Wildcats over Duke, Illinois, Maryland, West Virginia and others.

Willoughby South head coach Matt Duffy said for all Urban’s accolades as a football player, his intangibles are going to separate him when he gets to Northwestern.

“He walks the walk,” Duffy said. “He knows what leadership is, he does it the right way. He does exactly what he says he’s going to do.”

But there’s no doubt that Urban has the necessary physical attributes to be a success at the next level as well. The 6-foot-4, 280-pound lineman graded at a 92 percent run blocking efficiency and 94 percent in pass blocking last season, according to statistics provided by the school.

Urban, rated the No. 29 overall prospect in Ohio and No. 33 guard by 247Sports.com, helped lead the way for Rebels running back D.J. Greene, who rushed for more than 1,600 yards and 23 touchdowns.

“He expects a lot out of himself, almost to a fault," Duffy said. "He plays the game of football the right way. He expects perfection.”

The Rebels will be relying on Urban this season as the leader of the offensive line, but also a leader in the locker room as well, Duffy said.

“For us, the biggest thing is for him to really make everyone around him better,” Duffy said. “I think he’s ready to do that. When he gets to Northwestern, it’s a reboot. He’s going to be the young guy and there are going to be guys with great character and great leaders.”

Urban said would like to improve on his blocking technique, as playing against smaller players has allowed him to get by a little on his raw talent. That’s not going to work at the next level.

“I have to get my steps a little better,” Urban said. “There are plays, that because of the size I am, I’m going against high school defensive tackles, I get away with some stuff. But in college, people are going to be my size or bigger.

“I feel like I’m pretty solid in pass protection. I definitely have to keep punching. There are a couple plays where I lean too much. I need to sit back and throw my hands into the defender.”

Follow our high school sports Twitter, @NEOVarsity and be sure to use the hashtag #NEOVarsity when tweeting your high school sports score and news updates.

Contact high school sports producer Cameron Moon by email (cmoon@cleveland.com) or on Twitter (@MoonCameron20). Or log in and leave a message in the comments section below.

The Plain Dealer's Dennis Manoloff talks about the Cavaliers' win over the Celtics and has a message for Coach 'Pop'

Cleveland.com's Dennis Manoloff sits down with CineSport's Noah Coslov to deliver a message for Gregg Popovich and to talk about the biggest takeaway from Game 1 of the Cavs-Celtics series.

Potter committed to Ohio State on Monday.

MENTOR, Ohio -- When Ohio State recruited Mentor junior Micah Potter, he says they kept telling him that he was the missing piece.

"They see me as a big that stretches the floor," Potter said. "I can play inside and out. I can take a guy outside and take him to the hole. That allows to spread them the floor. According to coaches, that is a missing piece."

PROUD TO SAY THAT IM OFFICIALLY A BUCKEYE 🌰⭕️🙌🏻❗️⭕️ #GoBuckspic.twitter.com/ejZvrhlZla

— Micah Potter (@BigJam_23) April 20, 2015

Ohio State now has that missing piece as Potter, a 6-foot-10 forward and three-star recruit, committed to the Buckeyes on Monday. He is the second player in the Buckeyes' Class of 2016, as he joins St. Edward junior Derek Funderburk.

Few players in Northeast Ohio have taken a bigger leap this past season than Potter. In his first full season as a starter, Potter averaged 20.2 points and 9.1 rebounds per game. He also held offers from schools including Iowa, North Carolina State and West Virginia, but all signs pointed to the Buckeyes.

"I did a comparison of any school I had a chance to go to and nothing outweighed Ohio State," Potter said. "I'd rather get the decision over with so I could focus on my future with the Buckeyes."

As a freshman, he was 6-foot-5, but he has only added strength and skill since first arriving at Mentor. Now he will leave as the first Big Ten basketball player coached by Mentor's Bob Krizancic.

"He's put in a lot of time to improve his strength," Krizancic said. "He set a goal to go big time. He's developing into the complete player. I don't even think he's grown into his body yet. He had a great window to improve."

He's also developed into an inside-outside threat, as he shot nearly 40 percent from 3-point range as a junior.

For Potter, there has always been something special about Ohio State, and after committing to the Buckeyes on Monday, he is now a part of that community.

"Ohio State has always been a dream school growing up in Ohio," Potter said. "I've always cheered for them for basketball or football."

One of the deciding factors was a conversation that Potter has with Syracuse commit and Gahanna Lincoln junior Matt Moyer, who had some advice about recruiting.

"He told me that you need to make sure that they love you and you love them," Potter said. "Ohio State showed me the most love of any school that has offered so far."

Potter joins Funderburk, and if the Ohio State roster holds, they will be the only two members of the team's recruiting class for 2016.

Although the two players did not face each other this season, they work out twice a week together in the offseason.

"We've developed a relationship together," Potter said. "He's a great player and a very skilled big man."

On Saturday, Potter visited campus during Ohio State's spring football game. He had seen the basketball facilities before, but he said this visit allowed him to see campus and the dorms, while also spending time with academic advisors.

Contact high school sports reporter David Cassilo by email (dcassilo@cleveland.com) or Twitter (@dcassilo). Or log in and leave a message in the comments section below.

Nick Swisher and Zach Walters will leave extended spring training in Gooyear, Ariz. in the next couple of days and begin their rehab assignments at Class AAA Columbus

CHICAGO - The Indians offense is stuck axel deep in the mud right now and there's no one around to pull them out except themselves.

Still, it is always good to know that help might be on the way.

GM Chris Antonetti said Monday before the Indians opened a three-game series against Chicago at U.S. Cellular Field that Nick Swisher and Zach Walters would start their rehab assignments at Class AAA Columbus in the next couple of days.

The Indians later announced that Walters would report to Columbus on Wednesday.  There was no official word on when Swisher would report.

Swisher is recovering from surgery on his knees, while Walters strained his right oblique muscle in March. They have been rehabbing in extended spring training in Goodyear, Ariz.

Walters, who is trying to master a variety of positions, is farther along in his recovery than Swisher. Last season Walters hit seven home runs in 88 at-bats for the Indians after they acquired him from Washington for Asdrubal Cabrera on July 31.

Once Walters completes his rehab assignment in Columbus - a position player can rehab for 20 days - it's unclear if he'll be activated and brought to Cleveland or continue to play at Columbus. He has two options left.

Swisher underwent surgery on his knees on Aug. 20. When he's finished with his rehab, he'll join the Indians as an outfielder. Last year Swisher spent most of his time at first base, but he's told the Indians that playing the outfield will put less strain on his knees.

"We've been encouraged by their progress," said Antonetti. "They're ready for the next phase of their rehab."

When Walters gets to Columbus, he's expected to play several positions. Swisher, however, will play in the outfield. He could eventually spent some time at first base, but he's expected to play primarily right field.

The Indians are 4-7 and hitting .221 as a team. They've averaging 3.2 runs per game.

"When you look up and down the lineup and see how we've produced individually and collectively, we all feel we'll be better than we are right now," said Antonetti. "Now we need to continue to work to make that happen."

The Indians rank 14^th out of 15 teams in the AL with 35 runs. They're last in the AL with seven homers and 12^th in team batting average.

They are a team in desperate need of help or at least the promise of help.

Trevor Bauer looks to improve to 3-0 Monday night as he faces the White Sox for the second time in as many weeks. Last week Bauer threw six scoreless innings against Chicago on the way to a 4-2 victory at Progressive Field.

CHICAGO, Ill. -- Here are the lineups for Monday night's game between the Indians and White Sox at U.S. Cellular Field.

Indians lineup:

2B Jason Kipnis.

CF Mike Aviles.

LF Michael Brantley.

1B Carlos Santana.

DH Ryan Raburn.

RF Jerry Sands.

3B Lonnie Chisenhall.

C Brett Hayes.

SS Jose Ramirez.

RHP Trevor Bauer.

Lineup note: Michael Bourn gets a game off as Kipnis moves into the leadoff spot and Aviles replaces Bourn in center field.

White Sox lineup:

CF Adam Eaton.

LF Melky Cabrera.

1B Jose Abreu.

DH Ada LaRoche.

RF Avisail Garcia.

3B Conor Gillaspie.

C Geovanny Soto.

2B Michah Johnson.

LHP John Danks.

Umpires:

H Quinn Wolcott.

1B Eric Cooper, crew chief.

2B Dan Bellino.

3B Lance Barksdale.