Dan Gilbert said his Cavaliers team "has a special spirit about it" after he watched LeBron James sink the Game 4 winner.

CHICAGO - Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert's response to LeBron James' Game 4 winning shot?

"How great for Cleveland. How great for Cleveland," Gilbert told the Northeast Ohio Media Group.

Gilbert, son Nick, and team minority owner Nathan Forbes were seated on the baseline at the United Center just feet away from where James was when he turned and shot over Chicago's Jimmy Butler for an improbable 86-84 victory that even this Eastern Conference semifinal at 2-2.

An ESPN replay angle of James' shot from the opposite end showed Gilbert's party going nuts when the ball went through the hoop.

"It was outstanding and outrageous," Gilbert said. "After five seconds we were still jumping around on the baseline and I went 'Oh no, this isn't our arena, we better get out of here.' I just took my son and rolled into the hallway here."

The Cavs' front office watched James' shot from the team locker room. The feed inside the locker room TVs was seconds ahead of the monitors in the United Center hallway, so security guards and other hallway dwellers learned what happened by the shouts emanating from the Cavs' room.

James finished with 25 points, 14 rebounds, and eight assists. Gilbert, whose relationship with James was infamously damaged in 2010 by James' decision to leave the team and Gilbert's reactive letter to Cleveland fans, helped pave the way for James to return to the Cavs last summer by flying to Miami for a face-to-face meeting with James.

Now, the Cavs are fighting through lower body injuries to Kyrie Irving and Iman Shumpert, and James suffered a hard ankle twist in the third quarter but stayed in the game.

Cleveland has twice been down in this series, and of course entered the conference semifinals with word that Kevin Love was lost for the year and J.R. Smith would miss the first two games against the Bulls.

Chicago's dealing with some adversity, too. Starting forward Pau Gasol missed Game 4 with a strained left hamstring, and his status is unknown for Game 5 in Cleveland. Also, homecourt advantage swung back to the Cavs, who would host a Game 7.

"This team has a special spirit about it," Gilbert said. "I think LeBron and Kyrie have said it before. They look at each other unlike any of the other teams we've had. There's always been good, well, not always, but there's been good chemistry in the past. But there's something special about these guys, it seems like when one guy goes down, others step up.

"It's exciting."

A pair of quick-thinking moves by associate head coach Tyronn Lue and LeBron James set up the dramatic finish that saw the Cavaliers win Game 4 on Sunday in Chicago.

CHICAGO - On Sunday afternoon, the Cleveland Cavaliers outfought the Chicago Bulls to pull off a gritty 86-84 victory over the Bulls to even the NBA Eastern Conference semifinal series at 2-2 heading back to Cleveland.

However, there was a detrimental sequence of events that nearly took place had not someone intervened. These blunders would have cost the Cavaliers the game and most likely their season.

Cleveland was up 84-82 with 18 seconds left on the clock. James Jones was assigned the task of inbounding the ball from the sideline. The Bulls smothered the Cavaliers with tenacious denying-of-the-ball defense. Jones was forced to call two consecutive timeouts after unsuccessfully finding an open teammate.

That was it. Cleveland was out of timeouts.

The third time was the charm. The ball was successfully passed crosscourt to LeBron James, who was immediately trapped with a double-team. Instead of passing out of the double, James plowed right through Mike Dunleavy and was called for an offensive foul, giving Chicago the ball with 14 seconds remaining and a chance to tie or win the game.

It didn't take long for Derrick Rose to break down Iman Shumpert off the dribble and finish with a power layup in traffic, tying the game with 8.5 seconds left.

This is where things could have taken a turn for the worse.

Following Rose's game-tying layup, Blatt immediately stepped on the court and adamantly signaled for a timeout. Before a referee could spot him, associate head coach Tyronn Lue quickly yanked Blatt back toward the bench, reminding him the Cavs were out of timeouts.

Oh. "@SBNationNBA: David Blatt had 0 TOs left when he did this. VERY lucky refs missed it. http://t.co/aFYvJabbsp https://t.co/DIGm35OB5w"

-- Jorge Sedano (@SedanoESPN) May 10, 2015

Had a referee acknowledged Blatt's request, he would have been hit with a technical; the Bulls would have been awarded a free throw and possession of the ball. Blatt admitted to escaping a major slip-up.

"Yeah, I almost blew it to be honest with you," Blatt confessed. "I think we called two or three timeouts there on that sideline-out and good thing they caught it, my guys."

That was one game-saving, series-saving, job-saving tug executed by Lue. He earned his paycheck on that heads-up play.

"It's huge, honestly," James said. "We didn't have any timeouts at that point in time and we can only get a T (technical). That's why we're a unit. That's why we're a team.

"Players make mistakes, coaches make mistakes, and we have to be able to cover for one another. T-Lue did that by covering up for Blatt and I just tried to cover for my guys on the floor. But that's why we're a unit."

There's more where that came from. Back to the game.

James drove the length of the court and made his way to the basket, but the ball went out of bounds with 0.8 seconds on the clock. The referees gave the ball to Cleveland.

Without the benefit of a timeout, the Cavaliers were in scramble mode. Luckily for them, the ball going out of bounds had to be reviewed on video, which allowed both teams to go to their benches and draw up one final play. In the reviewing process, the referees asked for 1.5 seconds to be placed on the clock.

We all know what happened next. James faked towards the middle and cut baseline. Matthew Dellavedova caught him in stride, and James rose up and drained a buzzer-beating, game-winning, baseline jumper. End of game. Cleveland had taken back homecourt advantage.

But that's not the way it was supposed to happen. Thanks to James, he revealed Blatt's original strategic plan in that final huddle.

"To be honest, the play that was drawn up, I scratched it," James said. "I just told coach, 'Just give me the ball. We're either going to go into overtime or I'm going to win it for us. It's that simple.' "

If the best player on he court wasn't taking the last shot, then what was his responsibility at that juncture?

"I was supposed to take the ball out," James said. "I told coach, 'There's no way I'm taking the ball out unless I can shoot it over the backboard and it goes in.' So, I told him to have somebody else take the ball out, give me the ball and everybody get out the way."

As of now, no one knows which player Blatt intended to shoot the final shot, but judging by some of the players, they're glad James canned that plan.

"We had drawn up a play prior to that and 'Bron basically said he wants the ball, he wants to finish the game and we have all the confidence in him and that's what he did," Cavs guard Kyrie Irving said. "And I'm just happy and proud of him the way he did it tonight. He just willed us to victory."

"It was doubt at first because first coach had LeBron taking the ball out. I was like, 'Are you sure?' " the Cavs' J.R. Smith said.

When I asked Blatt if that was the play he dialed up for James, he said "Yeah, we wanted to throw it right in over the shoulder and with that amount of time on the clock, let him just take a shot and he did. Great play."

It was a strange, dysfunctional, gigantic win for the Cavaliers. It took an unconventional team effort for that one.

Erik Gonzalez hits a bases-loaded double in the sixth inning to break open the game.

AKRON, Ohio -- Shortstop Erik Gonzalez delivered a two-out three-run double in the sixth inning to break open a close game, and the RubberDucks defeated the Binghamton Mets, 9-4, on Sunday at Canal Park to end a six-game losing streak.

Erik GonzalezAkron RubberDucks 

The win prevented the RubberDucks from a second straight sweep to a Class AA Eastern League opponent.

Gonzalez brought in the RubberDucks' first run in the first inning with an RBI single, and another single by center fielder Bryson Myles gave Akron a 2-0 lead.

An RBI double by designated hitter Anthony Gallas made it 3-0 in the fourth inning, and third baseman Yandy Diaz made it 4-1 in the fifth with an RBI single.

Binghamton closed to 4-3 in the top of the sixth, and Akron looked like it wouldn't be able to answer after getting two quick outs in the bottom of the inning.

But two outs, the RubberDucks loaded the bases with a single and two walks, setting up Gonzalez's double. Diaz added an RBI single to make it 8-3 Akron.

Akron increased the lead to 9-3 with a run on a groundout by Diaz in the eighth inning.

Gonzalez was 3-for-5 with four RBI and two runs scored. Diaz finished 2-fo-4 with three RBI.

Akron starter Ryan Merritt got the win, giving up three runs on eight hits in five innings. Starter John Gant (1-3, 4.78) took the loss for the Mets.

The RubberDucks (13-17) travel to Erie, Pa., Monday to begin a seven-game road trip. They currently are in third place in the Western Division, five games behind the Altoona Curve and Bowie Baysox, who are tied for first.

Kyrie Irving was hobbling up and down the United Center court for the second straight game.

CHICAGO -- Kyrie Irving was hobbling up and down the United Center court for the second straight game. His shots weren't falling, he couldn't explode past his defender and didn't have the necessary lift during his rare appearances in the paint.

On the defensive end, Cavs coach David Blatt took away Irving's assignment to guard Derrick Rose.

It's been a frustrating last few games for Irving, who has been diagnosed with a right foot strain. He gave everything he had on Sunday, but the three-time All-Star still couldn't prevent the thoughts from creeping into his head: He started to feel like he had a question for his teammates.

"I asked them if they still wanted me out there," he revealed after Cleveland's 86-84 Game 4 win against Chicago.

This is not the same unstoppable offensive force who stunned San Antonio for 57 points in March; or the player who exploded for 30 points in his playoff debut against Boston, squashing any talk about his readiness for the NBA's biggest stage.

This is a wounded youngster who scored 12 points on Sunday and is now averaging 11.5 points on 5-of-23 (21 percent) shooting in the last two games. But his numbers, while they are well below Irving's standards, don't seem to matter to his teammates. One of them, Iman Shumpert, didn't hear Irving's pointed query, but there wouldn't have been much to ponder.

"I definitely always want him out there if he can go," Shumpert said after the game. "We will be hurt after the season. Right now we have to get wins."

Tristan Thompson offered a similar response.

"He knows he can't ask me that because I will tell him, 'You're crazy. Get your butt out there, boy. You're one of the best on the court. You have to be out there, we need you out there.' He knows he can never ask me that question or I will look at him like he's crazy," Thompson said. "He gets it done."

One third of Cleveland's lethal Big Three, Irving has seen a long time pass since he's been rendered a decoy, but it's his new reality. He first admitted as much following a heartbreaking Game 3 loss. Then he was forced to repeat it again Sunday.

"For me it's just about the mental toughness and just willing myself and counting down the minutes and getting the stops that we need," Irving said. "That's a great team over there so you have to pick and choose your spots, especially on the offensive end.

"They corralled me to the sideline knowing I can't really escape it or anything like that. I just tried to use the pass and space out and use myself as a decoy the best I can. That's the best thing I can do. If I get an open look I'm still going to shoot it. Those guys still trust me and still want me out there."

With Irving's new role, the burden shifts to LeBron James, who left Miami in part because of a weakened roster that was dismantled in the NBA Finals by the San Antonio Spurs. 

"The kid is a warrior with what he's going through," James said of Irving as he addressed reporters alone for the first time this postseason. "No one can relate. He's playing 40 minutes on one foot. His presence on the floor, no matter if he's playing on one foot or not, you have to account for him because of his ability to make shots and commanding things on the floor.

"That goes a long way. It's not just about basketball what this kid is doing for our team right now. He's giving us everything that he's got, and that's all we can ask for."

Admittedly it wasn't much. One game after misfiring on 10 of his final 11 shots and failing to score a basket in the final 20 minutes, Irving was a meager 2-of-10 shooting. The inefficiency and inability to carve up the defense is not what the Cavaliers are used to seeing from the dazzling 23-year-old point guard, but after 41 more gutty minutes, Irving is earning a different kind of respect from those who matter most.

"You have to take your hat off to him," Cavs teammate J.R. Smith said. "He's battling and trying as much as he can. He's very limited when you see his movement out there. He's not the same player he normally is. Him at 60 percent is better than most point guards in this league at 100."

Battling has become a new mantra for the hurting Cavaliers, who rallied from an 11-point road deficit in the second half to stun the Bulls thanks to James' late-game heroics.

"It's the playoffs," Thompson said. "You have to give it all you got, no matter if it's a bump or bruise, if you can walk or run. If you can run you can play. That's how we approach it, and everyone is giving all they've got. Kyrie has been a warrior, he's been a champ. He's been busting his tail, doing all he can. He's a little banged-up, same as Shump and Bron."

Shumpert's groin has taken away some of his usual quickness. James rolled his ankle in the second half and had it wrapped following the game. But those seem minor compared to Irving, who was icing his feet and favoring his left side as well during the game. His dreams of playing in the postseason have come true. But it's nothing like what once envisioned. 

"Obviously I'm not 100 percent, but I'm just going to go out there and compete," Irving said. "You play a high-level game like that, you just lay it all out on the line. That's what I did tonight. Just live with the consequences after the game. My optimistic attitude comes from a pride standpoint. Just going out there competing with my brothers and doing whatever it takes. I mean damn near if I have to hop out there on one leg, sometimes I am my own demise.

"I could easily sit out and easily rest and do that, but I would rather will it out and give it a chance than sit back and watch my brothers compete without me."

LeBron James goes all Jordan and beats the Bulls at the buzzer.

CHICAGO -- Outside United Center, Michael Jordan is leaping to dunk, forever reaching for the stars in a bronze sculpture.

Inside, on the replay board before games, Jordan sinks The Shot, over and over, as the Cavaliers' Craig Ehlo crumples, again and again.

It is how the Bulls remember their greatest player.

Sunday, it was the Cavs' turn to savor their greatest player, LeBron James, after his shot beat the Bulls.

This fierce, tense, jumbled, gloriously tied 2-2 second-round playoff series arrives at The Q on Tuesday night. "Crazy" might not be a deranged enough word for what the atmosphere will be like.

Cavs' fans will always remember Sunday's last play in a buzzer-beating, series-squaring, 86-84 victory over the Bulls in Game 4. Disappointment, defeat, and that familiar feeling of "Uh-oh. Us again, right?" were gone in the flickering tenths of a second on the game clock that it took for James to flick his wrist.

It was the perfect ending for a basketball weekend, with the Cavs' best player beating the Bulls at the buzzer less than 48 hours after the Bulls' best player, Derrick Rose beat the Cavs with a shot at the buzzer. Rose's 3-pointer bounced off the glass and in, but both his play and James' were shots little boys and girls will try to repeat against make-believe defenders in years to come.

"As a kid, you play outside and you're going, "5, 4, 3, 2, 1, ehnt!" said James, mimicking the buzzer sound.

In print, the word looks like "ain't." Its true meaning is anything but that.

Following a James' drive that ended with the ball skittering out of bounds under the Bulls' basket, coach David Blatt drew up his final play. It called for James to throw the inbounds pass

James said, "I scratched it."

After a replay review kept the ball in the Cavs' hands and put 1.5 seconds on the clock, an increase from the 0.7 it originally read, James said, in a Keyshawn Johnson moment, "Just give me the ball."

"I was taking it out of bounds only if I could shoot it over the backboard, and it would go in," said James.

Such a theoretical shot is, by rule, illegal. The backboard is considered an invisible plane stretching to the rafters, although the plane is repeatedly shaved down when players angle baseline shots over the corner of the board.

Taj Gibson at 6-9 shadowed 6-4 Matthew Dellavedova, to whom the ball was given to inbound.

"We had size on the ball and a sandwich on James," said Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau.

The "bread" for the sandwich was made up of 6-11 Joakim Noah, all Gumby arms, gangly legs, pony-tail, and frenetic energy, and 6-7 Jimmy Butler, the 6-8 James' shadow all series long.

An instant later, the sandwich had nothing inside it, and James was being like Mike.

Jordan, as no one will forget, beat two Cavs -- Larry Nance, his Noah, with a quick move, and Ehlo, his Butler, on the release of his shot.

James bluffed bolting to the rim for a lob pass, Noah was never even a pickle spear on the sandwich,  then James broke to the corner.

He played 43 minutes, 9 seconds Sunday; rolled his ankle earlier in the last quarter; and once reported to the scorer's table to go back into the game with what appeared to a heating pad strapped to his back. But he discarded the pad on his back, the throb in his ankle and the burden of his minutes as easily as he discarded Butler and Noah in a twitch and a blink in time.

The buzzer was blaring and the red rights were glowing around the backboard as his shot from just inside the 3-point line swished.

It was the second game-winner at the final horn of James' playoff career with the Cavs. The other might have been even bigger.

He rattled a 3-pointer from the top of the arc around and in, after taking an inbounds pass with one second to play in the second game of the 2009 Eastern Conference Finals. The Cavs were down by two points to Orlando and looking at an 0-2 deficit.

They lost that series in six games, and they almost surely would have lost this one if they had gone down, 3-1, to the Bulls.

When Sunday's shot went in, as he did in 2009, James ran toward his teammates to celebrate. Some of them were romping like school kids alongside him and some were racing off the bench toward him.

"It was a great moment, but it was tougher this time. Tristan Thompson was snagging me by the neck and J.R. Smith pulled me down," said James.

Smith saved the Cavs with his shooting, but cost them again with his temper.

CHICAGO - Asked recently if it was harder for a shooter running off screens to recover his timing after a long layoff, coach Davd Blatt said, "Not that shooter."

He meant J.R. Smith, who had sat out 12 days before returning to the lineup Friday night in the playoffs against the Chicago Bulls. A team savior, along with LeBron James on Sunday in an 86-84 victory over Chicago, Smith is also a player who is at times damned by his temper.

He was suspended for the first two games of the Bulls' series for his backhand to the face of Boston's Jae Crowder, which was ruled a Flagrant Foul 2. With Kevin Love out for the playoffs and Kyrie Irving hobbling on a strained foot, Smith's absence was costly in the opening game defeat.

Costly also was Smith's technical foul with 3 minutes, 57 seconds remaining in Sunday's game and the Cavs leading, 80-73.

"Mercurial" would be a good word for Smith. He was the mercury in the Cavs' thermometer after a broken offense, with Kyrie Irving moving like his television commercial alter ego, Uncle Drew, could score only 12 points in the third quarter.

Smith, only one-for-six from the field through three quarters, raised the Cavs up with four splashdowns in four launches in the fourth quarter, including three 3-pointers, as they rallied from a 68-61 deficit.

But Smith took them down after Nikola Mirotic raked him across the head in the final four minutes. Smith, the aggrieved victim, drew a technical foul for shouting at referees even before an offensive foul on Miirotic could be called. The Cavs led, 80-73,at the time.

The Bulls' Mike Dunleavy made the foul shot for a very precious point. A three-possession game suddenly was only two. The Bulls finally drew even late in the game, but James beat them with a corner jumper at the buzzer.

Smith was suspended for one game in the 2013 playoffs when he played for the New York Knicks for decking Boston's Jason Terry with an elbow to the chin.

"There comes a time when everybody has to face up to things they do," said Blatt.

The coach got away with his own error by calling a timeout the Cavs did not have with 9.7 seconds to play and the score tied. Calling an excessive timeout is a technical foul, too.

Blatt faced up to his mistake and praised Smith for finding his touch when the Cavs had nothing else going. But Blatt also said Smith has to do a better job of managing his emotions.

Said Blatt of Smith's flare-ups. "He has to take ownership of that. Because it hurts him. And it hurts us."

LeBron James, with help from Timofey Mozgov and others, guided the Cavaliers to a Game 4 victory Sunday in Chicago.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- LeBron James made a left-corner jumper at the buzzer to give the Cleveland Cavaliers an 86-84 victory over the Chicago Bulls on Sunday afternoon at United Center in Chicago. Here is a capsule look at the game after a DVR review of the ABC telecast:

Great theater: The incredibly compelling best-of-seven series is tied, 2-2, with the Cavs having regained homecourt advantage. Each team has prevailed once on the other's floor.

The series has produced countless highlights and story lines -- and there still are a minimum of two games remaining.

King's English: LeBron shot 10-of-30 from the field and committed eight turnovers. No one in Cleveland cares about the missed shots or the turnovers because LeBron delivered when it mattered most. 

Wild finish: LeBron's eighth turnover was an offensive foul with 14 seconds left when, with the Cavs leading, 84-82, King attempted to split a double team and bumped Mike Dunleavy to the floor. Dunleavy, one of the NBA's best at embellishing, sold the play as if he had been knocked unconscious.

The Bulls capitalized. Point guard Derrick Rose, whose banked 3-pointer won Game 3 on Friday night in Chicago, crossed over Iman Shumpert and made a layup over LeBron with nine seconds left.

The Cavs were out of timeouts. That reality didn't stop head coach David Blatt from taking several steps onto the court with his hands in the shape of a T. Referee Scott Foster was on the baseline and facing Blatt but, in a spectacular stroke of luck for Cavs Nation, did not see it. If Foster had seen it, Blatt would have been Chris Webber and the Cavs might have lost the series right then and there.

It is not as if Blatt began to call timeout, realized his blunder, and pulled back. He needed to be stopped by assistant coach Tyronn Lue, who frantically bolted off the bench to grab him.

Blatt's players knew the timeout situation. LeBron received the inbounds and hustled down the floor on the right side. LeBron put a hesitation move on his nemesis, Jimmy Butler, to create enough space for a drive. Joakim Noah helped Butler and made plenty of contact with LeBron, but no whistle followed. Noah's teammate, Nikola Mirotic, slapped the layup attempt out of bounds with eight-tenths of a second remaining.

At least that is what the scoreboard read.

The referees huddled at the table, watched replays, and determined that the ball hit  the floor out of bounds with 1.5 seconds left. As it turned out, the seven-tenths' difference made a world of difference -- not just in clock time, but in how long it took to make the determination. Blatt could have diagrammed 10 plays before both teams were ordered back to the court (although none of the 10 would have mattered.*)

ABC analyst Jeff Van Gundy expressed frustration -- borderline anger -- that the system allows a team, in this case the Cavs, to benefit from a video-review stoppage. ABC analyst Mark Jackson agreed with Van Gundy that changes need to be made. Jackson, though, was much more calm about it.

And Jackson knew the truth: No video-review stoppage would have been necessary if the referee(s) had correctly officiated LeBron's drive.

"LeBron should be shooting two,'' Jackson said. "Noah came up to bump him.''

ABC play-by-play voice Mike Breen agreed.

The Cavs, coming out of the non-timeout timeout, spread the floor as Matthew Dellavedova inbounded on the baseline. LeBron, guarded by Butler to the left of the key about 12 feet from the basket, was the closest Cav to Dellavedova. LeBron faked as if he were heading into the paint, and Butler bit with a hard left foot. Then Butler for a split-second seemed to think LeBron would pop to the wing. It created the opening LeBron needed to cut to the corner, catch a flip-pass, turn and fire from virtually 3-point range.

LeBron landed on one leg and remained standing after the fadeaway. He watched the shot next to Mirotic on the Chicago bench. How fitting.

And how ironic that LeBron, who had been misfiring from distance the entire series, sank what might as well have been a 3-pointer for the victory. 

Dellavedova had enjoyed a clear sight line as he fed LeBron for the easiest -- and easily the most significant -- assist of his lifetime. This happened because the player assigned to guard the inbounder, Taj Gibson, needed to hedge against anything inside. And the last place in the world Gibson figured LeBron would receive the ball in space was the left corner, especially given how good of a defender Butler is.

(Inexplicably, Gibson didn't attempt to follow the ball as it left Dellavedova's hand.)

Immediately after the game, LeBron spoke with ABC reporter Lisa Salters. He began  by cracking himself for putting his team in position to need a last-second shot in the first place. Salters asked what he told his teammates in the pre-shot huddle.

"'We can't lose this game,''' LeBron said he said. "It's a hard-fought game. I made mistake after mistake after mistake, and I can't let my teammates down.''

LeBron's chat with Dellavedova was brief.

"I just told Delly, 'Get me the ball,''' LeBron told Salters. "'I'm going to get open. Get me the ball and I'm going to win this game for us.'''

*What LeBron didn't tell Salters, thereby sparing Blatt ridicule from national-TV viewers who weren't willing to wait for the postgame pressers, was that the head coach originally wanted the four-time MVP to inbound. With 1.5 seconds left and the score tied in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals in Chicago.

LeBron and his teammates reportedly were dumbfounded. Thankfully, LeBron overruled Blatt.

(And people wonder why LeBron is reluctant to heap praise on Blatt and otherwise give him a ringing endorsement.)

That LeBron even was on the floor for the shot attempt was impressive. With 3:35 remaining in the third quarter, LeBron was called for a bogus charge on a drive against Rose. For reasons known only to Foster, Rose was determined to have established position when establishing position was laughable given where the two players were located merely one second earlier.

Regardless, the LeBron charge turned out to be the least of the Cavs' concerns. King crumpled at the base of the stanchion, grabbing his left ankle. Replays showed that it rolled on Rose's foot.

LeBron remained in the game.

"I turned it pretty good,'' LeBron told Salters, "but I was not going to sit out. My teammates need me, this series needs me.''

When LeBron spoke of the series needing him, he wasn't the least bit arrogant about it. He simply spoke the truth. A series without LeBron is no series: The Bulls sweep.

Stat stuffing: In addition to his team-high points total, LeBron posted team-highs in rebounds (14) and assists (eight). He had two blocks and one steal.

The rebounds helped the Cavs lead overall, 44-40. (In the Game 3 loss, Chicago's advantage was 54-39.) The assists were four fewer than the Bulls' total.

Tipping point: The Cavs were in trouble with 42.6 seconds left in the third quarter. Bulls reserve guard Tony Snell made a 3-pointer to give his team a 68-57 lead -- the game's largest -- and United Center was in a frenzy.

What happened in the next 3 minutes, 33 seconds of clock time didn't win the game for the Cavs -- but it did save the game. Here is the breakdown:

LeBron FGM, 36 seconds left in third. (Bulls, 68-59.)

Notable: LeBron, not wanting to let the Bulls set up defensively, used a high screen by J.R. Smith to get free from Butler. He drove and made a short shot over Gibson in the paint.

Mirotic 3-pt FGA, 13 seconds left in third.

Notable: The Cavs caught a break. Chicago's ball movement resulted in Mirotic springing wide-open out top, but he missed badly -- part of 1-of-9 from the field. Mirotic rushed it a tad, which can happen in the playoffs.

Cavs center Timofey Mozgov FGM, 1.3 seconds left in third. (Bulls, 68-61.)

Notable: As big as a two-point basket gets in the third quarter. LeBron drew a triangle of Bulls -- Butler, Noah and Snell -- and located Mozgov in the paint.

LeBron FGA against Butler, 11:34 left in fourth.

Notable: The Cavs had possession to begin the quarter. LeBron created enough space but missed a one-handed shot from 13 feet.

Bulls 24-second violation, 11:10.

Notable: Mozgov bothered Noah late in the shot clock, then challenged Butler on a wild jumper from the left corner. The Bulls retained possession with one second left on shot clock, but Noah forgot and dribbled after the inbounds.

LeBron traveling, 10:56.

Notable: Good defense by Bulls.

Noah FGA, 10:42.

Notable: Mozgov bothered Noah, who missed a runner off the glass.

Smith FGM, 10:21. (Bulls, 68-63.)

Notable: With shot clock under five, Smith drilled a 19-foot step-back over Mirotic. Jackson said: "That's good defense -- but better offense.''

Mirotic turnover, 9:57.

Notable: Mirotic, pressured by Smith during a post-up, fumbled the ball. LeBron grabbed it.

Mozgov FTM, FTM, 9:45. (Bulls, 68-65.)

Notable: Mozgov drew shooting foul on Mirotic after receiving dribble-penetration lob from Smith.

Snell FGA, 9:25. Bulls shot-clock violation, 9:21.

Notable: Mozgov rejected Snell's shot near the rim. Chicago's possession continued when Noah grabbed the rebound of the Snell miss, but the Bulls were unable to beat the clock.

Smith 3-pt FGM, 9:08. (Tied, 68-68.)

Notable: Smith received a pass from Dellavedova and drilled the 26-footer.

Wizard of Moz: Mozgov, who did not exactly distinguish himself in Games 1-3, came up huge in Game 4. He was Cleveland's X-factor. He scored 15 (on 4-of-5 from the field and 7-of-8 from the line) and had nine rebounds, three assists and three blocks. He committed five fouls, but they were spaced enough that he logged 39 minutes when the Cavs and Blatt absolutely needed 39 minutes. Mozgov was a +7.

Mozgov is one of the reasons the Bulls shot 36 percent from the field (32-of-89). The times when he played well against them in the regular season, and again Sunday, he disrupted what they wanted to do near the basket. If he didn't block or alter shots, he made the guards change their minds after dribble-penetration.

Hamstrung: The Bulls were forced to experience for Game 4 what the Cavs have dealt with for the entire series: a talented big who did not play because of injury.

Pau Gasol, a major factor in the Bulls' Game 1 victory in Cleveland, suffered a hamstring injury in Game 3 that kept him in civvies Sunday. The Bulls could have used him; their frontcourt delivered next-to-nothing offensively.

The Cavs, as no one in Cleveland needs to be reminded, are without Kevin Love because of season-ending shoulder surgery.

Blurring the line between legal and illegal, then figuring out how to get away with it, is as old as keeping score.

By EDDIE PELLS, AP National Writer

If you ain't cheatin', you ain't tryin'.

The credit for that old saying generally goes to NASCAR legend Richard Petty, though it just as easily could have come from Tom Brady, Gaylord Perry or pretty much any of the millions who have thrown, pitched or hit a ball since people started playing sports.

Blurring the line between legal and illegal, then figuring out how to get away with it, is as old as keeping score.

But what two New England Patriots employees did when they executed a plan to deflate footballs to Brady's liking -- according to an NFL-commissioned report by lawyer Ted Wells -- was a direct violation of a well-defined rule about equipment that didn't leave room for shades of gray.

And while America waits to find out whether the "Deflategate" penalty for Brady's violation is unprecedented, or just a slap on the wrist, the idea of taking liberties with playing equipment is hardly a new one.

A quick examination of the way bats, balls, rackets, clubs and other equipment has been manipulated over the years.

BASEBALL

What: It's too long a list to mention in a sport where almost anything can be adjusted to turn things to a player's advantage. From spitballs (clearly illegal), to pine tar (illegal in some instances), to watered-down, speed-sapping fields (nothing really wrong with this one), baseball has a laundry list of items, all of which are changeable and anything but tamper-proof.

Why: In the case of the most time-honored tradition, the spitball, any sort of substance placed on the ball, or any sort of scuff marks, can change the weight and resistance of the ball and make it move in unpredictable ways. That's why MLB works in the game balls with its own mud, mined only from a branch of the Delaware River in southern New Jersey, and acts swiftly if a pitcher is seen applying any other substance.

Exhibit A: Perry was the spitball king. But for pure comedy, it was Twins knuckleballer Joe Niekro's lame attempt in 1987 to casually toss away a piece of emery board he from his back pocket -- while standing on the pitcher's mound in front of 33,983 fans -- that takes the cake. Niekro got ejected and suspended for 10 days. He claimed he used the emery board to file his nails.

BASKETBALL

What: A regulation NBA ball is supposed to be inflated to between 7.5 and 8.5 pounds per square inch. Traditionally, before a game starts, the referee will ask the captain of the home team to pick a ball, and often there's an "X'' conveniently marked on the ball the players have decided they like the best.

Why: A team that likes to pass a lot and hopes the rebounds won't ricochet too far off the rim might choose a less-inflated ball. There's also the sense of feel. A ball that feels more worn can be easier to handle. Point guards who pass the ball more than others would usually like that.

Exhibit A: Around the time Deflategate hit, stories about Phil Jackson's Knicks teams of the 1970s resurfaced. Those teams, starring Willis Reed, Bill Bradley, Walt Frazier and Dave DeBusschere, liked a deflated basketball. In the 1990s, Jackson told stories about how they used to carry needles around to get balls to their liking. He went on Twitter in the aftermath of Deflategate to explain that they never deflated the balls below league standards.

GOLF

What: The sport's ruling bodies publish a conforming list for the types of balls and clubs that can be used.

Why: One recent rules change came in 2010 when the governing bodies banned square grooves in wedges because they helped players put more backspin on the ball, which can make it stop more quickly on the greens once it lands.

Exhibit A: An exception to that rule resulted from a lawsuit settlement that called for any club made before April 1, 1990 to take precedence over a rule change. At one tournament, Phil Mickelson decided to use some pre-1990 Ping clubs with the old grooves and Scott McCarron said Mickelson's using the wedges amounted to cheating. McCarron apologized to Mickelson, who said he had made his point and wouldn't be using the wedges. It was hard to know if those square grooves really produced more spin because the clubs were so old.

TENNIS

What: Players aren't supposed to purposely change the shape or "sharpness" of the balls. In most pro matches, new balls are put into play every nine games.

Why: By fluffing up a ball, a player who doesn't hit the ball as hard as their opponent could gain an advantage by slowing it down.

Exhibit A: In a match against Serena Williams in the 2013 Madrid Open, Spain's Anabel Medina Garrigues was caught by a camera rubbing tennis balls against the face of her racket, presumably in a bid to loosen the outer layer and make them fluffier. She won a set 6-0 against Williams but wound up losing the match.

NASCAR

In this February 1981 file photo, Richard Petty sits by his car at a NASCAR auto race. AP

What: A sport with an incredibly complex rulebook; sometimes the rules are rewritten during the season to catch up with the latest forms of rule-bending.

Why: The most subtle change in a car's suspension, its height off the ground or the makeup of its tires can buy fractions of seconds in a sport where every inch counts.

Exhibit A: Maybe it's the stuff that never got called and produced the occasional too-good-to-be-true result. How did Dale Earnhardt Jr., without the help of a thought-to-be-mandatory drafting partner on one of the sport's fastest tracks, overcome six cars down the stretch to win the first race at Daytona after his dad died there? And how was it that on July 4, 1984, with President Reagan in the stands, an aging Richard Petty was able to muster up the stuff to win his 200th (and final) race? Conspiracy theorists, start your engines.

Game 4 ended with LeBron James rescuing the Cleveland Cavaliers thanks to game-winning baseline jumper. The 86-84 win evens up the Eastern Conference Semifinals at two games apiece and now the Cavs head back home to Cleveland with new life.

CHICAGO -- Game 4 ended with LeBron James rescuing the Cleveland Cavaliers thanks to game-winning baseline jumper. The 86-84 win evens up the Eastern Conference Semifinals at two games apiece and now the Cavs head back home to Cleveland with new life. 

But there were plenty of moments, which can't be ignored when it comes to telling the whole story of Sunday's game. All of them made the buzzer-beater possible.

Here are five observations:

Bailout plan -- The numbers aren't pretty. The Cavs shot 38 percent from the field, 20 percent from three-point range and committed 15 turnovers.

Kyrie Irving was hobbled by an injured foot and likely something else, given the tape running from his quad down to his shin that was hiding underneath his leggings on his left leg. He denied anything being wrong with his left leg when asked about it in his postgame session with reporters, but his limp to the team bus and shaky performance indicated otherwise. He scored 12 points on 2-of-10 from the field. Eight of his points came from the free throw line.

A beat up Irving was a detriment, but the team wearing the dark navy blue jerseys has James. He also struggled at times on Sunday. However, he remains the game's best bailout plan.

"That's what my teammates want from me," James said. "I hate being this inefficient. I don't like it but it's what my teammates want from me. It's the postseason and whatever it takes."

James has shouldered the offensive load, averaging more than 26 shot attempts per game, which is eight more than his season average. He did it once again on Sunday and his efficiency continues to suffer.

James was 10-of-30 from the field, including 1-of-7 from three-point range. In this series against Chicago, he's shooting 38 percent from the floor and 11 percent from distance. 

"I take (efficiency) very seriously," James said. "I also know that some challenges present different ways of winning and obviously with my point guard, he's a little hobbled right now and my other All-Star (Kevin Love) that's out for the rest of the season, shot attempts, efficiency (aren't as important). I want to be efficient, but sometimes that's just not happening in this series right now. I'm just trying to do all the other things."

That game-winning jumper isn't one of the things he would classify as "little."

"I've made big shots before in the postseason. Obviously this was a big one for our team," James said. "You don't want to go down 3-1 to anyone. I was able to regain home court with the shot. For me, I just don't like letting my teammates down. I did that on a few plays late in the fourth quarter. There were a couple of offensive foul calls. I was happy I was able to make a play at the end."

He almost didn't get that chance. In one of the most baffling decisions Cavs head coach David Blatt has made this season, he was set to have James trigger the inbounds pass in a tie game with 1.5 seconds left. That followed another brain cramp by Blatt when he channeled his inner Chris Webber and tried calling timeout with none remaining. 

Neither decision is defensible.

It doesn't matter James' shooting percentage or outside shooting struggles. He's a four-time MVP, the leader of the team and the game's best player. You win or lose (or in this case possibly go to overtime) with him getting his chance.

Irving has had big moments this season, but had made two shots all afternoon and is hurting so it wouldn't have made sense to call his number. Who was Blatt going to run the biggest play of the game for? Matthew Dellavedova? Tristan Thompson? J.R. Smith?

What has happened in previous games is irrelevant. In that game, that moment, with those stakes, there was no better option than James. The fact that Blatt even considered something else is troubling. Next time he thinks about that, he should remember what Thompson said following Sunday's game.

"He makes big shots," Thompson said of James. "He does what most men can't."

James saved his team's season, saved Blatt and put the Cavs back in the driver's seat. It's good to be king. 

Frontcourt dominance -- The Bulls entered this series with an advantage inside...or at least that was supposed to be the case. Through four games, it hasn't played out that way, especially in Game 4.

Thompson scored 12 points on 5-of-6 shooting. Timofey Mozgov, who played 39 minutes, added 15 points on 4-of-5 from the field, including 7-of-8 from the free throw line. That's 27 points from the starting bigs.

Meanwhile, the Bulls got eight points and a smattering of missed layups from Joakim Noah. Taj Gibson, starting in place of the injured Pau Gasol, scored a measly six points on 2-of-7 from the field.

"When you miss a player like Pau, it is devastating," Derrick Rose said. "But I think the guys stepped in and did their jobs. Pau, the way that he scores, just his presence on the floor, the way that he shoots the ball, rebounds the ball, is huge."

Thompson and Mozgov outscored the Bulls' duo by 13 points.

Taking turns -- Love's injury meant someone else needed to step up to be third option offensively. It hasn't just been one guy, though. It's been someone different in each game.

In the series opener, Iman Shumpert poured in a playoff career-high 22 points in a losing effort. The second game, it was James Jones rising from the bench and contributing 17 points. On Friday night, Dellavedova provided quality minutes before becoming a late-game spectator. On Sunday, it was Mozgov's turn.

"It's a good feeling," Thompson said about the variety of contributors in the series. "Everyone is staying ready and you never know whose number is going to get called. You have to come in and impact the game somehow, whether it's playing defense, rebounding, setting good screens and creating for others. That's what guys are doing each and every night. That just shows how special this team is."

Added Shumpert: "It's a team. Everybody comes to do their job. When it's time for you to step up you have to be ready. Everybody is waiting for their moment and today Timo helped us out huge, J.R hit some big shots, LeBron hit a big shot, guys are ready for that moment. We have to keep living in the moment."

Dialing 9-1-1 -- A number of players have different nicknames. Smith, at times, goes by "Swish" and "9-1-1" because of how he can deliver in an emergency situation -- end of quarter, end of shot clock, on balance or off balance -- it doesn't matter.

"We've got J.R. Smith for the 9-1-1 situations," Shumpert said. "Thank God for J.R. Smith."

After not doing much early, the Cavs made the emergency call early in the fourth quarter and Smith delivered again. The marksmen scored 11 points, including three triples, as he helped single-handedly erase a seven-point deficit early in the fourth quarter. He made three of the team's five shots from beyond the arc on a night the triple wasn't falling.

"I just keep shooting regardless of the case," Smith said. "I could have went 0-for-15 in the first half and came out in the second half and still going to shoot the ball. That's just who I am. Getting good looks, teammates finding me and I just have to make shots. This is a series where the team likes to pack the paint so in those situations you have to come up big."

He didn't go 0-for-15, but rather 1-of-6 before the fourth quarter explosion led to a 5-of-10 night.

"The shooting is huge for us," Blatt said. "J.R. has done it for us since he came here. He is a money ball shooter, and we have confidence in him. I told the guys after the game, 'Bronny that's a great, great amazing shot. But JR's shots were no less great.' Maybe they didn't mean the same thing given the time and circumstance, but we don't get to that point without those shots he made. Good for him."

Free throw disparity -- There are a number of reasons for the Game 4 victory, but an advantage at the free throw line is near the top of that list. Struggling to knock down shots inside or outside, the Cavs made 23-of-24 from the charity stripe, giving them much-needed scoring chances.

In the second quarter, when they took a halftime lead, 13 of the 23 points came from the line.

It was the Cavs' aggressiveness and some favorable whistles that led to the disparity, and they deserve credit for taking advantage, outscoring Chicago by 12. James made two critical ones late in the fourth, a quarter the Cavs made all six at the line. 

"We have to finish better, but that was sort of the nature of the game," Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau said. "They were on us pretty good, and we were on them pretty good. I want to take a look at the free throws and what happened to us."

Danny Salazar resorted to a simple plan: Don't let anyone else reach base. By the time Salazar exited after seven stellar frames, the Indians were well on their way to an 8-2 victory at Progressive Field.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The baseball caromed off of the yellow foul pole in left field and bounced onto the outfield grass.

Four pitches into Sunday's matinee, the Indians trailed. Again. They have allowed first-inning runs in half of their 30 games.

So, Danny Salazar resorted to a simple plan: Don't let anyone else reach base. By the time Salazar exited after seven stellar frames, the Indians were well on their way to an 8-2 victory at Progressive Field.

Twins second baseman Brian Dozier socked Salazar's fourth offering of the afternoon -- a 95-mph fastball -- off of the foul pole. For the third straight game, Minnesota tagged Cleveland's starter for a first-inning run. Salazar, however, retired the next 21 batters he faced. He matched a career high with 11 strikeouts. He struck out six consecutive batters at one point, as he fanned the side in order in both the fifth and the sixth. Indians hurlers totaled 16 strikeouts.

Salazar had plenty of offensive backing, too. The Indians matched the Twins' first-inning run after just two batters. Jason Kipnis opened the bottom of the frame with a double. Carlos Santana followed with an RBI single. The Tribe struck for five runs in the fourth, all with two outs.

Kipnis tripled home Roberto Perez, who walked three times in the game. Santana plated Kipnis with a single, Michael Brantley singled and Lonnie Chisenhall lined a three-run blast into the right-field seats. Cleveland tacked on two more runs in the sixth, as Kipnis notched an RBI single and Santana registered a sacrifice fly.

The Indians out-hit the Twins, 13-2.

What it means

The Indians (11-19) avoided a sweep, as they moved to 5-5 in series finales. Overall, however, they are 1-7-2 in their 10 series. They have not won one since the season-opening set in Houston more than a month ago. The Indians now own a 7-16 mark against American League Central foes. Only four of their next 23 games will come against teams from within the division.

The Czar

For the fifth time in his career, Salazar struck out 10 or more batters. He tied his career high with 11 strikeouts, set at Comerica Park in Detroit on April 24. He became the third pitcher in team history to log seven innings of one-hit ball with no walks and 11 or more strikeouts. Josh Tomlin and Len Barker are the others. Barker's effort came in the form of a perfect game on May 15, 1981.

Murph's turf

David Murphy launched a pinch-hit home run in his only at-bat on Saturday. On Sunday, he collected base knocks in all four of his trips to the plate. He singled in the first, third and fourth innings and he doubled in the sixth. Manager Terry Francona said before Sunday's affair that Murphy would likely lose playing time now that Nick Swisher returned to the active roster. He responded with four hits, the 12th time in his career he has totaled that many in a game.

Kip's corner

Kipnis finished a home run away from the cycle on Sunday. He doubled in the first, tripled in the fourth and singled in the fifth. The second baseman is batting .462 (18-for-39) during the month of May.

They came, they saw

An announced crowd of 13,769 watched from the stands at Progressive Field.

What's next

The Indians have Monday off before they welcome the St. Louis Cardinals -- who boast baseball's best record -- to Progressive Field. Carlos Carrasco (4-2, 4.71 ERA) will oppose Lance Lynn (1-3, 3.82 ERA) on Tuesday. Corey Kluber (0-5, 5.04 ERA) will oppose John Lackey (2-1, 3.20 ERA) on Wednesday. Both games will begin at 6:10 p.m. ET. The teams will reconvene at the ballpark for a 12:10 p.m. start on Thursday. Trevor Bauer (2-1, 4.19 ERA) will oppose Michael Wacha (5-0, 2.09 ERA) in the series finale.

The Indians and Cardinals last clashed June 8-10, 2012, at Busch Stadium. The Indians took two of three. St. Louis last ventured to Cleveland in 2009.

Watch Cavs Insider as we preview Game 5 vs. Chicago and more. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Cavaliers are back from Chicago with the Eastern Conference Semifnials knotted at 2-2 against the Bulls. Game 5 is Tuesday at 7 p.m.

On today's Cavs Insider, we flashed back to yesterday's improbable buzzer beater by LeBron James and previewed Tuesday's critical matchup with Chicago. Cavaliers beat writers cleveland.com's Chris Haynes, Joe Vardon and Chris Fedor talked about:

• Kyrie Irving dealing with knee issues as well as a strained foot.
• Big contributions from Tristan Thompson and Timofey Mozgov.
• The perception that LeBron James is not playing well.
• David Blatt's original inbounds play call in Game 4.

LeBron James' ankle is 'OK,' Kyrie Irving's leg injuries continue to mount, and yet the Cavs find themselves back in good position against the Bulls.

INDEPENDENCE, Ohio - LeBron James said he didn't have the replay of his game-winning shot running on a loop Monday morning.

His nasty, third-quarter twist of the left ankle in the Cavs' 86-84 win in Game 4 over the Bulls Sunday -- now that one he watched a few times.

"I don't know how I finished the game," James said.

Getting through these playoff games seems to be a bonus for Cleveland's players, a feat growing tougher by the game. Lucky for the team, James stayed on the court and was around to bury that jumper in the corner as the buzzer sounded to beat the Bulls and even this Eastern Conference semifinal at two games apiece.

Kyrie Irving underwent an MRI on his left leg Monday, revealing tendinitis in his knee. He's also dealing with a strained right foot, suffered early in the Cavs' first-round sweep of Boston, and before that had a minor right hip injury.

Irving's played through obvious pain the last two games against the Bulls, but is expected to start Game 5 on Tuesday at The Q.

"We are better with him at whatever percent you want to call him than we would be without him, no question," coach David Blatt said.

James turned his ankle with 3:36 left in the third quarter as he collided with Derrick Rose on his way to the hoop. James was called for a charge on the play, but his first concern was his ankle, which he held for several seconds as he laid in pain on the court.

He limped to the bench and finished the quarter, and accumulated 10 points, five rebounds, and three assists post injury. His ankle was already wrapped as he dressed in the locker room after the game.

James said Monday his ankle was "OK" and he was receiving multiple treatments in preparation for Game 5. Iman Shumpert is battling a groin injury, and of course Kevin Love is lost for the season following shoulder surgery.

On the Bulls' side, Pau Gasol missed Game 4 with a strained left hamstring and Taj Gibson was limping on a sore knee in the second half. Chicago has dealt with injuries all season - its starting lineup of Rose, Mike Dunleavy, Jimmy Butler, Gasol, and Joakim Noah only played 21 games together during the regular season.

The Cavs aren't used to this.

"It is what it is. I can't say we should be better off or we should be worse off," James said. "We feel good about our chances in Game 5." 

One of the ways the injuries may be affecting them is by weighing down James' shooting percentage.

Much has been made of James' uncharacteristically high volume of shots and low percentage of makes against the Bulls. After his 10-for-30 performance, he's shooting 37.7 percent from the field and 10.5 percent beyond the arc in this series. James is also averaging 5.8 turnovers.

LeBron James is shooting about 38 percent from the field against the Bulls in the Eastern Conference semifinals.NBA.com 

James, who's battling one of the league's top on-ball defenders in Butler, has complained of a lack of rhythm shooting, and many of his shots have come off his own dribble instead of a pass from a teammate.

That's where Irving's injury comes into play.

"Obviously one of our best playmakers as far as creating (with) the ball is a little hampered right now, in Kyrie," James said. "He is a guy that I was able to play off of, because he can penetrate and get in the gaps and create two on the ball and I can be the recipient of the ball. The injury has hampered him a little bit.

"So, I would love to get some more catch-and-shoot jumpers, catch-and-shoot shots, and I got some (Sunday)."

James opened the third quarter by catching a pass from Irving on the right side and drilling a 15-footer. He recalled catching a swing pass from Shumpert for a three-pointer that he missed.  

And, of course, James' game winner was off a pass he caught from Matthew Dellavedova.

"Those are in-rhythm shots," James said. "They felt good. I was able to get my feet down, I was able to get my base down and shoot it like I wanted to. Sometimes they make it, sometimes they miss but I feel in rhythm when it happens."

Irving's numbers from Sunday - 12 points, two assists, 2-of-10 shooting - were barely better than the 11-point, zero-assist outing he had in Game 3's loss. And yet Irving has logged 40 minutes in the last two games, despite lower-body injuries that look like they're getting worse instead of better.

But if there was a silver lining to Irving's Game 4, it was that he somehow fought his way into the lane and earned eight free throws, sinking all of them.

"Now it's just about finding ways I can still be effective and take some pressure off 'Bron out there," Irving said. "Obviously the things that I normally do, which is finish at the rim, get in the paint, I just don't have the acceleration to do it. If I still have the opportunity to take advantage of the defense, I will and try to make plays."

Irving said the Cavs have "tried almost everything" to get him feeling better. Irving suggested his knee tendinitis was the result of using his left leg to take the pressure off of his right foot.

It sounds like the organization has come to grips with the likelihood that Irving is not going to be full strength during the playoffs. Blatt said he was "hopeful (Irving is) going to improve a little bit each day.

"I'm just hopeful of him getting to the court feeling a little bit better," Blatt said. "I'm appreciative of the fact he's out there, regardless, laying it on the line, even without being 100 percent."

Blatt said there hasn't been any thought given to sitting Irving for a game.

"If the consideration is now, then I mean I should have been sitting out maybe about four games ago," Irving said. "I just ... I can't do it. Mentally, I can't do it. I can't look myself in the mirror and sit on the bench or sit in the locker room while I watch my teammates go out there.

"I'd rather give 30 percent, 40 percent, rather than give none at all."

The Cleveland Cavaliers evened up the series with the Chicago Bulls at two games apiece thanks in large part to the heroics of LeBron James, who buried a corner buzzer beater for the 86-84 win.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Cleveland Cavaliers evened up the series with the Chicago Bulls at two games apiece thanks in large part to the heroics of LeBron James, who buried a corner buzzer beater for the 86-84 win.

They were trailing going into the fourth quarter, but the Cavs clamped down on defense and received just enough offense to give James a final shot to save the season and he delivered one of the greatest shots of his career.

There were plenty of other strange events that happened throughout, but the end result is a 2-2 series, with Game 5 Tuesday night in Cleveland.

Here are the Game 4 grades:

Kyrie Irving

Stats: 41 minutes, 12 points, 2-10 FG, 0-2 3FG, 8-8 FT, four rebounds, two assists, two steals, one turnover.

Analysis: Irving gains plenty of respect points for another gutsy performance. The agony can be seen all over his face each time he takes a step, especially when he tries to explode past his defender.

It wasn't supposed to be like this. This playoff run was supposed to be Irving's time, a continuation of the best year of his basketball life. A gold medal at the FIBA World Cup of Basketball. A new max contract. New teammates. His third All-Star appearance. His first trip to the playoffs.

Then it all changed on a Tuesday night in Boston, the second game of the first-round series when Irving first suffered this nagging foot injury. But I don't grade on a curve and his shot has disappeared and he's been unable to contain Derrick Rose, forcing Irving to guard Mike Dunleavy.

Grade: C+

Iman Shumpert

Stats: 32 minutes, five points, 1-8 FG, 1-6 3FG, 2-2 FT, four rebounds, one steal, one block.

Analysis: Another member of the wounded Cavaliers, Shumpert continues to battle through a groin injury, which has taken away some of his quickness and lift on his inconsistent jumper.

His scoring has gone down since the first two games of the series, but he continues to have a positive impact, especially defensively and with his overall activity.

Grade: C

LeBron James

Stats: 43 minutes, 25 points, 10-30 FG, 1-7 3FG, 4-4 FT, 14 rebounds, eight assists, one steal, two blocks, eight turnovers.

Analysis: His efficiency was horrendous once again, he committed a pair of blunders late and almost cost his team a must-win game. But much of that was erased when his 30^th shot of the afternoon evened up the Eastern semifinals and rescued the Cavs' season.

Grade: A

Tristan Thompson

Stats: 30 minutes, 12 points, 5-6 FG, 2-2 FT, seven rebounds.

Analysis: Thompson, the new starting power forward, always does the little things. His energy is infectious. His aggressiveness on the glass has frustrated Chicago's deep and talented front line. However on Sunday, he contributed offensively. In a low-scoring game, with baskets hard to come by, the player nicknamed "The Janitor," among other things, provided much-needed offense.

Grade: B+

Timofey Mozgov

Stats: 39 minutes, 15 points, 4-5 FG, 7-8 FT, nine rebounds, three assists, three blocks, three turnovers.

Analysis: The series got off to a rough start for Mozgov, who was averaging 22 minutes before pivotal Game 4. But on Sunday afternoon, the 7-footer was playing so well his minutes ballooned to the highest since Jan. 21.

Mozgov was added in early January to control the paint and he did that well. He was blocking shots, altering others and constantly making things difficult on Chicago inside. He also made four important free throws in the fourth quarter and provided an inside scoring presence that was missing in Game 3.

Grade: A

Cavs bench

Analysis: The bench has had better days. Aside from the lethal shooting fourth quarter from J.R. Smith, the second unit pulled a disappearing act.

Matthew Dellavedova didn't play well enough to spell Irving in stretches and James Jones' jumper never made it to Chicago. As bad as the unit was as a whole, Smith's scoring onslaught when the Cavs were trailing by seven in the final frame helped win the game.

Grade: B-

Derrick Rose

Stats: 41 minutes, 31 points, 11-23 FG, 2-5 3FG, 7-7 FT, two rebounds, four assists, two turnovers.

Analysis: For the third time this series, Rose was the best player on the court. He blew past hobbled defenders and scored in a variety of ways. His sometimes unreliable jumper was on target and his slick drive to the basket tied the game late before James' heroics changed the outcome.

The Bulls will regret squandering another brilliant performance for the one-time MVP, who is still trying to regain his old form.

Grade: A

Jimmy Butler

Stats: 45 minutes, 19 points, 8-21 FG, 3-5 3FG, five rebounds, two assists, three steals, one block, one turnover.

Analysis: He has the toughest job of anyone in this series because not only is he assigned to James, but the Bulls are asking him to be the second scoring option. That's all happening as Butler logs heavy, grueling minutes.

The NBA's Most Improved Player is at the center of Chicago's defensive plan and has pestered James as much as anyone in the NBA not named Kawhi Leonard.

Grade: B

Mike Dunleavy

Stats: 33 minutes, four points, 1-7 FG, 1-4 3FG, 1-1 FT, two rebounds, one assist, two steals, two turnovers.

Analysis: Consistency continues to elude Chicago's best three-point shooter. Excellent in Game 1 and on target Friday, he couldn't get his early rhythm and missed open looks in key moments.

Without big man Pau Gasol, Chicago needs to find a third scoring option and Dunleavy has failed to answer.

Grade: D-

Taj Gibson

Stats: 34 minutes, six points, 2-7 FG, 2-2 FT, eight rebounds, two assists, one block, one turnover.

Analysis: The last-minute starter wasn't very good offensively in his increased role. He missed a number of makeable shots near the rim and couldn't provide the scoring boost Chicago was looking for. But he also battled Thompson, keeping him from gobbling offensive rebounds and creating second chance opportunities.

Grade: C-

Joakim Noah

Stats: 37 minutes, eight points, 4-12 FG, 15 rebounds, two steals, one block.

Analysis: Noah remains a disaster on offense, unable to even make layups. His confidence is shot on that end, but Noah has never been an offensive go-getter.

He's out there to help anchor a stingy defense, bring hustle, energy and rebounding. He did all of those other things, including nearly preventing James from having a late-game shot at the rim with quality defense.

Grade: B+

Bulls bench

Analysis: Depth and scoring balance were supposed to be areas of strength for the Bulls. Nikola Mirotic, the Rookie of the Year runner-up, was expected to be an X-factor. That's only happened once. Mirotic had a wide-open three as Chicago was beginning to pull away and instead launched an airball. He also had two costly turnovers in the fourth quarter.

Going 1-for-9 while being unable to contribute in other ways is not what the Bulls were looking for from their rook. Kirk Hinrich was the only bench player who played well in his limited minutes.

Grade: D 

Check out a photo gallery and a highlight video from the Miele Invitational at Gilmour on Saturday.

GATES MILLS, Ohio — Check out a track and field photo gallery and highlight video from the 2015 Miele Invitational at Gilmour on Saturday.

Medina's boys team and Gilmour's girls team won the team titles at the meet.

Among the top performers for Medina was Kyle Scherer, who won the 100-meter dash (11.39 seconds) helped his team's 4x100 (43.26) and 4x200 (1:29.14) relay teams to wins. Medina's 4x200 team set a meet record in the win.

Medina also got wins from Matt Stump in the 1,600 (4:32.45), Jake Gargiulo in the 200 (22.77), Sam Kovalchik in the 3,200 (10:23.98), Jake Wickey in the discus (167 feet, five inches), Brad Gallitz in the shot put (48-9) and Jason Blankenship in the pole vault (12-0).

In the girls events, Hannah Markel had three wins for Gilmour with strong runs in the 1,600 (5:14.35), the 3,200 (11:54.55) and as a part of the 4x800 (9:47.28).

Brush's Asya Reynolds also had a strong day. Reynolds finished with wins in the 100 hurdles (15.74), the 300 hurdles (46.49) and the long jump (17-11.25).

Check out the full results including team scores here.

David Blatt explains why he wanted LeBron James to inbound the ball and he credited his coaching staff.

INDEPENDENCE, Ohio - Instead of discussing Tuesday's Game 5 between the Cavaliers and Chicago Bulls, David Blatt fielded questions on Monday regarding the phantom timeout and LeBron James "scratching" a play.

Blatt didn't duck and dive. He owned up to his mistake and gave his coaching staff credit for being aware of the situation.

"I usually don't lose track of them," Blatt said. "As of matter of fact, that's never happened before, at least in my time as a coach. But, good thing I had great guys behind me to bail me out and then a great player to bail us all out with a terrific shot."

The Cavaliers won a huge Game 4 road contest to even the series. It took a heroic effort on the part of James to will his team to victory. But the story focused on the blunders Blatt almost made that could have cost the game.

Blatt has been mocked for the timeout snafu and his intention to have James inbound the ball with 1.5 seconds remaining until James drew up his own play.

"You want to make this the story," Blatt said to one reporter. "It's not the story. We won the game yesterday. To me, it's not a story. It's part of the drama."

Blatt's rationale for drawing up a play with James as the passer was because he's their best passer and at a time like that, he wanted to make sure the pass was converted for a shot attempt. He said there were two passing options for James, but would not disclose what they were.

James came to Blatt's defense, saying he's one of the main reasons they're in a position to go up 3-2 at home. But on that final play, he wasn't playing quarterback. He was going to be the wide receiver. He said he couldn't even imagine himself being the inbounder at that stage of the game.

"It wasn't a vision at all. I wasn't inbounding the ball," James said.

The criticism Blatt is receiving is because of James, according to James himself. He said anyone around him faces criticism and scrutiny like no other.

He has a point.

"Kevin Love got no heat in the first six or seven years in this league, then he teams with me and he gets heat. Is that the truth? Absolutely," James explained. "I don't know, man. You get associated with me, you get a little heat."

But for clarity sake, Blatt's version of what happened in that final huddle doesn't quite match up with what James said, sort of.

"He didn't veto the play," Blatt said adamantly. "He just felt strongly about what a better situation would be and as it turned out, that was the right thing. It could have been the right thing the other way, too."

Regardless of what could have occurred, the Cavaliers took homecourt advantage back. At the end of the day, that's all that matters. It's time to move on.

"It's not about me changing play calls or Coach Blatt trying to call a timeout when we didn't have one. Like I said, that's why we're a team. You don't have to do it on your own," James said.

The Cavaliers somehow avoided the kind of moment Sunday that would've taken a high place on the list of Cleveland sports disasters. And that's saying something.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - If the Cavs win the NBA title, we can trace the tipping point in Cleveland sports fortunes to The Timeout That Wasn't.

Three otherwise vigilant NBA referees did not see David Blatt step forward Sunday and signal for a timeout the Cavaliers didn't have. Tyronn Lue's interception of Blatt spared everyone the quintessential Only in Cleveland moment. At least until the next one.

Not sure where The Timeout would've fit on the list. If you have the stomach for it, feel free to rank them. Whatever, Lue saved Blatt a technical foul that would've put Chicago on the line in a tie game with 8.4 seconds remaining, and also given the Bulls the ball.

Make or miss, the Bulls would've owned the last possession of regulation against a team in the process of unraveling. Probably no LeBron James heroics. Overtime on the road as the best-case scenario.

The worst? A 3-1 Chicago series lead. That way? How do you recover from that? Answer: You don't.

Not with Kevin Love out. Not with Kyrie Irving limping. Not with Iman Shumpert fighting a groin injury. Not with Blatt trying to patch together a shattered locker room.

Because that moment passed without the soul-crushing result Cleveland fans know so well, the Cavs got the final shot (after changing Blatt's inbounds call), tied the series and regained homecourt advantage.

What can we make of this instance of doom averted? Probably nothing lasting. Not enough to call it a sign that a city's sports misfortune might actually be changing. You'd feel more hopeful about that if not for Love wearing a sling and Irving in need of a cane.

The postseason hasn't exactly been a field of lucky shamrocks for the Cavaliers, whose Big Three is weighing in as the Big 1.5. But if it only feels like a reprieve instead of an omen suggesting better luck to come, well, Cleveland sports history isn't exactly full of reprieves either.

More good fortune will be needed, but for now you'll take it and move on.

What lies immediately ahead in the conference finals - Washington missing John Wall or the Hawks missing their regular season mojo - isn't particularly daunting.

Then who knows? A talented Western conference opponent, for sure. But, if the Cavs can advance to the finals, maybe that brings enough time for Irving and Shumpert to rally physically? If even a little? 

All we know is the kind of moment that has always crushed dreams somehow passed benignly late Sunday afternoon.

David Blatt was Chris Webber at the Final Four. Then he wasn't. Disaster averted.

How often have you been able to say that around here? 

Check out some of the most interesting and/or entertaining tweets from or about high school coaches, athletes and sports fans from Monday, May 11.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Read some of the most interesting and/or entertaining tweets from or about high school coaches, athletes and sports fans from Monday, May 11: 

Ohio State-signee Alex Stump is still adjusting to the fact that his former St. Edward football coach is now at Michigan.

Don't know how I feel about @RickFinotti always retweeting ❌ichigan stuff on my timeline.. 😑 #CmonCoach

— Alex Stump (@ShowTime_Stump) May 11, 2015

The Highland baseball team has a new place to call home.

Dedicating a renovated baseball facility today!! pic.twitter.com/iZ99M0NUWn

— HornetNation (@DanaAddis) May 11, 2015

St. Ignatius rugby is celebrating after the school's rugby team brought home the 2015 Midwest Championship yesterday.

Congrats to the Wildcat Crew Varsity 8 that won the Midwest Championship yesterday for the 1st time in 10 years and 2nd in program history!

— SIHS Sports (@SIHSSports) May 11, 2015

Players played catch with their parents before today's game as part of Fairless baseball's Senior Day.

Seniors playing catch with their parents one last time #SeniorDaypic.twitter.com/pKvm6tGMnZ

— FHS Athletic Dept (@FHSAthletics) May 11, 2015

Berea-Midpark's softball team is also celebrating its seniors and doing so with some commemorative posters.

Poster are up for senior night. Come support the Titans at 4:30 at Brook Park rec fields. #TitansBCSDpic.twitter.com/HpXY33Eorz

— Titans Fastpitch (@TitansFastpitch) May 11, 2015

Villa Angela-St. Joseph boys basketball coach Babe Kwasniak expressed support and respect for Cavaliers coach David Blatt and his decision to take responsibility for clock mismanagement that nearly cost the Cavs Game 4 against the Bulls.

Assistants in the NBA make a lot of $$$ to make sure head coaches know things (like timeouts) but Blatt owned it b/c that's what LEADERS do.

— Babe Kwasniak (@BabeKwas) May 11, 2015

This Monday was a great one for Amherst alum Austin Walts.

Congratulations to Comet alum @AustinWalts, who collected his 200th career hit at @goashlandeagles today!

— Amherst Baseball (@ASHSBaseball) May 10, 2015

Follow our new high school sports Twitter account @NEOvarsity and tag your high school sports Tweets and score updates with the #NEOVarsity hashtag. Contact high school sports reporter Robert Rozboril by email (rrozboril@cleveland.com), on Twitter (@rrozboril) or on Facebook (facebook.com/rrozboril). Or log in and leave a message in the comments section below.

The Browns made a series of moves today, including signing sixth-round cornerback Charles Gaines and waiving kicker Garrett Hartley. They also signed seven undrafted rookies and one first-year player from rookie camp.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Browns signed sixth-round cornerback Charles Gaines and waived veteran kicker Garrett Hartley, leaving them with two first-year kickers, including local product Casey Spear of Mayfield High.

They also signed eight prospects from rookie camp, including first-year defensive back Brandon Stephens from Strongsville High, and waived three other players to help make room for them.

The notion of two first-year kickers, including Travis Coons out of Washington, might seem daunting, but special teams coordinator Chris Tabor likes them both and is eager to see if one of them can nail down the kicking chores in camp.

In fact, former Browns kicker Billy Cundiff, who went 21-of-26 in 2013 and 22-of-29 in 2014 before giving way to Hartley, is still looking for work and the Browns haven't expressed interest. Whether or not they bring in another veteran remains to be seen.

"That position is wide open,'' Tabor said Saturday. "That's a heavy competition right there right now."

The kicker will be even more important this year, with the extra point possibly moving back to the 15 for about a 33-yard kick.

Hartley, a seven-year pro, filled in for Cundiff for two games last year and went 3-for-3 on field goals. The other three players waived were receiver Phil Bates, defensive back Varmah Sonie and defensive lineman Christian Tupou.

The seven undrafted rookies signed out of rookie camp are tight end Emmanuel Bibbs from Iowa State, receiver Paul Browning from Colorado State-Pueblo, defensive back Landon Feichter from Purdue, tight end Kevin Haplea from Florida State, receiver Darius Jennings from Virginia, running back Luke Lundy from Ottawa, and linebacker Rodman Noel from North Carolina State.

Stephens, the Strongsville native, played in 48 games for Miami University,  totaling 101 career tackles, 20 passes defensed and three interceptions. He most recently played for the Cleveland Gladiators in the Arena Football League. He also spent time on the Lions' practice squad in 2011.

Spear, a native of Highland Heights, Ohio, was originally signed by the Eagles as an undrafted free agent out of Vanderbilt last May, but was waived in August. The Browns signed him on Dec. 30.

At Vanderbilt, he converted on 39 of 50 field goal attempts (78.0 percent) and 101 of 102 extra points. He was a three-time team captain and three-time All-Academic honoree. As a senior, he set the Commodores' single-season scoring record with 99 points (15-of-19 field goals and all 48 extra points).

"It's awesome," Spear told the News-Herald after a minicamp practice this weekend. "I'm grateful for the opportunity. Being from Mayfield, it seems like just yesterday being in Larry Pinto's program. I learned a lot from that guy. He's a great coach. I'm going to empower what I learned from Mayfield through Vanderbilt here in Cleveland. It's a blessing, for sure."

Coon was originally signed by the  Titans as an undrafted free agent  last May but was waived Sept. 1. The Browns also signed him on Dec. 30th. Coon played in 26 career games in two years at Washington, making 24 of 30 career field goal attempts (80.0 percent). He also averaged 40.1 yards on 116 punts.

In addition to Gaines, the cornerback out of Louisville, the Browns have signed sixth-round tight end Randall Telfer and second-round linebacker Nate Orchard.

NFL Network reported Monday that Browns first-round pick Danny Shelton agreed to terms on his four-year contract, but two sources told Northeast Ohio Media Group that the report was premature.

The Cuyahoga Heights softball team is currently ranked No. 4 in the coaches poll.

The NFL thrives off of drama, and Tom Brady's extreme four-game suspension works out perfectly for the league. It also damages the reputation of one of its best players.

By Kevin Duffy | MassLive.com

NFL analysts everywhere will have you believe that severe punishment for Tom Brady was the last thing the league wanted this offseason. They'll tell you that Brady is the face of the NFL, a model citizen and quite possibly the best quarterback to ever play. All true.

Here's the caveat: The NFL thrives off drama. The league loves it. Sometimes it feels like this is the WWE. Seriously. It is the middle of May and the NFL is all anyone is talking about, because the league's golden boy -- a four-time Super Bowl champ -- won't be playing until Week 6 next season, barring an overturn of his suspension.

This was a brutally harsh penalty handed down by the NFL: Four games for Brady (in part because of his refusal to submit his cell phone and email records), a first-round pick in 2016, a fourth-round pick in 2017, and a $1 million team fine, the largest figure in NFL history.

Listen, I am no Patriots apologist, but this was wayyyyy over the top.

There were strong points in the Wells Report, yes. Two team employees, Jim McNally and John Jastremski, had texted back-and-forth about McNally receiving a "needle" in October. McNally, though, was an officials locker room attendant. His job had nothing to do with a needle at all. That was all Jastremski's responsibility. Even if you're the most ardent of Patriots fans, this is tough to get past.

But, ultimately, the Wells Report was flawed. There was no absolute evidence that McNally deflated footballs when he took them into the bathroom. The incriminating text messages were from October and May 2014 (including one in which McNally referred to himself as "The Deflator"), not from the January 2015 game in question. The footballs were tested at halftime on two separate gauges, and there was an extremely wide variance -- sometimes 0.4 PSI -- from one gauge to another. There was no pregame PSI data. There exists no pregame or postgame PSI data for any NFL game except the 2015 AFC Championship. There was simply Walt Anderson's recollection, which left open the argument that the referees were covering their backs and covering up their carelessness. Is that absolutely what happened? No, but you can at least present that case and make a valid argument.

This wasn't as cut-and-dry as, say, a PED violation, which also merits a four-game suspension. You fail a drug test, and you get four games. Pretty simple. With this investigation, there were many question marks. To some degree, this was open to interpretation, and that's why the four-game suspension and the loss of a first-round draft pick was borderline shocking.

Especially when you consider the language in the NFL game operations manual: "if any individual alters the footballs, or if a non-approved ball is used in the game, the person responsible and, if appropriate, the head coach or other club personnel will be subject to discipline, including but not limited to, a fine of $25,000."

Even if Brady was 100 percent at fault, the competitive advantage gained simply does not align with the punishment given. I waffled on whether any suspension was just, and finally arrived where Yahoo!'s Dan Wetzel did days ago: Brady probably was at fault, but the report had enough holes to make a legitimate case for his innocence. Therefore a hefty fine seemed like a reasonable middle ground.

A one or two game suspension could have been justified. Docking Brady for the first quarter of the 2015 season is no doubt extreme.

But ... it all works out conveniently for the NFL. The Pats have a Week 5 bye, which means Brady would return for a Week 6 Sunday night game at Indianapolis. Funny how things work out like that.