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Smokeless tobacco could soon be banned at San Francisco Giants ballpark, other fields in city

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Officials in the city are considering an ordinance to ban smokeless tobacco from all ball fields, including AT&T Park, the home of Major League Baseball's San Francisco Giants.

The image of a baseball player with a wad of chewing tobacco in his cheek could soon be a thing of the past in San Francisco.

Officials in the city are considering an ordinance to ban smokeless tobacco from all ball fields, including AT&T Park, the home of Major League Baseball's San Francisco Giants.

The plan received tentative approval from city supervisors Tuesday night, according to the Washington Post. It must be approved by a second Board of Supervisors before it can be signed by Mayor Ed Lee, reports the Los Angeles Times.

It would take effect on Jan. 1, 2016.

"We're trying to de-couple the historic notion and the visuals we've had for decades that playing baseball and success in baseball has anything to do with chewing tobacco," Supervisor Mark Farrell, the chief sponsor of the legislation, tells the Post.

According to the Associated Press, the legislation is part of an overall push by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, based in Washington, D.C., which targeted the city and California to promote its anti-smoking efforts. 

Officials with MLB's players union declined comment, but league officials say the support the legislation.

"As we have repeatedly and publicly acknowledged, MLB has long supported a ban of smokeless tobacco at the Major League level," a league statement said, according to the Times, "and we intend to comply with all applicable laws regarding the use of smokeless tobacco on the field in all of our ballparks."

Smokeless tobacco is banned in the minor leagues. MLB players and coaches cannot use smokeless-tobacco products during interviews and can't carry tobacco while wearing a uniform and fans are in the ballpark, the AP reports.

According to the Post, a statewide bill banning smokeless tobacco that would apply to the rest of California's major and minor league parks is working its way through the legislature. 


Chicago White Sox hammer Corey Kluber, Cleveland Indians, 6-0

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Corey Kluber allowed six runs and a career-high 13 hits in six inning Wednesday as the White Sox shut out the Indians to take two out of three games in the series.

CHICAGO - After what happened over the last three days, Thursday's off day comes at a good time for the Indians. But it would be a bad thing for manager Terry Francona's ballclub to get too comfortable.

After Corey Kluber allowed a career-high 13 hits in the Tribe's 6-0 loss to the White Sox at U.S. Cellular Field on Wednesday, the Indians can regroup Thursday, but the weekend offers no promises of redemption because they'll be in Detroit playing a three-game series a Tiger team that can do little, if anything, wrong.

The Tigers ruined the Indians home-opening weekend with a three-game sweep. The Indians have bee struggling ever since and the Tigers have been cruising.

Kluber (0-2, 3.90) allowed six runs in six innings. The six earned runs matched the total he'd allowed in in his first three starts this season covering 21 2/3 innings.

Once again the Indians' offense failed to support last year's AL Cy Young winner. They've been shutout twice and managed to score just five runs while he's been on the mound in his four starts.

Jeff Samardzija (1-1, 3.33) went six scoreless innings and combined on an eight-hit shutout with Dan Jennings, Zach Duke and Jake Petricka.

Painful first

Kluber retired the first two batters he faced, but Jose Abreu homered on a 1-0 pitch for a 1-0 lead.

Abreu has hit Kluber hard (.381, two homers, six RBI) since coming to the big leagues last year from Cuba. In fact, he's hit the Indians hard.

He's hit five homers this season and three have come against the Tribe. He's homered off Nick Hagadone, Carlos Carrasco and Kluber. In fact, Wednesday's homer was his second straight in the first inning against the Tribe.

Abreu added a two-run double off Kluber in the seventh to officially end his day.

Wild pitch

Kluber and catcher Roberto Perez are still having trouble with wild pitches.

The White Sox increased their lead to 3-0 in the sixth when Avisail Garcia scored from third on a wild pitch. Kluber threw another wild pitch in the seventh to put a three-run inning in motion.

In Kluber's last start, he was charged with two wild pitches. They came in the sixth against the Twins. One of them scored a run.

While Kluber and injured catcher Yan Gomes thought as one, it's taking Perez and Kluber longer to get on the same page. Of course, if the Indians scored a few runs while he was on the mound that might help as well.

First look

The Indians got their first look at Samardzija on Thursday and they probably felt they left him off the hook.

The Shark threw six scoreless innings, but stranded eight runners. The Indians went 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position against him.

It was a study in frustration.

The Indians put runners on first and third with two out in the second, but Lonnie Chisenhall fouled out to third and Perez lined out to right.

In the third, Michael Bourn and Jason Kipnis hit consecutive singles to put runners on first and second with one out. Michael Brantley flied out to left, but Carlos Santana walked to load the bases.

When a team is struggling to score runs like the Indians, it seems like the only time they load the bases is with two out. Brandon Moss ended the inning on a fly ball to left.

In the fourth, they left runners on first and second when Bourn grounded out to first. Bourn came into the game with the best numbers against Samardzija at 5-for-10.

Offensive offense

The Indians have been shutout twice and held to three or fewer runs in seven of their 14 games.

Thanks for coming

The Indians and White Sox drew 14,429 to U.S. Cellular Field on Wednesday.

What's next?

The Indians have an off day Thursday before opening a three-game series against Detroit at Comerica Park on Friday. Danny Salazar (1-0, 3.00) will face Detroit right-hander Shane Greene (3-0, 0.39) Friday 7:08 p.m. SportsTime Ohio, WTAM AM/1100 and WMMS FM/100.7 will carry the game.

The Tribe opened its home season on April 10 against Detroit. The Tigers swept the three-game series.

Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Boston Celtics: Fans dance, LeBron blocks and Kevin Love delivers

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Look back on Thursday night's broadcast diary as the Cavaliers beat the Celtics.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Cavaliers beat the Celtics, 103-95, to take a 3-0 lead in their opening round playoff series. Here is a running diary of the game broadcast on TNT.

Check out our previous broadcast diaries: Game 1 | Game 2

Hit the refresh button to see the latest updates.

7:02 p.m.

Pregame show is up and running. They're playing Jae Crowder's comments about the Cavs not being intimidating.

Kenny Smith: "I wouldn't say intimidating, either. ... If I was in the league, I would be like, oh, this is a challenge."

Charles Barkley: "When I played against Shaquille, Hakeem, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, I wasn't intimidated."

Shaq: "For me, intimidation was my whole thing."

Charles: "We're all like Drake. Started at the bottom, now we here."

7:06 p.m.

Barkley the only one to say he doesn't see Boston winning a game in this series.

1st quarter

7:10 p.m.

It's Marv Albert, Chris Webber and Rachel Nichols again. We're ready to go.

7:12 p.m.

Webber: "LeBron not even giving me a chance to talk" following James' second layup of the game. Thanks, 'Bron.

7:14 p.m.

Webber: "Man, I love Mozgov. He just does his job."

7:17 p.m.

Webber: "Everyone in Cleveland should get excited when Kevin Love gets it in the post."

7:21 p.m.

Rachel Nichols reports on LeBron getting work in early out of the first timeout. Here's Chris Haynes' story about it.

7:25 p.m.

Two no-calls against LeBron on same possession. Weber says he doesn't know about the first one, the second one:

7:32 p.m.

Burger King says they want to make their perfect burger better. Learn your product, BK.

7:35 p.m.

Webber on Hack-a-Tristan: "If you want people to quit hacking you, make a free throw."

End 1st: Cavaliers 31, Celtics 25

2nd quarter

7:45 p.m.

David Blatt's interview with Nichols:

On intensity early in the game: "Coming into an away game we really had to focus in on being aggressive right from the start."

On coaching a playoff game in Boston and referencing him sneaking a transistor radio under his pillow to listen to Celtics games: "You're bringing me way back now, Rachel. That's a long, long time ago, but I do remember it. It's great to be here."

7:53 p.m.

Webber calling Hack-a-Tristan an attempt to slow game down. Interesting because Boston seemed to be trying to speed the game up in Game 2.

8:02 p.m.

Hard foul on Irving and Webber says plays like that "energize the home team."

Webber says he doesn't know if there is a flagrant there. It is not called a flagrant foul. 

J.R. Smith gets called for a technical and Webber says he hopes it wasn't from the scrum.

8:12 p.m.

Nichols reports that Isiah Thomas texts Isaiah Thomas with advice from watching game film.

8:17 p.m.

Refs call flagrant one on Evan Turner. Albert and Webber both in agreement with the call.

Halftime

8:24 p.m.

Kenny Smith on Celtics: "I don't care if you beat us. You're not gonna intimidate us."

8:25 p.m.

Shaq on LeBron: "When you're on the road, you're saying, 'You know what, give me the ball. Watch me go to work.'"

Barkley calls the Cavaliers and Bulls the two best teams in the East.

3rd quarter

8:39 p.m.

Nichols reports that Stevens told his team to just go for singles, not home runs. Or, to put it like a true Boston fan, "just hit it off the mons-tah." (I don't know what that means.)

8:43 p.m.

Three replays of LeBron's breakaway dunk. All spectacular.

8:45 p.m.

Love called for a foul on an Avery Bradley breakaway. Webber calls it a clean block.

8:47 p.m.

There is no such thing as a cell phone commercial that isn't annoying. (I'm looking at you this time, Samsung.)

8:50 p.m.

8:51 p.m.

LeBron moves into tenth all-time on the NBA Playoff steals list. Webber calls it "amazing."

4th quarter

9:06 p.m.

Marv Albert calls this the most important game Kevin Love has played for the Cavaliers.

9:09 p.m.

Albert and Webber get into discussion on LeBron as defender. Albert calls him underrated, Webber goes with underappreciated.

9:15 p.m.

LeBron dribbles out shot clock and misses with Cavs up seven. Albert says "it's all one-on-one here" and mentions that it was all LeBron and Kyrie in the fourth quarter of Game 2.

9:18 p.m.

9:23 p.m.

Webber on replay of Kyrie Irving layup off a crossover: "This is just nasty."

9:28 p.m.

Albert continues to rave about Love, calling this the game Cavaliers fans have been waiting for.

9:29 p.m.

LeBron denies Evan Turner. The two are seen going back-and-forth after in front of the Cavs bench.

9:40 p.m.

Kevin Love postgame:

On the physicality of the game: "The first two games they hit us first. We wanted to come out and hit them first tonight."

On what clicked for him: "Tonight we were just finding each other out there. ... We had a really great gameplan."

LeBron James, Kevin Love guide Cavaliers to a 3-0 series lead after 103-95 win over Celtics

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LeBron James and Kevin Love wouldn't let the Cavaliers fall as they go up 3-0 following 103-95 win over Celtics.

BOSTON - With their backs up against the wall, the Boston Celtics put together one valiant, aggressive effort in trying to avoid a 0-3 first-round deficit.

However, LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers were too much down the stretch, picking up a gritty 103-95 road win on Thursday night at the TD Garden to come within one win of advancing to the Eastern Conference semi-final round.

James carried his team to the tune of 31 points, 11 rebounds, four assists and four steals in 42 minutes. Kevin Love registered 23 points (with six 3-pointers) and  nine rebounds. Two of his threes were in the closing moments to give Cleveland some separation from the pesky Celtics.

James' preparation for such a performance began in the morning when he put himself through an hour-long intense personal workout an hour before the team arrived at the arena for shootaround.

That's how focused he was coming into the game.

The Boston faithful brought it. They were energetic, rowdy and often vile in their taunts. It was the most chaotic atmosphere Cleveland has experienced all season.

James knew what awaited his team. He was booed every time he touched the ball, but that only fueled him. With James often unstoppable, Boston elected to get physical with his teammates.

Midway in the second quarter things got a little testy when Jonas Jerebko hammered Kyrie Irving in the face on a break, sending him crashing to the ground. Jerebko strutted around Irving as James and Love quickly rushed to their point guard. J.R. Smith shoved Jae Crowder in the scrum, eventually drawing a technical foul. All Jerebko received was a common personal foul.

For his feistiness, Jerebko (four points, seven rebounds) was awarded with the start in the second half in place of Brandon Bass.

Cleveland built a lead an 11-point lead in the third, but Boston found just enough to stay within range. But much as what transpired in the first two games, Boston lacked the necessary firepower in the final quarter and ended on the losing end yet again.

After dominating in the first two games, Irving was held to three points on 0-for-2 shooting in the first half. Avery Bradley, a defensive specialist, suffocated the All-Star and kept him from getting into a rhythm. Irving knocked down his first shot midway in the third, a three pointer that took a bounce before dropping in. He finished with 13 points on 3-of-11 shooting to go with six assists.

Smith broke out of his postseason shooting slump. He was a combined 6-of-21 from the field and 3-of-15 from three in the first two games. On Thursday he scored 15 points and connected on 3-of-8 from deep.

"I just told him to keep shooting," David Blatt said before the game.

The Celtics' bench entered the game averaging 53.1 points for the series. But the Cavaliers limited that deep group to 37 bench points and supersub Isaiah Thomas (2-of-9 from the field) struggled in a five-point effort.

It was a huge road test for the Cavaliers, one they passed with flying colors.

Game 4 will be played at TD Garden on Sunday at 1 p.m. Cleveland will head home following that contest, with the expectation that they'll be waiting for their next opponent.

The LeBron James rundown: Game 3, Cleveland Cavaliers 103-95 over the Boston Celtics

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LeBron James registered 31 points and 11 rebounds as the Cavaliers took total command of this first-round series against the Celtics.

BOSTON - LeBron James poured in 31 points and the Cavaliers all but wrapped up this Eastern Conference first-round playoff series against the Boston Celtics on Thursday night.

James recorded his 70th playoff game with at least 30 points in Cleveland's 103-95 win over Boston to go ahead 3-0 in the series. Game 4 is Sunday at TD Garden.

James added 11 rebounds, four assists and four steals. With his second steal in the third quarter, James moved past Robert Horry (276 steals) into 10th place in NBA playoff history.

Here is an instant, quarter-by-quarter briefing on James' Game 3 performance against the Celtics.

1st Quarter

Stats: 6 PTS, 3 RBS, 1 AST, 3-7 FG, 0-0 FT

Highlight: On one of the rare occasions where James had the ball in the post long enough to draw a double team, he zipped one over to Kevin Love for a three-pointer at 9:37.

Briefing: With so much emphasis placed on (A) doubling James; (B) sitting in passing lanes on the weak side, Boston left itself vulnerable in the middle. James and the Cavs were happy to exploit it. All six of James' points came on drives in the lane (on the left side, to be precise), while Love and Mozgov also saw plenty of touches. James missed a couple shots taken near the rim, too. When the Cavs get that many easy looks inside, teams are typically forced to collapse their defense, which leaves shooters alone on the perimeter. The Cavs led by six at the buzzer, but the Cs are playing with fire here.

2nd Quarter

Stats: 11 PTS, 5 RBS, 1 AST, 4-7 FG, 2-2 FT

Highlight: With Jae Crowder all over him and the shot-clock near zero, James drilled a jumper with 6.6 left for a 56-48 halftime lead.

Briefing: James dominated the final 40 seconds of the quarter, reeling off seven consecutive points. With an eight-point cushion, it might seem like all went according to plan. But right up until James took over, the Cs had turned this into a real fight. Boston turned up the physicality and was largely getting away with it. Kyrie Irving (three points) was flattened at least twice, with no call. On a third, Jonas Jerebko crushed Irving and was called for the foul. At the same time, Crowder two-hand shoved James. A technical was awarded to ... J.R. Smith, who pushed back against Crowder. James talked earlier Thursday about why it's tougher to play on the road. Officiating is one reason. Even Turner neck tackled James with 29.3 seconds left and was assessed a Flagrant One technical. James nailed both free throws.

3rd Quarter

Stats: 7 PTS, 1 RB, 0 AST, 3-6 FG, 1-1 FT

Highlight: James stole the ball at 5:16, pushing him past Horry for career steals in the playoffs.

Briefing: The more dramatic of the two steals came a little earlier when James stepped in front of a pass and took it the other way for a windmill dunk. James also had a nifty jumper-and-one, getting Crowder in the air as he drained one from the wing, stopping the Celtics' 8-0 run. Cleveland maintained its eight-point lead, but has gotten away from running its offense. Which is to the Cs advantage. J.R. Smith was up to 15 points, with three treys, making the Cavs a more difficult team to guard even when they abandoned their offensive sets.

4th Quarter

Stats: 7 PTS, 2 RBS, 2 AST, 3-6 FG, 1-2 FT

Highlight: After holding and dribbling for much of the shotclock, James drove baseline and kicked it out to Love for a dagger three-pointer with 26.7 seconds left.

Briefing: The assist to Love was the final in a slew of examples of James making winning plays where he didn't score the ball. The Cs had hung in and kept it a two-possession game. James drew a charge away from the ball on Crowder with 1:52 left, and with 1:16 to go blocked Evan Turner on a dunk. Much of the offense in the quarter boiled down to James dribbling for much of the shot clock and getting his own shot. It didn't always work, but set up Love's clinching three. "Clinching" applies to the game and to this series.

Totals: 31 PTS, 11 RBS, 4 AST, 13-26 FG, 4-5 FT, 42 MIN

Cleveland Cavaliers free 'Road Game Watch Party' brings home game energy to The Q (photos): Kristel's CLE

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Thousands of fans cheered on the Cavs at the official playoff watch party held inside The Q Arena during Thursday's away game against the Boston Celtics.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Cavs fans were all in even during Thursday's away game as the Cleveland Cavaliers took on the Boston Celtics for Game 3 in the NBA playoffs.   

The Q Arena hosted their first Watch Party of the year where guests could view the game on the big screen and cheer on the team just like any other home game. The free event also featured live entertainment with performances by the Cavalier Girls dance team, Scream Team hip hop troupe and other special halftime acts. Check out the photo gallery above to see highlights from the fan fest party. 

The Official Road Game Watch Party for the Cavs is scheduled to take place at The Q Arena during all away games, unless the date conflicts with Cleveland Gladiators regular season home games. Tickets are free and can be picked up at the Quicken Loans Arena Box Office or at Discount Drug Mart. 

Cleveland Cavaliers postgame podcast: Breaking down Game 3 with Dennis Manoloff

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Listen to our postgame podcast breaking down Game 3 of Cavaliers-Celtics.

Cavaliers postgame: April 23, 2015

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Cavaliers beat Boston in Game 3 of their playoff series. Boston played physical and kept the game close, but Kevin Love and LeBron James proved too much for the Celtics.

After the game, Dennis Manoloff and I broke everything down. We talked about the win, what we liked and didn't like from what we saw and looked ahead to Game 4 on Thursday. Other topics included:

  • Thoughts on Boston's physical play.
  • Impact of Tristan Thompson in this series.
  • LeBron James' leadership in tough, physical games.
  • Three stars of the game.

You can listen to our live postgame show immediately following every game this postseason.

Listen to the podcast in the player above or download it by clicking here.

Cleveland Cavaliers 103, Boston Celtics 95: Reaction on Twitter

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See reaction on Twitter following the Cavaliers' Game 3 win over Boston.

The Cavaliers took a 3-0 series lead on Boston on Thursday night with a 103-95 win at TD Garden in Boston. LeBron James led the Cavaliers with 31 points. Kevin Love scored 26, including six three-pointers.

Take a look at the Storify below to see reaction to the Cavaliers win on Twitter -- everything from excitement over the win to love for Love and some Bulls fans just hoping their team could do the same.


Wellington softball tops Clearview; St. Edward baseball upset: Spring sports highlights for Thursday, April 23, 2015

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See spring sports highlights from Thursday, April 23, 2015.


CLEVELAND, Ohio – Here are spring sports highlights from Tuesday's action based on box scores reported to the Northeast Ohio Media Group.


For more information on how to report box scores, please email High School Sports Manager Kristen Davis (kdavis@cleveland.com).


Wellington softball tops Clearview


Wellington's Gabrielle Edwards and Brittney Wallace each had two RBI in a 7-5 win against Clearview on Thursday night. Edwards had one run and two hits, while Wallace had three hits. Logan Simmons scored two runs and had two hits.


For Clearview, pitcher Erin Isenberg had four strikeouts, but gave up four runs in the loss.


Archbishop Hoban baseball defeats St. Edward


Hoban scored five runs in the fifth inning of Thursday's game to drop St. Edward, 8-2. The Eagles scored their only two runs in the first inning and then were unable to muster up any offense the rest of the game. Archbishop Hoban is now 3-6 on the season.


Walsh Jesuit tennis defeats Shaker Heights


Walsh Jesuit tennis defeated Shaker Heights 4-1 on Thursday, winning both doubles matches and two of three singles. Nathan Fisher's 11-9 tie breaker against Jake Browner proved to be the most tightly contested match of the day.


Shaker's Omar Ragab earned the only win for Shaker with two 6-0 set wins against Walsh's Ben Smith.


Wickliffe baseball drops Orange, 7-3


Wickliffe baseball scored six runs in the sixth inning to ignite a 7-3 come-from-behind win against Orange on Thursday. Christian Martinits, Jacob Chesnes, Zach Hopton and Lucas Thomeier each scored a run in the win.


Jake Kemelhar and Ross Groedel each gave up three runs for Orange.


Get all the scores


Get scores from the following sports this evening: baseballsoftball and boys tennis.


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Follow our high school sports Facebook, Cleveland High School Sports, and Twitter accounts, @NEOVarsity, for high school sports news and score updates and be sure to use the hashtag #NEOVarsity when Tweeting about high school sports.

What Jae Crowder, Evan Turner said following Boston Celtics' 103-95 loss vs. Cleveland Cavaliers in Eastern Conference playoffs: Game 3

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See what Boston Celtics Jae Crowder and Evan Turner said following Thursday's Game 3 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers.

BOSTON - Here is what Boston Celtics players Jae Crowder and Evan Turner said after Boston's 103-95 loss in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference first round playoff series against the Cavaliers.

Crowder: Down three with a minute to go. If (Stevens) felt like we didn't play with poise, you still have to fight through it. I felt like we responded well. With the turnovers we had late. We gave ourselves a chance. We've just got to get that rebound and see what happens after that. Other than that, you've got to play through the turnovers and try to capitalize on the next possession.

On the last possession, when Tristan Thompson got the offensive rebound. What do you have to do better to prevent that from happening in the next game?

Crowder: We keep talking about offensive rebounds. That's one thing that Tristan Thompson does well. We're trying to hold ourselves accountable. We have to take it to another level. It's the playoffs. We have to really lock in on him. All five guys on the court have to be aware of where he is. Because he's going hard. We keep making it a focus for us and watch film on it.

How frustrating is it that it feels like the same thing is preventing you from getting a win in this series?

Turner: Its definitely frustrating. It's ough being out there, battling back, every time we're coming close they get a big offensive rebound for a big 3. That's one of the reasons it was tough today. To really harp on those key moments. We've done more that put us behind. That's just the straw that breaks the camel's back. Tristan Thompson is really talented at what he does. He's been doing it all season. That's something that definitely sends us overboard.

What's the biggest step forward you took tonight?

Crowder: We just battled. They made runs. We made runs. We responded well, I felt like. That shows the growth in our group. It's a game of runs. We just have to respond on both ends of the court. We gave ourselves a chance at the end. We just have to find a way to close it.

Turner: I thought we did a great job to start the third quarter as well. We struggled the past two games with that.

You played your most physical game of the series. Were their comebacks with LeBron too much? 

Turner: They did a great job. They're a great offensive team. They have 7-8 guys who chipped in well. JR Smith hit a lot of tough shots. So did Kyrie. Kevin Love hit tough shots. We played LeBron for the jump shot and he it a lot of great 21-footers. Their offense was clicking tonight and they had an answer for everything.

Crowder: It's physical because it's the playoffs. They were trying to give us their best punch. We're just fighting. The game was physical, but that's what I expected it to be. 

You both spent time guarding LeBron. What do you focus on?

Crowder: I can't tell you what we're trying to do with him. That's giving it away. We're still trying to work on stuff to take away. I can't tell you what we're trying to take away.

Turner: It's definitely been working (laughs).

Crowder: Trying to not make him comfortable. Be physical with him. Most physical guys don't like a physical game to come back at him. We're just trying to make it physical. Challenge his shots, challenge his jump shots and go from there.

Turner: Credit to him. He's been making a lot of great plays and great reads. The shots you want him to take, he's been making them. That's the toughest thing.

Did you see LeBron come over to block that dunk?

Turner: I saw him under the rim. I probably should have taken off with one hand. He has a strong body. I thought we were going to hit bodies. I tried to power up with two. He made a great athletic play.

Do you think LeBron doesn't respond well to physical play?

Crowder: It's the best way to go at him. You can't let him not feel you. I thought I did a good job in Game 2. We tried to focus on getting into him. Especially on pick-and-rolls. Trying to come ups things to make it even more tough for him as the game goes on.

Brad Stevens said your effort was good. But your poise was not.

Crowder: We have to find a way to win the game. We're down three with a minute to go. We didn't get the ball back. They shot a shot and got the offensive rebound and I felt like that was the game.

Turner: When you say our poise wasn't good, I think that was a little strong. We're on the bench encouraging each other. In that third quarter, they went on a great run and we still battled back. I think we were resilient. All our mentalities were to win the game. We've got to get over the hump. Ther'e no such thing as a great loss. 

Akron RubberDucks fall to Bowie Baysox in extra innings

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The RubberDucks got solid pitching from starter Mike Clevinger and three relievers, but their hitters struggled at the plate.

AKRON, Ohio -- The RubberDucks went into extra innings Thursday night in a pitchers duel at Canal Park, but the Bowie BaySox got the winning run in the 10th inning in a 3-2 Class AA Eastern League victory.

Erik Gonzalez.pngShortstop Erik Gonzalez 

BaySox first baseman Mike McDade brought in the winning run in the 10th inning with a sacrifice fly off RubberDucks reliever Jacob Lee (1-1, 1.23 ERA). Bowie closer Kenn Kasparek sealed the win by striking out the side in the bottom of the inning.

The game was scoreless through four innings before Bowie got on the scoreboard in the fifth. With runners on second and third and two outs, designated hitter Sean Halton singled to left field, bringing in two runs.

Akron immediately answered in the bottom of the fifth. With the bases loaded and two outs, shortstop Erik Gonzalez brought in two runs with a single to center field.

The RubberDucks got solid pitching from starter Mike Clevinger and three relievers, but the BaySox equaled it with starter Branden Kline and three relievers of their own.

Both teams struggled at the plate: The BaySox had six hits and Akron had five, with Bowie's Chris O'Brien getting the only extra-base hit, a double. Gonzalez had two of the RubberDucks' hits.

Four batters in Akron's lineup Thursday are batting below .200 with only one, infielder Yonathan Mendoza, batting over .300.

Cleveland Cavaliers out-hustle, out-talent Boston Celtics for 3-0 series lead: Bill Livingston (photos)

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That is my favorite play call: Tristan get the offensive rebound and get it out for a three.

BOSTON -- TD Garden is still off Causeway Street, but the actual address now, "Legends Way," commemorates the Boston Celtics' past. It is sort of a "Lou Groza Boulevard" thing.

It wasn't like that in the years when the Celtics won 16 of their 17 NBA championships on Causeway Street. The banners spoke more to what the Celtics were about than the street signs.

These Celtics are too green to beat a ready-to-go-far team like the Cavaliers yet.

But after the Cavs' 103-95 victory Thursday night for a 3-0 choke hold on their first-round series, just listening to the Celtics' young coach Brad Stevens made you think of how fine are the tolerances between victory and defeat in the NBA -- even between a team picked by many to go to the Finals or maybe all the way (the Cavs) and a team with a losing record on the season. but a lot of attitude (the Celtics).

"I don't know who said it first, but I'll say it now: Considering the consequences of failing to do the little things makes you realize there are no little things," said Stevens.

It sounds slightly like the old near-miss comment about war. You know, for want of a nail the shoe was lost, and for want of a shoe the horse was lost, and then the battle was lost and pretty soon the Colonies, lock, stock and barrels of tea floating in Boston Harbor, were lost too.

The Cavs got all the big rebounds when they had to have them, especially when they were running the LeBron Stall, with late-in-the-shot-clock heaves. Few plays are more demoralizing than offensive rebounds and especially offensive rebounds that lead to 3-pointers.

Thus, J.R. Smith's third-quarter retrieve of a LeBron James miss and Kyrie Irving's three that attacked the rim with blunt force trauma and then fell in was a big Cavs' lift. That was particularly true since it was Irving's first basket with 6 1/2 minutes left in the quarter.

Imagine the updraft the Cavs got later when Tristan Thompson corralled Irving's wild missed drive for a second chance in the last 2 minutes and change, with the joint jumping and the Cavs' lead trembling at 95-92. Kevin Love finished that off with his sixth three in 10 tries.

"That is my favorite play-call: Tristan get the offensive rebound and get it out for a three," said coach David Blatt. "I try to keep that one in my pocket and save it for the end, when it's more impactful."

Blatt, of course, was kidding. But he was enjoying the moment, too.

Blatt, who grew up 23 miles away in Framingham, Mass., was not a frequent visitor to the old Garden. He saw the games in his head, with a transistor radio almost growing from his ear and Celtics' play-by-play man Johnny Most growling into the mic.

"It's why I have cauliflower ear," said Blatt, who could have gotten gravel in his ear from listening to Most, too.

You think about then and now here at the home of the most successful franchise in the league when you've been around the NBA long enough. 

The distinctive parquet floor inside the old Garden was made of mismatched remnants from the war effort. The war, despite the old dump's ravaged appearance, was not the one against the Redcoats, but against the Axis Powers -- The Big One, World War II.

There is a parquet floor in the new Garden too, but it gives true bounces and has springy boards. That's not the way it used to be.

The old floor was similar to the most deviously slanted and unfairly groomed diamonds in baseball. It won games every time opponents let the crazy eccentricities of the footing get to them. There was more dead wood in that floor that in the town in South Dakota where Wild Bill Hickok drew aces and eights in his last poker hand.

When the game was over, 10 rows of fans blocking reporters' views were emptying, and the kid with the balloon shillelagh who swung it around while standing on a chair all game long had left too, and the guy whipping the Celtics towel around just in front of me had sadly trudged off.

About then, a kid was spotted, standing glumly near the court. He wore a green jersey that read "Bird" on the back. Near him, was an old guy. "Bird" too.

Larry Bird is not walking through that door, though, as Rick Pitino said when he was Celtics coach.

But LeBron is. On Sunday. When it ends.

What David Blatt said following Cleveland Cavaliers' 103-95 win vs. Boston Celtics in Eastern Conference playoffs: Game 3

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See what Cleveland Cavaliers coach David Blatt said following his team's 103-95 win in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference first round series against the Boston Celtics.

BOSTON - Here is what Cleveland Cavaliers coach David Blatt said after his team's 103-95 win against the Boston Celtics in Game 3 of their Eastern Conference first round playoff series.

Blatt: Now you can ask me about Framingham. This is a good time.

Is there anything about this experience that feels like home?

Blatt: Obviously there's a lot of people in this area that either come back to join me in these games or that live here still that I haven't seen for 30 or more years. It's great. I'm walking in at halftime. A policeman stops me and tells me his name. Some of you are old enough to remember bussing in Boston. It was a difficult time for the city. He was a good friend of mine who was bussed in from Boston to Walsh Middle School in Framingham. I saw him and hugged and he reminded me of a few of the other guys who are still around. It was moving as hell. I didn't know if I was going to be able to start the second half. And I didn't. We went down 8-0 in the beginning. Somebody tell my friend. Maybe he was setting me up. Yeah. Of course. This means a lot to me. This is home. It's special. I was thinking if I was going to break down into my best Boston accent. Coming here to the "Gahhhden" and seeing what's going on. But I figured I'd just stay with my own regular accent that I've acquired over the years of being away.

Kevin Love struggled a bit in Game 2 but came out strong tonight. Kyrie Irving played well in Game 2, but struggled tonight. Then you get the help from JR Smith. Can you talk about the dynamics? 

Blatt: Overall Kevin has been great. Maybe he didn't score in the second game as he did tonight. But he's been engaged at both ends. Rebounding. He's been in the moment. I haven't seen any nervousness or discomfort in his play since the playoffs started. That was the concern of many. Could he and Kyrie step into their first playoff and play the kind of basketball they normally do. And he has. And has Kyrie. I'm really proud of the fact that he's so engaged and inivloved at both ends of the court as we need him to be.

Every time the Celtics made a run, you have an answer. Talk about the poise your team has.

Blatt: In all fairness, we do have players who have been in this situation. Who have played these kinds of games. LeBron's leadership is a huge factor. He's a guy that not only guys follow, but they feel him. They sense him. His control in these games has been outstanding. Both in terms of seizing the moment and in talking guys through situations. Coach is right. We have showed maturity and poise in the way we play. This hasn't been easy. They are competing and playing us tough.

You got lots of looks inside. How happy were you to see that? Was there frustration at not finishing some of them? What led to LeBron finding Kevin for that last 3?

Blatt: We did get the ball downhill very well in the first half. We did miss a few layups. But we were doing what we wanted to do. We also missed too many free throws. And that kept us from being able to create separation at any point in the first half. But I thought we were doing the right things. We were playing the way we wanted to play. Mixing up our outside game and inside game. With LeBron being able to get downhill and being able to get to the rim and find guys on the perimeter, that's very much part of our game. That's one of the main reasons we were able to score.

The Celtics have been an obstacle for LeBron in the past. Does lebron seem more motivated?

Blatt: I think the playoffs matter more to him. That's what its about. I don't believe he sees Boston particularly differently than he sees other teams. I just think he's really motivated for the playoffs. It's a different team. He's so locked in. He's really being a leader by example and by his performance.

Talk about how Tristan Thompson is able to get you extra possessions with offensive rebounds. 

Blatt: That's my best play call. That's the play call I always make. 'Tristan go out and get the offensive rebound and kick it out to the 3 and we're going to score.' And I do call that one.

Are you hiding that play until the end of the game?

Blatt: (laughs) Yeah. I'm keeping it in my pocket until we really need it. No. Listen. You've got to give all the credit in the world to Tristan for his relentless attacking of the glass at both ends and his willingness to do the dirty work and his desire to get to the ball and make possession plays for us.

Blatt: I'm shocked that nobody is asking me about JR tonight. Wasn't he great?

JR was struggling. He was taking shots he usually takes, but they weren't falling. Did you see something in him before the game?

Blatt: We had practice at 10. JR took a cab here at 9 and shot the ball. Somebody asked me before the game what I said about his 3-for-15 performance. i said shoot. Because that's what he needs to do. He's a great shooter. He's a money shooter. He a guy that takes responsibility. He's been good at both ends. He took his shots tonight and they were huge. Every one of them.

Was this the best game you've played?

Blatt: I think we've played better games, but they were under different circumstances. This is the playoffs. We're playing a fine opponent. They're making it difficult for us. Challenging us. Competing with us. We're doing what we have to win. We're working very hard to be successful in this series. That's what makes you stronger. That's what you want.

Do you think the game was more physical tonight?

Blatt: I thought it was playoff basketball and our guys were very poised. We played through everything.

Lebron was here early. Is that a sign that he's locked in?

Blatt: That's another kind of leadership. JR wanted to come early. LeBron came over with him. LeBron's been scoring 30 a game. He didn't need to. But he wanted to be here for his teammate. We've got a good group of guys. We have a very cohesive unit. Since we made the changes, the emotional makeup of our team also changed significantly. I don't know if I can tell you now that its the collected mentality, or the performance. THe trades brought us the pieces we needed. Its the sum of all. From the time that happened, we sort of took off. And we've grown with that.

What are you telling your team up 3-0 to keep them focused?

Blatt: The job's not done. We have to win another game. One of the reasons we've one these games is because we've respected our opponent and not looked past the game on front of us. Understanding that if we do, we can put ourselves in trouble. 

What separates these two teams?

Blatt: Our maturity and that we've got finishers on our team. Guys who know how to finish games. Both teams are competing. Both teams are very capable. As a team we have more maturity, but that doesn't guarantee anything. We've got to come out and win another game. We're still in  a fight. Boston isn't going away.

What Brad Stevens said following Boston Celtics' 103-95 loss vs. Cleveland Cavaliers in Eastern Conference playoffs: Game 3

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See what Boston Celtics coach Brad Stevens had to say following his team's 103-95 Game 3 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference playoffs 2015.

Isaiah has been your top 4th quarter scorer all year why didn't he play?

Stevens: He had an off night. Evan Turner has been great, they have been paying him a lot of attention and he had an off night. We didn't play with any poise. It was a terrific environment, if it was down 0-2, they played with poise and control and we did not. We played hard, but we need to play better, it's an eight-point game at the end of the

 day.

Brad you guys came out much more physically tonight.

Stevens: We have been pretty physical, but we haven't been able to get rebounds as well. Tonight, we had 5 person rebound, we get it to one, and give up a 3rd quarter rebound kick out 3 pointer, those are killers. We haven't been timely in finishing those plays. We are trying to get over the hump and we dug ourselves too big of a hole. They hit a couple of shots that were just great. It was an angle that [LeBron James] wasn't being contested at.

You guys are in a 3-0 hole no team has fully climbed out of.

Stevens: You prepare for the game and play to the best of our ability.

Are you concerned about a lack of poise going forward?

Stevens: We have to learn from this experience tonight. It's a lot of people's first times. I think we played with energy and great spirit.

Talk about rotation tonight, Kelly didn't see a lot. On purpose or not?

Stevens: We will go back and evaluate. A five-person big rotation is a challenge. We're looking for who can best get you going. Jonas' energy level crashing the glass, switching on lebron, we need shooting and ability to score. He didn't play a ton but thought he did exactly what we needed him to do. He is a veteran player, he was very poised.

Can you talk about Tristan Thompson's offensive rebounds?

Stevens: His ability on pick and roll is generally good. You are so much more valuable and versatile the more positions you can guard, but his ability to switch makes his late game defense good.

It seemed like most of series you've drawn up a defense to stop Kevin Love corner 3-pointer.

Stevens: We guarded it similarly to how we have guarded it the whole time, but see what our weakside defense was like.

You've had two straight eight-point losses. Talk about getting over the hump.

Stevens: We've gotta play better basketball. I don't mean to sound that general, sorry but we have to play better basketball. "When you consider the consequences of not doing the little things, there are no little things." - Stevens did not know where this quote originated.

What your thoughts are about David Blatt?

Stevens: He's a great coach. He's an accomplished coach. He had a lot of respect coming into the league and he's done a really good job, but everyone has different challenges. He has handled it with great poise.

Speak to specifically the effort level of Jae Crowder.

Stevens: Jae's not scared, but he's not going to play in a way where he's going to back down from anybody. He plays very hard and he's a very versatile defender. He's been a great addition.

After watching, what separates these teams?

Stevens: We will see at the end of the series. I will be better able to say it and want to make sure we play as well as possible for as many games as we have left. No. 23 is one, they have other talented guys. Love, Irving, J.R. Smith went to different levels. All these guys that are good players; around the super stars they become better.

What Kevin Love, LeBron James said following Cleveland Cavaliers' 103-95 win vs. Boston Celtics in Eastern Conference playoffs: Game 3

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See what Cleveland Cavaliers Kevin Love and LeBron James said after their team's 103-95 win against the Boston Celtics in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference playoffs first round.

BOSTON - Here is what Cleveland Cavaliers Kevin Love and LeBron James said after their team's 103-95 win against the Boston Celtics in Game 3 of their Eastern Conference first round playoff series.

KEVIN LOVE

First talk about your performance today. Tonight your shot was back. How big a victory was today?

Love: I think each game is going to be very different. It has been individually for me. I had to get nerves out of way in Game 1. Game 2 I had foul trouble. I  had a lot of open shots, and my teammates were able to find me. Tristan Thompson was unbelievable. We have guys that can do different things. It was big for us going up 3-0.

Kyrie got fouled hard, you guys rushed the scene. Talk about when plays happen like that, the negative effect it could have.

Love: It's a chance for Celtics to muck up the game. We were just having our brother's back and keep it moving and keep our heads. We know adversity is going to hit. Going forward we know what's going to happen.

There have been games where David Blatt didn't even use you in the fourth quarter because of rotations. What has that process been like for you accepting sometime your number won't be called?

Love: Naturally, being a competitor I always want to be out there. The other teams had gone small and that's just how we matched up. It was on me to be a professional. In different games throughout the season, I was able to make some big plays when I was out there. I just want to do what I can to help the team.

Have the Celtics shown you guys anything differently at home than they did on the road?

Love: The first couple games, they came out and hit first. We wanted to come out and hit first tonight. They had hard foul on Kyrie and LeBron. We had to make plays. The definitely showed us different looks, lineups and schemes. We've adjusted to it very well and have a great gameplan going into Game 4.

Go back to how the season started with Blatt took over the team.

Love: We had so many players that weren't used to playing with each other. We made trade for Shump and Timofey Mozgov and J.R.  halfway through and almost had to break it down and figure it out again. He's weathered it very well. He's not experienced in the NBA or in NBA playoffs, but he's figuring it out on the fly. We showed we can make it happen in crunch time and grow up.

It's been transition for you, how do you view the postseason? Chance to prove yourself?

Love: People have focused my whole career on what I couldn't do. I know the coaches and organization has my back. Tonight my number called when I needed to hit a big shot. I was able to set my feet, make a shot. I was right there to hit another shot. Definitely a new season for myself; it's my first time going through it.

When did you start getting comfortable shooting that corner 3-pointer?

Love: A lot of them have been in transition. The way we're able to space the floor and make that happen and a ton of other guys on team, it makes it easier for LeBron and Kyrie to get to the hole.

Do you feel momentum swing with 3-point shot?

Love: I played with a lot more confidence tonight. I thought I played well in Game 1, not much you can do about foul trouble in Game 2. Guys were shooting shots, we were tested in every quarter. When it came down to a 3-minute game, we were able to execute.

Do you feel unbeatable if 3-pointers are falling?

Love: I don't think anyone's unbeatable. Basketball is a game where anyone can be beaten any day. If we're moving the ball and hitting our shots, we're going to be pretty tough.

LEBRON JAMES

J.R. Smith had a tremendous game. He talked about coming in and shooting early, you came with him. How did that pan out?

James: We were together last night watching games. He said he was going early, I said 'I'm going with you.' He's been in a slump for him. A lot of guys would kill to be in a slump the way he's been. His defensive activity was tremendous. The way he approached it this morning trickled down to tonight.

You made a lot of winning plays in the game. Which was the most important and why?

James: I don't know. The contest on the dunk on Turner or the extra pass to Love for 3-pointer. I try to do a little bit of everything, some things that don't show up in the box score. Whatever it takes to win I'm on board.

You talked about not being patient person. Is that evident tonight, knowing you could go up 3-0?

James: I wanted to be aggressive. I love road games in the playoffs. I love the adversity that comes with it. Even though missed some layups earlier, aggressiveness hit home for our team and they started to follow after that.

They wanted to take physicality to another level. Things could have got out of hand, how do you handle that?

James: You handle it by whatever the refs decide the call is, you make free throws and get a stop. The only thing that matters is trying to get a win. I don't shy away from contact. I think we defended at a high level and rebounded.

You're up 3-0, needed big plays. What kind of test has this series been?

James: I'd much rather make big plays and be up 3-0 than not and be down 0-3. It's our first experience on the road together. Kevin Love, Kyrie and Tristan Thompson played great basketball. I don't think we're looking to make a statement. All that matters is a win, just getting it done.

You seemed like had back and forth with Turner. Was that payback for physicality?

James: Any play momentum swing. Jae Crowder got rebound, got fouled. It's about not allowing easy baskets. Evan was in a groove. Hit a big 3-pointer to knock deficit down in 4th. I try to be around the ball and try to be very active defensively.

You've had some big games in this building. What did those early games mean for your development?

James: For our team, every experience we come across is a good teacher for us. Being here and playing early in my days and seeing mindset it took to win. Am I always going to come out victorious? No. But I want to be as successful as possible.

On that last pass to Kevin for 3, it seemed like the Celtics had tried to take play away the entire series. What enabled to get that play back?

James: It took our offensive rebounding machine in Tristan Thompson to get us another possession. Tristan was able to kick it back out and we went back to same iso. I was going to find a teammate for either a make or miss; just try to get us a good look. I drove the lane, Zeller stepped up, Kevin's man left him and I tried to put it right where all he had to do was catch and shoot.

Can you quantify what Tristan Thompson was able to do on nights like tonight?

James: I always harp on how important every possession is. It's demoralizing for the opponent when you're wrestling with two guys for the ball and you still get it. He had five offensive rebounds by himself. It's huge to have a guy like that. Tristan Thompson's importance to our team is very high. He gives us high impact when he's on the floor.

Talk about the chemistry of the team. Have you seen growth from Kyrie and Kevin in this series?

James: Chemistry is high as far as what we need to do to win. Coaches give us the gameplan, and it's up to us to go out and execute, giving ourselves best chance to win. This is what Kevin and Kyrie have been waiting for a long time. I imagine they watched a lot of postseason games when they didn't make it. They're making the most of their opportunity. They've played some great ballgames. 

How did Garden feel tonight vs. when you've played here in the past?

James: The uniforms are the same, but the players are different. It's the same for me. I get great feelings and eerie feelings when I come here. I've been on both sides. Fans are loyal to one thing and one thing only and that's green. To be able to come out and perform in front of them, they know sports. To have history in this city means a lot for my legacy.

Kevin Love has been scrutinized more than anyone else. How have you been pleased with how he's responded?

James: He's played an unbelievable series. He missed some shots in Game 1, but his impact on the floor, to make shots, and rebound. He's been highly criticized and I know why. I think when you have your own team and then you come together with a Big Three, they have to find someone. Chris Bosh was that guy at some point in Miami. Kev was the guy they tried to find and tear down. I don't get too involved in what everybody says. I think he's relished the chance to be part of this franchise. He's definitely used that as motivation, I believe. He's a very cerebral basketball player. For us to be the team we want long-term, we need Kevin to be Kevin.

You set the culture for team. What represent to you that J.R. initiated his shooting this morning?

James: As the leader, the first thing I do is demand excellence from myself and my teammates and whoever else is around. It doesn't mean winning and losing, it's having professionalism every single day. That will ultimately make you a better player. J.R.'s been misunderstood. He wrote a great column week and a half ago about the perception of him before he got here. It doesn't matter whether he's playing in New York, in Cleveland or in Denver, all that matters is winning. I think it's unfair to him. He comes out every day to get better and help our team win. He's a great teammate and a great guy. He makes your job that much easier.


LeBron James adds another to his "legacy" in Boston

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LeBron James followed up his trip down playoff memory lane Thursday morning with another stellar effort in Boston in Game 3 at night.

BOSTON -- LeBron James has delivered better performances in bigger games at Boston's TD Garden, but the effort he gave in the Cavaliers' 103-95 win over the Celtics in Game 3 Thursday night ranks among the already list of memorable postseason games for him here.

James scored 31 points, grabbed 11 rebounds, dished out four assists and recorded four steals. He blocked Evan Turner's dunk attempt with 1:15 left and the Cavs ahead by six, and about 40 seconds earlier drew a charge on Jae Crowder for a turnover.

Before the game Thursday, James spoke at length about his career of playoff highlights in Boston, including the 45-point, 15-rebound performance he turned in for the Miami Heat's Game 6 victory here in the 2012 conference Finals.

With the Cavs' Game 3 triumph in this first-round series now in the books, James is now averaging 28.7 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 5.8 assists in 13 career postseason games at TD Garden. His teams have now won four of those games.

"It's the same for me," James said about playing in the Garden against this young Celtics team, compared with some of his memorable battles against the Paul Pierce-led Celtics of years ago. "I get great feelings, I get eerie feelings when I come in this building. I've been on both sides of the fences.

"The great thing about being here is these fans, they're loyal to one thing and one thing only, and that's green," James said. "That's all they see. That's all they care about. And me being a competitor, me being someone that they know, personally, and for me to be able to come out here and perform in front of those guys, it means a lot.

"Because they know the game, they know basketball. They know sports. It's a sports town. Between them and the Patriots and the Bruins and the Red Sox, they know sports, so for me to be able to have some type of history in this city, it means a lot for, I guess, my legacy." 

LeBron James, Kevin Love fuel Cleveland Cavaliers' victory over Boston Celtics: DMan's Report, Playoffs Game 3

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LeBron James has combined for 81 points, 26 rebounds and 18 assists in the first three games of a first-round series against the Celtics (Cavs 3-0).

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- LeBron James had 31 points and 11 rebounds and Kevin Love was 6-of-10 from 3-point range as the Cavaliers defeated the Celtics, 103-95, Thursday night at TD Garden in Boston, Mass. Here is a capsule look at the game after a dvr review of the Fox Sports Ohio telecast:

Position of strength: The Cavs lead the best-of-seven series, 3-0.

Helmets and shoulder pads required: The Celtics were physical in the first two games of the series in Cleveland -- but nothing like what they brought to their home floor Thursday. They could have given the Patriots a game.

When the Celtics weren't bumping or shoving or grabbing or hacking, they were putting an elbow to a throat (Brandon Bass to Timofey Mozgov) or tackling (Evan Turner against LeBron).

The Celtics periodically made the Bulls seem like a finesse team.

Yes, playoff basketball is supposed to be physical. But the Celtics -- knowing they can't match up with Cleveland, talent-wise -- repeatedly pushed the limits, especially in the first half. In the final minute of the half, Fox Sports Ohio analyst Austin Carr said of the referees: "They have to start cleaning it up, so the rest of the game can be played clean. You can't keep letting this type of stuff go on because the game will get ugly.''

The game never got ugly primarily because the Cavs never lost their composure. They played hard and aggressively and didn't back down from the Celtics, but they didn't get lured into a street fight, either. The Cavs remembered to play basketball because they were busy trying to win and take a 3-0 series lead.

Carr did not even need to know the outcome to appreciate what the Cavs would gain from the experience. Midway through the fourth quarter, he said: "This is the type of game that the Cavs needed, anyway. They needed to get playoff-tough. And this game is forcing them to have to play tough ball.''

Give the Cavs an A.

King on fire: LeBron shot 13-of-26 from the field and 4-of-5 from the line. On at least four of his misses from the floor, he clearly was fouled but didn't get the call. (As has happened countless times in his career, King's size and strength made it appear as if he might not have been fouled on certain shots and other plays. But replays confirmed that the contact was strong enough to alter what he wanted to do, particularly at the rim.)

Ten of his rebounds were defensive.

Oh, by the way: LeBron had four assists, four steals, two blocks and just two turnovers in 42 minutes.

For the series, LeBron has 81 points, 26 rebounds, 18 assists, six steals and five blocks in 126 minutes. Other than that, he hasn't done much.

Bottom line: The Celtics feature no one who can contain King unless fouls -- called or uncalled -- occur. 

Posterized: With 1:14 left in the fourth quarter, Turner moved down the lane and appeared ready to make a layup -- until LeBron jumped to reject the shot with his left hand. Celtics forward Jae Crowder grabbed the rebound and drew a foul from Tristan Thompson, but it did nothing to diminish the magnitude of LeBron's block.

As Crowder headed to the line, a court mic picked up LeBron telling Turner several times, "I blocked it'' -- as if to say, ''Don't think there was a foul, because there wasn't.'' Replays confirmed that it was, indeed, a clean block.

Love in the air: LeBron's definitive Robin this season, more often than not, has been Kyrie Irving. It happened in the first two games against the Celtics.

On Thursday, though, Irving managed 13 points on 3-of-11 shooting. It is not as if Irving played poorly overall in his 40 minutes -- 13 points, six assists and two steals are legit contributions -- but he fell considerably short of his KI/Uncle Drew standard.

Irving did not need to worry. The other member of Cleveland's Big Three had his back.

Love scored 23 on 8-of-16 shooting, grabbed nine rebounds and had three assists in 37 minutes. He was a +10.

Love played a starring role in the two biggest sequences of the game:

*With the Cavs leading, 95-92, with 2:19 remaining, Irving drove and missed a layup over Avery Bradley. Thompson out-maneuvered multiple Celtics to tap the carom to Irving, who spotted an open Love on the left side.

Love drilled the 3-pointer for a 98-92 lead at 2:13.

*With the Cavs ahead, 98-93, inside of one minute remaining, LeBron was isolated against Turner on the left wing. LeBron settled for an 18-footer late in the shot clock that missed -- but guess who was on the scene? Thompson, ruler of the offensive glass, smoothly sliced between Bradley and former teammate Tyler Zeller and simply out-willed Zeller for the rebound.

The Cavs recycled and LeBron once again faced Turner on the left wing. This time, LeBron drove and, with traffic heavy underneath, passed to an open Love on the right side.

Cleveland's right side in the second half was in front of the Boston bench. As Love received the ball and began his shooting motion, one of the Celtics not playing, Jared Sullinger, leaned toward Love and appeared to yell something. Love paid it no mind and, after a release with 1.8 on the shot clock, sank the 3-pointer for a 101-93 lead with 26.7 remaining.

Timeout, Celtics.

Ball game.

Not satisfied: After the game, LeBron told Fox Sports Ohio reporter Allie Clifton that he was pleased with the result but that plenty of work needs to be done.

"We have to play better,'' King told Clifton. "We haven't played our best game yet. We have a lot of (elements) that we still need to clean up.

"We got stagnant in the fourth quarter. Too much iso ball -- and that's my fault. I've got to do a better job of not playing so much isolation ball. Get guys involved.''

King was being hard on himself to a degree. No question the Cavs need to be more consistent in their halfcourt sets, which, presumably, would result from better ball movement and less isolation. At the same time, the Cavs have obvious one-on-one matchup advantages in this series that they should continue to exploit, and isolations are one proven way to do so.

Recalibrated: Cavs shooting guard J.R. Smith, who struggled in the first two games, went 6-of-12 from the field for 15 points in 38 minutes. He shot 3-of-8 from 3-point range. He was a +14.

The power of TT: Thompson finished with five offensive rebounds, seven total, and scored 12 in 28 minutes. He was a +13. He covered for starting center Mozgov, who seemed unnerved by some of Boston's tactics and did not play well.

Lockdown mode: Cavs reserve guard Iman Shumpert went 2-of-4 for four points in 21 minutes. But he was a +14 because of his stingy defense, especially against pesky Isaiah Thomas. And Shumpert stayed on the floor late in the second half after appearing to tweak his leg during a cut.

Cleveland Browns grab DeVante Parker and Danny Shelton in Tom Reed's latest mock draft

2015 NFL Draft Podcast: What will the Browns do and who will draft Marcus Mariota?

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Chris Fedor and Dan Labbe talk NFL Draft.

NFL Draft Podcast: April 24, 2015

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The first round of the NFL Draft is less than a week away and how it will all shake out is a mystery to, well, everyone. Still, we'll give it our best shot.

Chris Fedor and I talked about what to expect in the draft's opening round, especially what the Browns will do with their two No. 1 picks. Topics covered include:

  • Will the Browns move up to get Marcus Mariota?
  • Should the Browns take an offensive lineman in the first round?
  • Fedor makes his case for Todd Gurley.
  • Is Danny Shelton a player who can make an immediate impact?
  • What about DeVante Parker?
  • Which team is the first round's most intriguing team?
Listen to the podcast in the player above or download it here.

Preview capsule for Division IV-VII North-South Classic football game

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See a preview capsule for the Division IV, V, VI and VII North-South Classic, being held this weekend in Dayton.

DAYTON, Ohio – Here is a scouting report for the Division IV, V, VI and VII football game at Saturday’s North-South Classic. Follow the game in a live blog on cleveland.com.

What: All-Star football game featuring Division IV, V, VI and VII players.


When: Saturday, 2 p.m.


Where: Welcome Stadium, Dayton. 1601 S Edwin C. Moses Blvd. Call (937) 542-4070.


Tickets: Purchase tickets here


Live coverage: Folllow all the action from the game, as well as the 6 p.m. Division I, II and III game, in a live blog on cleveland.com.


SCOUTING THE NORTH TEAM


The North team is going to be led by as many 11 local players, including four Division I players. The size of the North team's offensive and defensive lines will be a strong point, with Columbia's Brandon Heidecker (Toledo) and Wellington's Bryce Gibbs (Kent State). The North's offense should be able to move the ball both on the ground and in the air, with Villa Angela-St. Joseph running back Marvelle Ross (Notre Dame College), Kirtland's Dylan Diemer (John Carroll) between the tackles and on the outside, Kirtland product Matthew Finkler (Bowling Green) and Orange wideout Chris Von Hendrix (Navy). 


Defensively, the North will have the benefit of Diemer and FInkler's experience as two-time state champions with the Hornets. Finkler was the DIvision VI defensive player of the year, with 151 tackles, 12 tackles for loss and nine sacks entering this year's national title game. Woodridge's Brandon Williams, a first-team All-Ohio selection was the defensive leader for a Bulldogs team that made the playoffs for the third year in a row.


SCOUTING THE SOUTH TEAM


Columbus Beechcroft headlines the South team with three players headed to Division I Savannah State. Running back David Peoples, offensive and defensive lineman Stefen Banks running back and linebacker Takeyvion Simmons. Banks, Peoples and Simmons were first, second and third-team Division IV All-Ohio selections this season. Peoples had a standout year, including a 312-yard, four touchdown performance in against Bexley in the Division IV playoffs. Peoples finished the year with 1,814 yards rushing and 28 touchdowns.


The South will also have a strong showing defensively from Columbus Marion-Franklin, which is sending defensive backs Anthony McKee (Pittsburgh) and Dashawn Nelms, as well as linebacker A.J. Tarvin. All three were first-team all-district in Division IV, as well as Division IV All-Ohio selections. Columbus Bishop Hartley also has a trio of defenders who will be participating in Saturday's game, in wide receiver/linebacker Jalen Austin (Youngstown State), tight end/defensive lineman/linebacker Keith Key (Ohio University) and defensive lineman Tayron Washington. Washington was a first-team All-Ohio defender.


NORTH ROSTER


Joe Alessi, South Range


Kevin Banks, Toledo Scott


Tristan Bender, Loudonville


Carter Blakeney, Canton


Jake Boccuti, Canton


Parker Carmichael, Triway


Dylan Diemer, Kirtland


Kolton Edmonson, Loudonville


Ethan Edwards, Delta


Joe Falasca, Western Reserve 


Matt Finkler, Kirtland


Justin Flory, Tinora


Bryce Gibbs, Wellington


Dalton Hartshorn, Minerva


Troy Haven, Triway


Brandon Heidecker, Columbia


Kovas Kijauskas, Villa Angela-St. Joseph


Jordon MIller, Triway


Jay Nino, Genoa


Kade Norquest, Ravenna


Derek Parker, Jefferson


Ben Phillips, Youngstown


Cody Pickard, Genoa


Zac Robinson, Wauseon


Marvelle Ross, Villa Angela-St. Joseph


Mark Schuler, New MIddletown


Austin Shutler, Wynford


Cyle Skidmore, Wynford


Simon Smith, Canton


Blake Traver, Genoa


Hunter Vogel, Tinora


Chris Von Hendrix, Orange


Anthony Werder, Wauseon


Brandon Williams, Woodridge


Ben Witt, Lakeview


Jacob Zinni, West Branch

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