On today's Cavs Insider, Bay Area News Group's Marcus Thompson, Joe Vardon and Chris Haynes recapped the series opener against the Golden State Warriors and talked about Kyrie Irving's status. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Cleveland Cavaliers lost Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Thursday night.

While the loss stings, the scene in the locker room with Kyrie Irving, who injured his left knee in overtime, was the lasting image. Irving left the arena on crutches, leading to more uncertainty about his troublesome knee.

LeBron James scored 44 points, the Cavs had two chances at a game-winning shot, but neither went down, squandering a great chance to steal the first game and take homecourt advantage.

For the second time this postseason, the Cavs trail the best-of-seven series, 0-1. 

Dan Labbe and I were joined on today's Cavs Insider by Bay Area News Group's Marcus Thompson and well as cleveland.com's Joe Vardon and Chris Haynes to recap the series opener against the Golden State Warriors.

• How concerning is the injury to Irving?
• What will the Cavs do with the lineup if Irving can't return?
• What was the mood in the Cavs' locker room following the game?
• What adjustments does James need to make moving forward?
• Will the Warriors continue the same defensive plan against James?
• Were there any positives for the Cavs despite the loss?

See videos, notes and photos from Day 1 of the Division II field events at the OHSAA state track meet.

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Three area field event throwers took high honors on Friday at OHSAA state track and field tournament.

Garrettsville Garfield sophomore Lauren Jones earned her first title at Ohio State’s Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium throwing 141 feet and 1 inch in the discus and Kent Roosevelt senior Randy McMullen repeated as the wheelchair division shot put champion with 25-08.75 feet.

Lake Catholic senior Matt Ludwig nearly finished with a state title in the pole vault event finishing second with 15-08 feet. Ludwig finished behind state champion Coty Cobb from Madison with 16-06.

A handful of area field event athletes also competed on the first day. Division II field events will continue on Saturday with the girls long jump, shot put, pole vault, boys discus and high jump at 9:30 a.m.

Records set

McMullen, Kent Roosevelt: The senior set a new record for the OHSAA Division II Wheelchair Division, State Meet and Owens Stadium with 25-08.75. The OHSAA Wheelchair Division record was previously 23-10.75, and Owens Stadium and State record was 23-6.75 all set my McMullen last season.

Local boys champion

McMullen, Kent Roosevelt: This was the senior’s second state title breaking last year’s finish of 23-6.75. These were all records the OHSAA Division II Wheelchair, State Meet and Owens Stadium records. His personal record is 27 feet set in Poland Seminary this season.

Local girls champion

Jones, Garrettsville Garfield: The sophomore will be competing in the girls long jump and shot put events on Saturday. Last year she finished sixth in the discus with 125-02 feet. Her personal record is 148.

Who stood out

Ryder Bell, University School: The senior long jumper took sixth with 22-00 feet behind state champion, senior Cameron Hart of Harley with 23-03.25.

Darius Farmer, Warrensville Heights: Coming into Columbus as the top seed, the senior long jumper missed the podium with a record of 20-08.25 for 10^th place.

Nicholas Lauria, Perry: The junior pole vaulter finished with 15-04 tying for third with Delta senior Tyler Fraker. Last year Lauria finished in eighth place with 14-00 feet.

Ludwig, Lake Catholic: The senior pole vaulter returned this season after taking third with 15-06 feet. Coming into the event on Friday as the top seed, he finished second two inches higher than his previous record.

Alyssa Matheny, Manchester: The sophomore high jumper finished in 15^th place with 5-00 feet. Clyde junior Paula Wollenslegel took first with 5-07.

Johanna Ragland, Lutheran West: The senior finished the discus in 12^th place with a distance 119-08 feet after fouling out last year. She returns on Saturday for the shot put after finishing sixth with 39-07 behind state champion Edith Svonavec from Garrettsville Garfield with 45-06.75.

Catie Stanley, Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy: In the freshman’s first trip to Columbus, she finished just shy of making the podium in ninth place of the high jump with a record of 5-02.

Sound bites:

Bell, University School: This year I was just really focused on getting here and trying to get a few jumps in because last year I just fouled all three times. It was not a good feeling…I ended up getting a 22, can’t complain with a 22 for me. I would have liked to got a higher place, but we got here and I’m happy with it.”

Jones, Garrettsville Garfield: “After I hit the 141, I was just calm after that. The hardest part was waiting for second flight because I just wanted to keep going.”

McMullen, Kent Roosevelt: “It just feels great. I don’t know what I’m going to go do to celebrate. I’ll probably go eat a big steak.”

Coach Paul Wilson, Kent Roosevelt on McMullen’s efforts: “We’re just really proud of all the work he has put in…I’m just so proud of his work ethic and everybody that supports him. He is just a great kid to have on the team and to be around.”

For more high school sports news, like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. Contact Nathaniel Cline on Twitter (@nathanielcline), by email (ncline@cleveland.com) or log in and leave a message in the comments section below.

Get caught up on all the angles from Thursday's NBA Finals Game 1 loss by Cleveland Cavaliers, including analysis on LeBron James and Kyrie Irving's health, pictures, videos, podcasts. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio - See all the next-day angles from Cleveland and the Bay Area from the Cavaliers' 108-100 overtime loss to the Golden State Warriors in Game 1 of the NBA Finals.

Get caught up on lots of content following Thursday night's game, including analysis on LeBron James and Kyrie Irving's health, pictures, videos, podcasts and more.

The collection of links below is broken down by content from Cleveland and content from Northern California media outlets. At the bottom is general NBA links of note.

See an interesting article or column about the NBA Finals online? We invite you to share a link to it in the comments section below.

Game 2 is Sunday in Oakland, Calif., at 8 p.m. on ESPN.

Content from cleveland.com

See winners and losers from both teams off Thursday's game.

Podcast: Listen to Plain Dealer sportswriter Dennis Manoloff break down Game 1.

Watching Cavaliers in Finals reminds high school coach Dru Joyce II what it was like in the beginning, says Plain Dealer columnist Terry Pluto.

Pop singer Rihanna was seen outside the Cavs' locker room after the game screaming LeBron James' name, according to reports.

Reaction from media personalities following Cavaliers' Game 1 loss.

TV win: Cavaliers-Warriors is highest-rated NBA Finals Game 1 ever on ABC.

Dellymania! Matthew Dellavedova has become folk hero to fans, who admire his hustle and 10,000-mile road traveled to become a vital member of Cavs.

See a breakdown of key stats behind the Cavs' overtime loss.

Should Cavs respond to West Coast rap legend E-40 performing at halftime in Oakland by inviting Bone-Thugs-N-Harmony to perform in Game 3 in Cleveland?

No reason to second-guess Kyrie Irving playing big minutes on a big stage, says Northeast Ohio Media Group columnist Bud Shaw.

Former broadcaster Joe Tait reflects on the Cavs, NBA and the Finals.

Podcast: Listen to our postgame podcast following Cavaliers' loss to the Warriors.

See sports, news and special section front pages from newspapers covering Game 1 of NBA finals in Cleveland and Bay Area.

Poll: Do you have a new prediction after Game 1? As of 2 p.m. Friday, the leading vote-getter for picking the series winners is Warriors in five games.

MRI test on Kyrie Irving's knee will be Cavaliers' biggest test of year.

Fact of the day: Both of LeBron James' NBA titles came after his team lost Game 1.

Five observations by Northeast Ohio Media Group Cavaliers writer Chris Fedor.

The cover of The Plain Dealer's NBA Finals special section from Game 1.PD 

Postgame transcript: What Cavs players LeBron James and Tristan Thompson said.

Postgame transcript: What Cavs coach David Blatt said.

Postgame transcript: What Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr said.

Postgame transcript: What Golden State Warriors players Andre Iguodala and Stephen Curry said.

Postgame transcript: What Golden State Warriors player Klay Thompson said.

Check out the latest installment of game reports from Dennis Manoloff.

Cavaliers lose game, perhaps lose Kyrie Irving and I'm worried, says Terry Pluto.

Andre Iguodala is NBA Finals Game 1 difference maker.

Check out a diary of ABC's telecast of Game 1.

Video, photos: Experience emotional roller coaster fans attending Cavaliers watch party at The Q endured.

LeBron James gave what he pledged to his city on his return, everything he had, and it was not enough, says Plain Dealer columnist Bill Livingston.

See reaction on social media following Cavaliers' 108-100 overtime loss.

Cavaliers' loss in Game 1 comes with even worse news, says NEOMG columnist Bud Shaw.

Instant analysis of LeBron James' performance by NEOMG Cavaliers writer Joe Vardon.

Instant game story: Thrilling game ends with woeful OT for Cavs and Kyrie Irving hobbled once again.

Photos: See a gallery of Game 1 pictures by Plain Dealer photographers Gus Chan and Thomas Ondrey.

The poster cover of the Sports section for the San Jose Mercury News and Oakland Tribune, which are part of the Bay Area News Group.BANG 

Content from Northern California

Marreese Speights takes advantage of the opportunity given to him in Game 1. (San Francisco Chronicle)

Andre Iguodala produces at both ends of the court. (San Francisco Chronicle)

Steph Curry gets crafty in overtime. (San Jose Mercury News)

Warriors beat LeBron at his best. (San Jose Mercury News)

General NBA links

Arn Tellem, one of the top agents in NBA, is being hired by Detroit Pistons to help run franchise. (Yahoo.com)

NBA commissioner Adam Silver says little chance in banning Hack-a-Shaq. (ESPN.com)

New book says Allen Iverson was drunk during his practice rant. (ESPN.com)

Dwyane Wade looking for $20 million per season. (Fox Sports)

Tiger Woods continued to struggle at the tee, but putted his way up the leaderboard on the front nine of his second round at the 2015 Memorial Tournament on Friday.

DUBLIN, Ohio - Tiger Woods slowly is putting his way up the leaderboard at the 2015 Memorial Tournament. He drained putts of 43, 16 and seven feet in the first four holes in the second round. He made the turn 3-under through nine holes and 2-under for the tournament Friday afternoon.

Check back to cleveland.com/golf later in the day for a complete wrap-up of Woods' round and all of his post-round comments.

• Click here to view a live Memorial Tournament leaderboard.

Swedish pro David Lingmerth led the tournament at 12-under and was finished for the day after shooting a 7-under 66 Friday. Cleveland native Jason Dufner was 11-under, including an ace on No. 16 that led to a round of 67. Great Britain's Andy Sullivan had the round of the day thus far, 8-under, and was 10-under for the tournament.

Woods was far from contention, but he was distancing himself from the cut, which was hovering around even par during the afternoon as he headed to the back nine.

He also had 18 consecutive bogey-free holes heading into the back nine Friday.

Woods' stellar putting belied another dangerous day on the tee box. He missed five of seven fairways on the front nine. Errant tee shots on the score-friendly par 5s particularly were costly and prevented Woods from making up real ground on the field.

Woods teed off at No. 1 Friday under sunny skies and little wind on an 81-degree afternoon. The cart paths, greens and tees were choked with fans on his every hole.

He hit his first drive 291 yards into the right rough, continuing a career trend that reached significant depths yesterday when he missed 10 of 14 fairways. But his approach shot landed safely, though 33 feet from the pin. Woods drained the long bomb for a birdie, and he was on his way.

He hit the second fairway and made a 16-foot birdie putt, sending him to 1-under for the tournament.

A missed fairway followed on No. 3 to the right, but safely crossed a pond with his second shot and finished with a 7-foot par putt on the par-4.

Woods' tee shot on the 200-yard, par-3 of the day at No. 4 was just under 22 feet from the pin. He nailed it for his third birdie.

Keeping his driver in the bag on the par-5 fifth hole, he hit a fairway wood 242 yards to the right rough again, almost halfway to the pin. He crossed a creek to a landing zone to get a shot at the green, but his third shot was long into a greenside bunker. Digging in 66 feet from the hole, he blasted out of the trap with a stellar shot to within two feet of the hole and saved par.

When Woods was missing fairways Thursday, it was left and right. Friday, he stayed right and on No. 6, he was way, way right, landing to the right of the cart path amid the gallery. As he did most of Thursday, he continued to scramble again and hit an iron to the middle of the green. He two-putted for par.

A birdie putt lipped out at No. 7.

His tee shot on the par-3 No. 8 landed in the bunker, but a nice wedge put him to within three feet and he made par.

Woods hit the fairway at the par-4 ninth hole and made par.

Woods came into Friday with some momentum, despite being nine shots off the lead at 1-over 73. He played his final nine holes in 3-under Thursday after opening with a 40.

Five things we learned about the Golden State Warriors in their NBA Finals win against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Thursday night.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - The Golden State Warriors took a 1-0 lead in its best-of-seven series against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Thursday night with a 108-100 overtime win at Oracle Arena in Oakland, Calif. Here are five things we learned about the Golden State Warriors after Thursday's win.

Golden State did seem to be affected by magnitude of moment...

It was really no surprise that after more than a week between the Conference Finals and NBA Finals, that both teams played sloppily in the early goings. The first few minutes of Game 1 of the NBA Finals were a barrage of missed shots, and the Cavaliers built a double-digit lead as the only player who seemed to be unaffected by the Finals pressure, unsurprisingly, was LeBron James, playing in his fifth consecutive and sixth overall Finals. 

The Warriors shot 27.3 percent from the floor in the first quarter (6-of-22) and made just one of five 3-point attempts as the Cavaliers built a 29-19 lead. The only player who seemed to be ready was center Andrew Bogut, who did not score, but had three rebounds, one assist, one steal and two blocks.

Conversely, James started and stayed hot until overtime, scoring 12 of his game-high 44 points in the first quarter on 4-of-9 shooting. Take away James' scoring, however and the rest of the Cavaliers still shot 42.8 percent (6-of-14).

...But they can get back into any game no matter the deficit

The Warriors are now 18-15 this season when trailing by double-digits for a reason. The obvious is that with shooters like Steph Curry and Klay Thompson, all it takes is a few shots for the Warriors' offense to get rolling and cut down on a deficit.

What's often forgotten about this Golden State team is how well it plays defense, especially in the half court. This season, the Warriors were first in the NBA in defensive efficiency. When Golden State began to cut the deficit, it was by holding Cleveland to just nine made field goal attempts in the second quarter. If not for J.R. Smith's 3-pointer as the clock was expiring, only four players would have scored for the Cavaliers in the second quarter.

Golden State flexed its defensive muscles the most late in the fourth quarter and in overtime. The Warriors held the Cavaliers to 1-of-9 field goals in overtime, which could have been 0-of-8 if not for a James layup with 10 seconds remaining. The Cavaliers scored its last field goal before that layup at the 2:38 mark of the fourth quarter, a James fadeaway.

Steph Curry is really good at that corner 3-pointer

It might not seem like a big deal, because Curry is the 2014-15 Most Valuable Player, one of the best shooters in the NBA and debatably of all time, and because fans see him make impossible shots look simple all the time. 

Last night's 3-pointer that tied the game was different though; it's become somewhat of a staple of his offensive arsenal, especially in high pressure situations. In the postseason, Curry is 13-of-14 from the left corner according to ESPN, and his makes have come at crucial points in the Warriors' postseason wins. 

Steph Curry is REALLY good from the left corner this postseason. pic.twitter.com/sF7cNv5l9a

-- SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) June 5, 2015

First, there was this game winner against New Orleans in the first round.

Next, one that shut the door on the Rockets in Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals, where Curry scored 40 points.

On Thursday night, Curry tied the game in the second quarter on this shot, almost identical to the shot he hit against Houston.

Warriors' bench is as deep as we thought

You don't win 67 games during the regular season and make it to the NBA Finals without having a great bench. After the likes of Curry, Thompson, Barnes, Green and Bogut leave the floor, it's often the Warriors' bench that can help build a lead, or as we saw last night, cut a deficit before the starters come back in.

At the beginning of the second quarter, the Warriors' lineup was made up of reserve players who at one time were starters on this team or others, like Andre Iguodala, Leandro Barbosa and Shawn Livingston. They slowly started to chip away at the lead, and with the help of big man Maureese Speights, who scored six points in his first four minutes, were able to make it easier for Curry and the starters to get back in the game with a manageable deficit. 

Iguodala, who has won Olympic medals with Team USA and been an All-Star has been key for the Warriors coming off the bench this season, and scored 15 points on 6-of-8 shooting last night and had a big part in guarding LeBron James in Game 1.

The Warriors bench outscored Cleveland's 34-9 and finished with a 19-6 rebounding advantage. All of Cleveland's bench points came from guard J.R. Smith, who shot 3-of-13 from the field and 3-of-10 from 3-point range. 

Golden State going to rotate who plays on LeBron

There was talk before the Finals, as there has been with every postseason series LeBron James has participated him, on who's going to guard him and if they'll be effective in stopping him. Prior to this series, it was widely assumed that Golden State forwards Draymond Green and Harrison Barnes would share the bulk of that load.

In reality, the Warriors threw four regular defenders at James, including Green and Barnes, but also guard Klay Thompson and Andre Iguodala off the bench. James scored 44 points, so maybe there's no amount or variety of players on any NBA team that can stop him when he gets going, but in the final 14 minutes, 12 seconds of the game, the Warriors constantly rotated Iguodala and Barnes on James with Green helping when needed. 

James was 4-of-13 for 11 points in 7:21 against Iguodala, 4-of-4 with 11 points in 5:37 against Barnes and 2-of-5 with four points in 1:54 against Green, according to the SportVu postgame report on NBA.com.

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

Here are the lineups and the pitching matchup for Friday's affair between Baltimore and Cleveland.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Here are the lineups and the pitching matchup for Friday's affair between Baltimore and Cleveland.

Pitching matchup: Shaun Marcum (2-0, 5.49 ERA) vs. Chris Tillman (2-7, 5.94 ERA)

Lineups

Indians

1. 2B Jason Kipnis

2. 1B Carlos Santana

3. DH Michael Brantley

4. RF Brandon Moss

5. LF David Murphy

6. 3B Lonnie Chisenhall

7. C Yan Gomes

8. CF Michael Bourn

9. SS Mike Aviles

Orioles

1. 3B Manny Machado

2. RF Travis Snider

3. CF Adam Jones

4. 1B Chris Davis

5. C Matt Wieters

6. DH Jimmy Paredes

7. 2B Ryan Flaherty

8. SS J.J. Hardy

9. LF David Lough

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Two images of Kyrie Irving, only minutes apart during Game 1 of the NBA Finals, epitomize the reward and risk of playing through pain in postseason sports. There's the Cavaliers guard soaring to block Stephen Curry's shot at the rim to deny a potential go-ahead bucket and give his team a chance to win the game...

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Two images of Kyrie Irving, only minutes apart during Game 1 of the NBA Finals, epitomize the reward and risk of playing through pain in postseason sports.

There's the Cavaliers guard soaring to block Stephen Curry's shot at the rim to deny a potential go-ahead bucket and give his team a chance to win the game in the closing seconds. It represented a moment of heroism from a young star who's been playing on a bad knee for weeks.

Minutes later, however, Irving crumpled to the floor in overtime, his leg buckling despite being untouched. Replays were difficult to watch and the Cavs' hopes of stealing the series opener vanished as No. 2 limped to the locker room.

ESPN's Brian Windhorst reported there have been tensions between the club and Irving's father and agent regarding the decision to play him while the point guard is laboring. His dad and agent are looking out for Irving's long-term future. The Cavs are in a difficult spot because they share concern for their point guard's well being, but also are four wins from their first NBA title. Without Irving in the lineup, chances for victory against the Warriors seem remote.

Hurt or injured? The lines become blurred with so much riding on post-season outcomes in the NBA, NHL, NFL and Major League Baseball. Agonizing decisions get made and the ramifications can sometimes immortalize players or rive relations with their teams. It's an emotional topic with manhood-challenging undertones and no easy answers. Think of Robert Griffin III dragging his injured right leg across FedEx Field in the 2013 playoff game against the Seahawks before tearing the LCL in his knee.

Irving was brilliant in the opener against the Warriors, helping carry the Cavaliers within one shot of victory at the end of regulation. He played 44 minutes, scored 23 points and made a handful of clutch plays. He certainly didn't look like a player endangering his future on that dazzling block of Curry.

We've always known Irving to be a talented player, a smooth operator who could dribble through a double team in a phone booth. The grit he's demonstrated in the last two rounds, however, in fighting through injury and re-injury has elevated his status in the eyes of some. Thursday night marked the third time his knee seized up, and Irving told reporters, this time it felt different.

Should the depleted Cavs have limited his minutes in a game where they needed him on the court so desperately? I say "no," but that's an easy position to take when it's not my knee absorbing the pounding. LeBron James, who's played through cramps and sprains in May and June, offered his view on the dicey subject earlier in the playoffs.

"Everyone's pain tolerance is different, but my responsibility is much higher than a lot of guys," James told reporters. "Not only on this team, but a lot of guys in professional sports, and I take it very seriously."

The sports world offers many examples of the warrior mentality. It's Pro Football Hall-of-Famer Jack Youngblood playing through two postseason games in 1979 with a fractured left fibula. It's Bobby Baun scoring the Stanley-Cup winning goal for the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1964 on a broken leg. It's a hobbled Willis Reed giving the Knicks an emotional lift with his appearance in Game 7 of the NBA Finals. It's Kirk Gibson hitting a walk-off homer in the 1988 World Series and barely being able to circle the bases. It's Julian Edelman returning to the Super Bowl after the hellacious hit he suffered from Kam Chancellor and catching the game-winning touchdown.

 "It's a mindset you develop when you start to play team sports and it grows more powerful inside you the longer you play," former NHL player Michael Peca told NEOMG on Friday. "You hate to compare it to military service, but you want to earn your stripes and stars. You don't want to let your teammates down if there's anyway humanly possible."

Peca reached the Stanley Cup Final in 1999 with the Buffalo Sabres despite playing most of the tournament with rib cartilage that kept popping out of place.  

"In the regular season sometimes you play hurt, but in the playoffs you sometimes have to play injured and that's the inherent risk you take at that time of the year," he said.

Peca said there are thresholds players shouldn't cross, however, and it's often the responsibility of team doctors to make those difficult decisions. Good teammates understand, he said, when a "player simply can't go."

Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler took grief for removing himself from a NFC title game with a knee injury.Associated Press 

Fans have come to expect gladiatorial efforts when the stakes are highest. Sometimes, it can turn ugly if a player opts to sit one out or remove himself from a game. Bears quarterback Jay Cutler was criticized by fans, analysts and even fellow players for coming out of a 2011 NFC Championship loss to the Packers with a knee injury.

NFL players Maurice Jones-Drew and Darnell Dockett wrote on Twitter that Cutler should have remained in the game despite the injury. Teammate Brian Urlacher defended Cutler's decision and said nobody in the Bears' locker room questioned the quarterback's toughness.

Two years later, the Griffin injury fueled a rift with the Redskins coaching staff that never fully healed.

As the Cavs await word on Irving's MRI, the hope is he can play again in the Finals - Cleveland showed its capable of beating the favored Warriors with him in the lineup. And, if he can't, everyone needs to respect the decision and come together in the long-term best interest of player and organization.

It's maddening to think what position the Cavaliers would be in with a healthy Irving and Kevin Love. An injury can alter the course of a playoff run. It's why you see Irving trying to will himself through games and Klay Thompson return to action after being kneed in the head.

Nobody want to let their teammates down, everyone wants to earn their "stripes and stars." NBA and NHL titles are the hardest to win because teams need 16 victories over two months while battling four opponents - five if you count attrition.

Hurt or injured? It is a most troubling and uncomfortable question at this time of year.

Rated in the 247Sports composite rankings the No. 25 defensive tackles in the 2016 recruiting class, Jones announced on his public Twitter account Friday that he's going to revel his commitment on June 8 at 2:00 p.m.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Four-star defensive tackle Naquan Jones of Evanston (Ill.) Township is one of the best prospects in the country.  

And he's ready to announce his college decision. 

Rated in the 247Sports composite rankings the No. 25 defensive tackles in the 2016 recruiting class, Jones announced on Twitter Friday that he's going to reveal his commitment on June 8 at 2:00 p.m. 

Jones racked up nearly 17 scholarship offers, but he's most considering Michigan State, Michigan, Ohio State, Penn State and South Carolina. The Buckeyes offered Jones a scholarship on Feb. 21. 

Michigan State, though, is considered the heavy favorite. 

According to 247Sports "Crystal Ball" -- a tool that polls recruiting experts to predict a prospect's college destination -- Michigan State received 100 percent of the 11 votes. 

Check back with cleveland.com on Monday to see the 6-foot-4, 283-pounder's decision. 

The NBA wants Cavs fans to be wary of the counterfeit and team merchandise and game tickets that fall into the marketplace.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Considering jumping on the Cavs bandwagon and buying a LeBron James jersey? The NBA wants Cavs fans to be wary of counterfeit merchandise and tickets.

The league employs lawyers in 140 countries who work to protect their intellectual property -- team logos and brands. Since 1992, the NBA has helped seize more than 10.9 million pieces of counterfeit merchandise. But knock-offs are hawked on street corners and online at increasing rates during the NBA finals.

"It's not the deal that it might seem to be," NBA Vice President and Senior Intellectual Property Counsel Erik Levin said. "It's very rare that you see a quality counterfeit product."

As the Cavs attempt their first NBA title in decades,  Levin handed out tips to keep fans from getting scammed. Before buying an NBA jersey fans should check to make sure the merchandise is official by looking for:

• Hologram sticker or holographic hangtag
• A sewn-in or screen-printed label identifying the name of the NBA licensee that has been authorized by the NBA to produce "genuine" or "official" apparel products
• Correct spellings of player and team names
• Intact product tags or labels
• Current NBA branding
• Accurate team colors
• High quality embroidery
• Screen printing that is not worn or cracked

The NBA recommends buying your gera from NBA-authorized retail locations, official team stores and NBAStore.com, and to verify the retailer's exchange and return policy.

Levin also cautioned against buying tickets from scalpers. Many counterfeiters try to peddle fake tickets to fans, who discover their mistake on game day when their admittance gets denied.

"We really want to make sure that fans know that purchasing tickets off the streets is really a risky practice," Levin said.

What do you think? Have you bought counterfeit Cavs gear?

Check out some of the winners and losers after Game 1 of the 2015 NBA Finals.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Here is a look at some of the winners and losers following Thursday's 108-100 Cleveland Cavaliers loss against the Golden State Warriors in Game 4 of the 2015 Eastern Conference Finals.

Winner: Bay Area radiology technicians

Somewhere out there in the Bay Area is a radiology technician who is about to proctor the most important exam of the season for the Cavaliers. The severity of Kyrie Irving's injured left knee will not be known until after an MRI is conducted and team doctors can diagnose what, if any, damage occurred on Thursday when Irving left Game 1 midway through overtime.

Losers: Kids wearing Kyrie Irving jerseys

Among the top fan favorite moments from the playoff watch parties at The Q are the "player introductions" featuring kids dressed in jerseys of the Cavaliers starting five. It appears highly unlikely that anybody wearing a Kyrie Irving jersey is going to be making an appearance anytime soon.

Winner: Andre Iguodala

The 10-year veteran was the difference on defense for Golden State, drawing the assignment to cover LeBron James for much of the fourth quarter and at the end of regulation. Iguodala said that when he was a rookie in 2004, Philadelphia teammate Aaron McKie told him the key to guarding superstars in the NBA is to "make it hard for them." McKie counseled Iguodala not to foul players such as James and to "make them take tough shots and (make) the routes hard." Iguodala scored 15 points on 6-of-8 shooting from the floor in 32 minutes. None of his shots was more spectacular than his crossover to get past James and two-handed throw down to end the first quarter.

Loser: J.R. Smith

Playing 34 minutes in Game 1, Smith scored nine points on 3-of-13 shooting from the field. Smith attempted 10 shots from 3-point range. None more ill-advised than his forced jumper from the right side that was deflected into the air by Klay Thompson and led to a Golden State fast break.

Winner: Timofey Mozgov

The Cavaliers' big Russian center played 33 minutes and scored 16 points while providing some much-needed protection around the rim. While Mozgov was only credited with one blocked shot in the contest, it was obvious that the seven-footer altered several Golden State field goal attempts and served as an intimidating force around the basket. He also collected seven rebounds and the team was +3 when he was on the floor.

Losers: Cleveland's bench

Outscored 34-9 by the Warriors, Cleveland's bench bunch struggled to hit open shots, play cohesive defense and move the ball. Matthew Dellavedova and James Jones combined to shoot 0-for-1 from the floor and totaled zero points. "I think that was a pretty significant factor in terms of numbers and the lift they got," Cavaliers coach David Blatt said afterward. "Our bench has been good throughout the playoffs. We missed their contribution."

Williams stretched her Grand Slam winning streak to 21 matches, following titles at the U.S. Open last September and Australian Open in January.

PARIS (AP) -- Overcoming a mid-match lull and a third-set deficit, Serena Williams won her third French Open title and 20th major singles trophy by beating 13th-seeded Lucie Safarova of the Czech Republic 6-3, 6-7 (2), 6-2 on Saturday.

After double-faulting away a two-break lead in the second set, then starting poorly in the third, the No. 1-seeded Williams took the last six games and added to her championships on the red clay of Roland Garros in 2002 and 2013.

Those go alongside six each from the U.S. Open and Australian Open, and five from Wimbledon.

"When I was a little girl, in California, my father and my mother wanted me to play tennis. And now I'm here, with 20 Grand Slam titles," Williams said in French. "This is very special for me. I haven't always played very well here, but I'm really happy to win the 20th here."

She stretched her Grand Slam winning streak to 21 matches, following titles at the U.S. Open last September and Australian Open in January.

Only two women in the century-plus history of Grand Slam tennis have won more major titles than the 33-year-old American: Margaret Smith Court with 24, and Steffi Graf with 22.

But this one did not come easily for Williams, who has been dealing with an illness and skipped practice Friday.

She double-faulted 11 times, part of 42 total unforced errors, 25 more than her opponent. In the third set, she fell behind 2-0, was warned by the chair umpire for an audible obscenity and even resorted to hitting one shot left-handed.

Whatever it takes to win, right? No one does that better than Williams, who is 32-1 in 2015, including 12-0 in three-setters.

She is the first woman since Jennifer Capriati in 2001 to win the Australian Open and French Open back-to-back and will head to the grass courts of Wimbledon this month with a chance to extend a bid to do just about the only thing she hasn't accomplished: win a calendar-year Grand Slam.

When Saturday's match, which went from a stroll to a struggle, was over, Williams dropped her racket, threw her head back and lifted her arms into a "V." In the stands, her coach, Patrick Mouratoglou, stood and raised his hands. He held aloft two fingers on his right and made a fist with his left, to symbolize "20."

And to think: Four times in her first six matches over the past two weeks, Williams dropped the opening set before coming back to win, including in Thursday's semifinals, when Williams was lethargic and, Mouratoglou would say afterward, bothered by the flu, a fever and difficulty breathing.

So the most meaningful question leading into the final against Safarova, a 28-year-old lefty with a whip-like forehand who was making her Slam final debut in her 40th major appearance, was this: How healthy would Williams be?

She began providing answers from the get-go on a sunny afternoon.

Williams closed the first game with an untouchable groundstroke winner, followed by a 120 mph (194 kph) ace. As if to prove her timing on returns was just fine, too, she pounded a 104 mph (167 kph) serve with a cross-court forehand so powerful and precise that Safarova didn't bother to step toward the ball, watching the winner sail by for a break that made it 3-1 after 13 minutes.

Williams led 4-1 in the second set, then began to falter. Coughing between points, she double-faulted twice in a row to get broken for the first time, then double-faulted again to make it 4-all. When Safarova, now more confident in her strokes, held moments later, she led 5-4.

Safarova stood strong in the tiebreaker and grabbed the first two games of the final set, displaying the sort of strokes she used to beat past champions Maria Sharapova and Ana Ivanovic on the way to the final.

Only two women in the Open era of professional tennis, which began in 1968, played in more majors than Safarova before winning a trophy. As soon as Safarova made things interesting enough Saturday to perhaps begin thinking about putting her name on that short list, Williams quickly regained control.

The Browns finished up another week of OTAs. Here are some observations from what we learned this week. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- When you peel back the layers -- the money, the fame, the politics -- the NFL is a league that's about one thing: Can you play? Can a coach look at your name on the depth chart and say, "I know what I'm getting out of that guy. I trust him."

A player can skate by for a season or so if a coach can't say that about him. He'll hang on just long enough to get replaced by someone else, either in the draft or free agency -- once a team finds that player a coach can trust.

That's the reason an undrafted player like K'Waun Williams is able to get on the field and stay there while last year's top picks, Justin Gilbert and Johnny Manziel, are already fighting for NFL survival. Tom Reed wrote about Williams earlier this week.

If you passed Williams on the street, you probably wouldn't think twice about it. He's 5'9" and listed at 183 pounds. He's not particularly charismatic. But he showed last season that he can hold down the nickel back spot in Mike Pettine's defense. He became a guy the coaches could count on.

The same things can be said of wide receiver Taylor Gabriel. An undrafted rookie a season ago, all Gabriel did was offer reliability at a position with question marks. Somehow, at 5'8" and 167 pounds, Gabriel offered the team more stability than star wideout Josh Gordon. 

Williams and Gabriel will likely never be stars. They'll likely never rank among the best players on a team. But you need 53 on Sundays. You need sneaky, small guys with reliable hands and nickel backs that can do their jobs at a high level. You need guys that a coach won't think twice about writing in pen on the depth chart every week.

You need guys that, when you ask the simple question, "Can he play?" the answer is "Yes," and it's not even close.

Brown-for-a-day

We all need a nice story sometimes. 

It's easy to get cynical, especially when teams are continually tossing out press releases touting every small charitable effort. But Dylan Sutcliffe signing a one-day contract on Tuesday was a really nice moment for him and his family. It's hard to hear his father speak about what it means to him and Dylan and everyone else involved and not feel like some real good was done that day.

I hope that, in the hard times, Dylan's family will always be able to remember their Tuesday in Berea. Like Derek, Dylan's father, said: "Today's a good day."

Johnny's non-story

I don't have much to add to the Johnny Manziel bottle-throwing incident at this point. There are lessons he can probably take from it, but in the end, no charges were filed and we all move on.

The real story in regards to Manziel at the moment is that he's the backup QB. In the small sample size we've seen from him he hasn't shown the arm, speed or ability to read a defense that an NFL quarterback needs. He's a second-year player a year removed from being a first-round pick and he's backing up a 35-year-old journeyman. Before he left the Panthers game with an injury, it was clear to see that Carolina's defense had little to no respect for his arm.

Manziel can and should make all the lifestyle changes he wants, and, as human beings, we should all be rooting for him to overcome whatever demons he's battling off the field. At some point, though, that roster spot comes under scrutiny as everyone begins to ask the only question that matters in the NFL: "Can he play?"

See results from Saturday's Division III finals and the wheelchair division 800-meter run at the 2015 OHSAA state tournament.

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Here are results from Saturday's Division III boys and girls track and wheelchair finals at the OHSAA state championships at Ohio State’s Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium, as well as final team standings.

BOYS TRACK

DIVISION III STATE TOURNAMENT

How they finished: 1. Warren JFK 48; 2. Maplewood 37; 3. Columbus Academy 28; 4. Anna 27; 5. Lincolnview 20; 5. Columbus Grove 20; 7. Bluffton 19; 7. Archbold 19; 9. St. Thomas Aquinas 15; 10. Dawson-Bryant 14; 10. Cincinnati Christian 14; 12. Shenandoah 13; 12. Cory-Rawson 13; 14. Grandview Heights 12; 14. Spencerville 12; 14. Lutheran West 12; 14. Montpelier 12; 21. Berkshire 10; 37. Trinity 6; 45. Mogadore 5; 72. Gilmour 1.

110H: 1. Zallow (WJFK) 13.91; 2. Blankemeyer (Li) 14.72; 3. Falasca (Berlin Center Western Reserve) 14.74; 4. Moore (She) 14.80; 5. Hartway (Columbus Africentric) 14.93; 6. Snyder (Mont) 15.09; 7. Recker (Arc) 15.19; 8. Herbst (Fairbanks) 15.34.

100: 1. Zallow (WJFK) 10.55*; 2. Coates (WJFK) 10.80; 3. Alessi (Canfield South Range) 10.97; 4. Hatfield (Paint Valley) 11.024; 5. Jordan (Cincinnati Country Day) 11.027; 6. Wyse (Arch) 11.04; 7. Antwine (CCh) 11.11; 8. Jones Jr. (Tree of Life Christian) 11.12.

4x200: 1. Bluffton (Wannemacher, Crisp, Stratton, Alt) 1:30.76; 2. Cory-Rawson 1:31.20; 3. Trinity 1:31.84; 4. Hartville Lake Center Christian 1:31.93; 5. Waynesfield-Goshen 1:32.02; 6. Loudonville 1:32.03; 7. Minster 1:32.18; 8. Hopewell-Loudon 1:32.35.

1,600: 1. Moore (Cincinnati Summit Country Day) 4:17.78; 2. Tow (Lin) 4:20.43; 3. Sparks (Map) 4:21.74; 4. Morrison (Map) 4:24.13; 5. Farmer (Piketon) 4:24.58; 6. Conrad (East Canton) 4:26.28; 7. Bane (Dola Hardin Northern) 4:26.50; 8. Trent (Ashland Crestview) 4:28.91.

4x100: 1. Ridgewood (Bailey, Kelly, Art, Donley) 43.962; 2. Loudonville 43.9645; 3. Bluffton 44.07; 4. Defiance Tinora 44.14; 5. Grandview Heights 44.57; 6. Anna 44.59; 7. Covington 44.68; 8. Montpelier 45.13.

400: 1. Storm (Berk) 48.97; 2. Knudsen (LW) 49.57; 3. Wise (Arch) 49.83; 4. Olewiler (Ashland Crestview) 50.19; 5. Buckner (CA) 50.31; 6. Troyer (Berlin Hiland) 50.496; 7. Maust (Berne Union) 50.50; 8. Fisher (Arch) 51.45.

300H: 1. Zallow (WJFK) 39.06; 2. Moore (She) 39.57; 3. Evans (West Liberty-Salem) 39.70; 4. Herbst (Fairbanks) 39.79; 5. Spies (CC) 39.842; 6. Norman (Toledo Christian) 39.846; 7. Brakefield (Pettsville) 40.37; 8. Johnson (Tri-County North) 40.81.

800: 1. Baker (CA) 1:54.02; 2. Martin (Colonel Crawford) 1:56.43; 3. Price (Tuscarawas Central Catholic) 1:56.44; 4. Hall (Map) 1:57.06; 5. Zimmer (Carey) 1:57.62; 6. Ware (Versailles) 1:57.77; 7. Sharrits (CG) 1:57.86; 8. Phillips (Gil) 1:58.73.

200: 1. Coates (WJFK) 21.71; 2. Antwine (CCh) 22.83; 3. Wyse (Arch) 22.18; 4. Warnimont (CR) 22.24; 5. Wolf (Min) 22.42; 6. Jellisson (Convoy Crestview) 22.59; 7. Jones Jr. (Tree of Life Christian) 22.69; 8. Clement (CG) 22.88.

3,200: 1. Dahmen (Map) 9:16.99; 2. Smith (Mineral Ridge) 9:18.16; 3. Williamson (Antwerp) 9:25.88; 4. Caniford (STA) 9:26.63; 5. Tow (Lin) 9:29.96; 6. Wood (Fisher Catholic) 9:30.48; 7. Johnson (Colonel Crawford) 9:32.60; 8. Sparks (Map) 9:33.57.

4x400: 1. Columbus Academy (Leathery, Boyce, Buckner, Baker) 3:21.53; 2. Anna 3:23.24; 3. Columbus Grove 3:24.13; 4. Minster 3:25.86; 5. Lutheran West 3:26.46; 6. Elmwood 3:26.64; 7. Riverdale 3:26.69; 8. Hopewell-Loudon 3:27.79.

*-State record.

WHEELCHAIR DIVISION

800: 1. Followay (Wooster) 2:16.84; 2. Fenster (New Albany) 2:38.73; 3. McMullen (Kent Roosevelt) 2:51.16; 4. Lanning (New Baltimore) 3:44.02.

GIRLS TRACK

DIVISION III STATE TOURNAMENT

How they finished: 1. St. Thomas Aquinas 69; 2. Minster 58; 3. Miami Valley School 30; 4. Toledo Christian 22; 5. Leipsic 21; 6. Rittman 20; 7. Gilmour 19; 8. Sugarcreek Garaway 18; 8. Russia 18; 10. Gibsonburg 17; 11. Upper Scioto Valley 16; 11. Archbold 16; 11. Botkins 16; 14. Columbus Grove 14; 14. Columbus School for Girls 14; 14. Canton Central Catholic 14; 14. Trinity 14; 38. Rootstown 5; 48. Berkshire 3.

100H: 1. McDermott (Ritt) 14.95; 2. Francis (Ru) 15.20; 3. Flegal (Edgerton) 15.49; 4. Cyrus (New Middletown Springfield) 15.56; 5. Swackhammer (Zanesville Bishop Rosecrans) 15.65; 6. Quinter (Fort Loramie) 15.71; 7. Burchett (Fairbanks) 15.88; 8. Ernsberger (North Baltimore) 16.28.

100: 1. Middleton (MVS) 12.20; 2. Holbrook (USV) 12.31; 3. Caldwell (River) 12.48; 4. Reynolds (Gib) 12.55; 5. LaMonica (Warren JFK) 12.58; 6. Johnston (TC) 12.66; 7. Freyhof (West LIberty-Salem) 12.67; 8. Goings (Wayne Trace) 12.69.

4x200: 1. St. Thomas Aquinas (Kac. Soehnlen, Kal. Soehnlen, Hoffman, Adams) 1:44.19; 2. Archbold 1:44.61; 3. Minster 1:45.69; 4. Worthington Christian 1:46.39; 5. Wayne Trace 1:46.92; 6. Norwayne 1:47.15; 7. Spencerville 1:47.60; 8. Fairbanks 1:48.10.

1,600: 1. Welsh (STA) 4:58.87; 2. Flora (Bot) 5:02.11; 3. Markel (Gil) 5:04.72; 4. Reolfi (CCC) 5:09.34; 5. Sreenan (Lima Central Catholic) 5:11.34; 6. Richmond (Bucyrus Wynford) 5:11.97; 7. Mitchell (McDonald) 5:13.05; 8. Norman (Xenia Christian) 5:14.09.

4x100: 1. St. Thomas Aquinas (Dempsey, Hoffman, Forchione, Adams) 50.20; 2. Columbus School for Girls 50.29; 3. Cincinnati Shroder 50.61; 4. Minster 50.80; 5. Wayne Trace 51.03; 6. Edgerton 51.28; 7. Columbus Africentric 51.41; 8. Rootstown 51.94.

400: 1. Johnston (TC) 56.85; 2. Rizk (Columbus Academy) 57.45; 3. C. Reynolds (Gib) 57.63; 4. Poorman (Smithville) 57.98; 5. Carr (Dayton Christian) 58.73; 6. Heaton (Ru) 58.75; 7. K. Reynolds (Gib) 59.43; 8. Smith (Monroeville) 1:00.20.

300H: 1. McDermott (Ritt) 45.99; 2. Meiring (Min) 46.20; 3. Caldwell (River) 46.23; 4. Bornhorst (Bot) 46.29; 5. Schwarzbeck (Sherwood Fairview) 46.58; 6. Buchett (Fairbanks) 46.59; 7. Swackhammer (Zanesville Bishop Rosecrans) 46.76; 8. Quinter (Fort Loramie) 46.97.

800: 1. Kal. Soehnlen (STA) 2:16.07; 2. Francis (Min) 2:16.82; 3. Slonkosky (Min) 2:17.69; 4. Smith (Tiffin Calvert) 2:18.30; 5. Mangette (Liberty Union) 2:18.68; 6. Alvey (Bellaire St. John Central) 2:19.42; 7. Kakascik (Steubeville Catholic Central) 2:19.86; 8. Kundo (Liberty Center) 2:19.95.

200: 1. Middleton (MVS) 24.87; 2. Holbrook (US) 24.93; 3. Poorman (Smithville) 25.631; 4. Johnston (TC) 25.632; 5. C. Reynolds (Gib) 25.73; 6. Kleinschmidt (Fremont St. Joseph) 25.76; 7. LaMonica (Warren JFK) 25.77; 8. Adams (STA) 25.96.

3,200: 1. Atkinson (Liberty Center) 10:45.20; 2. Welsh (STA) 11:08.02; 3. Wentworth (SG) 11:11.34; 4. Markel (Gil) 11;12.00; 5. Miller (CCC) 11:19.55; 6. Sreenan (Lima Central Catholic) 11:22.20; 7. Borchers (Ru) 11:23.50; 8. Pohl (Min) 11:49.06.

4x400: 1. Minster (Jutte, Meiring, Slonkosky, Francis) 3:55.16*; 2. Archbold 3:59.36; 3. Columbus School for Girls 3:59.71; 4. St. Thomas Aquinas 4:02.67; 5. Columbus Academy 4:02.85; 6. McDonald 4:03.52; 7. Gilmour 4:04.81; 8. Russia 4:08.28.

*-State record.

WHEELCHAIR DIVISION

800: 1. Fesemyer (Southeast) 2:38.97; 2. Hurley (McClain) 3:03.47; 3. Rhodes (Wooster Triway) 3:19.37; 4. Haley (East Canton) 3:47.09; 5. Castner (Coutheast) 4:08.28.

Tiger Woods shoots a career-worst, 13-over par 85 in the third round of the 2015 Memorial Tournament on Saturday. He had three double bogeys and five bogeys.

DUBLIN, Ohio -- Tiger Woods shot a career-worst 85 at the 2015 Memorial Tournament on Saturday at Muirfield Village Golf Club.

Woods' 13-over-par third round left him 12-over for the tournament. He was 24 shots behind second-round leader David Lingmerth of Sweden, who had yet to tee off.

Woods' previous worst round on the PGA Tour was an 82 at the Phoenix Open in January.

He went out in 42 and came back in 43 Saturday.

For years, Woods heard almost nothing but roars while winning five Memorial Tournaments, the most recent in 2012. Nearly every shot Saturday was greeted with groans, none more than each painful-to-watch shot on the final hole. He carded an 8 on 18.

Woods also had two double bogeys, six bogeys and a birdie on the hilly, par-72 course.

Tournament founder Jack Nicklaus once shot an 85, at the 2003 Masters. He was 63 years old at the time. Woods is 39 and going downhill fast. His last victory was the 2013 WGC-Bridgestone in Akron.

Woods' final hole started in the water and ended in disaster.

He took a drop after landing in a creek on the left off the tee. His approach fell short of the elevated green, surrounded by stunned fans in front of the clubhouse. 

Woods' chip up to the pin placed close to front side fell short of the green and rolled back past him. His next shot landed on the lip of a sand trap. He chipped again, then two-putted.

Woods shook hands with 24-year-old playing partner Zac Blair and even cracked a smile as he headed toward the clubhouse. He declined to speak to the media.

Woods looked frustrated, but calm throughout the round. He never tossed a club. This kind of round would have sparked a meltdown in his younger days.

"I thought he handled it great,'' said Blair, playing for the first time with Woods. "He never got super outwardly emotional. I thought he handled it pretty good. It was obviously, like you guys said, maybe the worst round he's ever played. But I don't think he ever got disrespectful out there. And he was always super courteous to me and friendly. It was nice to see that.''

Woods faces the prospect of teeing off by himself Sunday morning in the 71-man field unless he agrees to playing with a marker or club member.

Blair beats Tiger by 15: In stark contrast to Woods was Blair, a boy-faced rookie who stands just 5-6. He shot a steady 70 with one bump, a double-bogey on 16.

He said he was thrilled when he saw the pairing Friday night.

"It was the coolest thing ever,'' he said.

Blair recalled meeting Woods once or twice as a kid and getting his autograph at the PGA Championship in 2000. Blair was with his father, James, whose PGA Tour career was ending as Woods' was taking off.

James Blair flew in from Utah to be in the gallery Saturday.

Zac Blair might one day tell his kids he beat Woods by 15 strokes.

"I've always wanted to play with him,'' Blair said. "As a little kid, that was kind of my dream growing up. But it was unfortunate to see him not play great. But I hope to get to play with him again.''

• Click here for a review of Woods' front nine Saturday.

The back nine back-breaker: Woods looked to rebound from the consecutive double bogeys before the turn an parred No. 10.

Things started to get really ugly 11, a par 5. Another hooked drive was followed by a shot into a creek. A good putt from 31 feet left him with a short bogey putt, which he made. He bogeyed the next hole, a par-3, after overshooting the pin by 25 feet.

His approach at 14 hopped into a bunker and his wedge landed in the rough above the trap. As most golfers know, when things are going bad, bad things happen. Woods' next chip rolled straight to the pin and ricocheted off the stick. He made a four-footer for bogey.

Woods' only birdie of the round was at 15, which was just his second birdie on a par 5 in the tournament. He had a good look at a birdie on 16, but a 43-foot putt curved away in the last six inches.

Woods' approach on 17 landed in the water. He took a drop on a steep hill below the green, just above the creek. A high lob landed just three feet from the pin, and he dropped the bogey putt.

None of this would have happened if Woods had missed a par putt on 18 Friday. He needed the put to make the cut at 1-under. He dropped the 5-foot-8 shot to make it to the weekend.

He was upbeat after shooting a 70 Friday.

"I feel like today I made some progress,'' Woods said Friday. "And now I need to go work on it again and I'll make some progress tomorrow. And keep doing that and hopefully it will all come together this weekend. And if not, two weeks from now.''

See videos, notes and photos from Day 2 of the Division II field events at the OHSAA state track meet.

COLUMBUS, Ohio – She won the shot put title and won it again this year.

Garrettsville Garfield senior Edith Svonavec earned her second straight state shot put title in Division II on Saturday at the OHSAA state track tournament.

“I got everything together, calmed down a little bit, technique felt great, rusty a little a bit, but I came out first in the end,” Svonavec said.

Svonavec earned her second title throwing 44 feet 01.25 inches. This is under her record of 45-06.75 set last year in Columbus.

In other events, field event athletes made the podium including Woodridge senior Aijah Albert, and Elyria Catholic junior Ted Achladis and Bay senior Peter Sullivan in the discus.

The Division II events concluded on Saturday after opening the tournament on Friday at Ohio State University’s Jesse Owens Memorial. Garrettsville Garfield sophomore Lauren Jones highlighted the day winning her first state title in the discus with 141-01.

Check back later for video interviews with athletes and the Division II Day 2 results.

Local girls champion

Svonavec, Garrettsville Garfield: Despite a tough road to Columbus, the senior shot put champ (44-01.25) still managed to make the platform. Last year she scored the top award throwing farther with 45-06.75.

Who stood out

Achladis, Elyria Catholic: The junior discus thrower improved from his last trip in Columbus finishing in third place (171-04.00) behind Unioto state champion Trevor Detillion (187-09.00). Last year, Achladis ended his sophomore year in seventh (158-07).

Albert, Woodridge: The senior long jumper earned fourth (17-05.50) behind Meadowdale state champion Ja’la Henderson with 17-10.50. Albert made in the podium last year in the hurdles with an eighth place finish (15.59).

Sullivan, Bay: The senior discus thrower earned a spot on the podium finishing in seventh place (157-00.00).

Sound bites

Achladis on setting two personal records in one meet: “It was a lot of adrenaline. I was moving, sprinting, doing high knees and I was just really motivated because of the level of competition.”

Albert on her finish: “I didn’t expect to make it to the finals because of all the places everyone had, but I was surprised. It was my season best 17-05.50. Coming in my best was 16-11.00”

Sullivan on his expectations for the day: “I was just amazed I got on the podium for the first time. I came in hoping for mid 160’s because I’ve been getting that all week. I felt confident coming into today.”

Svonavec on her college decision: “I went on a visit to Kent State this past week and I think that’s the fit. I committed there. I love Miami and coach Young, he’s a great coach, but when it comes down to it I’m so close to my family.”

For more high school sports news, like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. Contact Nathaniel Cline on Twitter (@nathanielcline), by email (ncline@cleveland.com) or log in and leave a message in the comments section below.

Will Power leads a strong Penske presence at the front of the field for Saturday night's IndyCar Firestone 600 at Texas Motor Speedway.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Will Power and Team Penske own the front of the field for Saturday's IndyCar Firestone 600 at Texas Motor Speedway.

Power will start on the pole with Team Penske teammates Helio Castroneves third and Juan Pablo Montoya fifth following Friday's qualifying, all driving Chevrolet. Simon Pagenaud qualified second, also in Chevy, while Carlos Munoz was the only Honda near the top, starting fourth.

The race will be seen on the NBC Sports Network, beginning at 8 p.m. It's IndyCar's first night race of the season.

Texas 600

Site: Fort Worth, Texas.

Schedule: Race, 8:45 p.m. (NBC Sports Network, 8-11 p.m.).

Track: Texas Motor Speedway (oval, 1.5 miles).

Race distance: 372 miles, 248 laps.

Last year: Owner-driver Ed Carpenter held off Team Penske's Will Power in a two-lap shootout.

Last week: Andretti Autosport's Carlos Munoz won the rain-shortened doubleheader opener at Belle Isle in Detroit, and KVSH Racing driver Sebastien Bourdais took the second race.

The points race: Even with the weather-induced upsets last week in Detroit, Team Penske and Target Chip Ganassi remain the championship front-runners and Chevrolet power still seems dominant. If Honda has an in-season engine upgrade it will probably show here.

Driver to watch: Graham Rahal continues to be best in class, racing his Honda consistently to top-five finishes against the more powerful Chevrolets. Even though he's fifth in the standings, Rahal's performances would have to make him a 'Driver of the Year' candidate at this point.

Did you know: Defending series champion Will Power now has three poles on the season, led the most laps overall, and has led at least one lap in five of eight races. ... Marco Andretti has started and finished every race so far, the only series driver to complete all 724 laps. ... Rookie Gabby Chavez has finished all eight races better than he has started. ... So far there have been seven race winners off of six different race teams.

Next: Toronto, June 14, Street of Toronto, Toronto.

Here are the lineups and the pitching matchup for Saturday's tilt between Baltimore and Cleveland.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Here are the lineups and the pitching matchup for Saturday's tilt between Baltimore and Cleveland.

Pitching matchup: Danny Salazar (5-1, 3.79 ERA) vs. Ubaldo Jimenez (3-3, 3.12 ERA)

Lineups

Indians

1. 2B Jason Kipnis

2. 1B Carlos Santana

3. LF Michael Brantley

4. RF Brandon Moss

5. DH Nick Swisher

6. 3B Lonnie Chisenhall

7. C Yan Gomes

8. CF Michael Bourn

9. SS Jose Ramirez

Orioles

1. 3B Manny Machado

2. RF Delmon Young

3. CF Adam Jones

4. 1B Chris Davis

5. DH Matt Wieters

6. LF Steve Pearce

7. SS J.J. Hardy

8. 2B Ryan Flaherty

9. C Caleb Joseph

Remember, it's really not a curse. (Yeah right.)

OAKLAND, Calif. - Cleveland Cavaliers fans have probably been expecting this ever since Sports Illustrated put LeBron James on the cover just before the 2015 NBA Finals began.

Doesn't matter that it was a regional cover, and other parts of the country got either Finals opponent Golden State or baseball's Kansas City Royals. One-third of a cover was jinx enough. It was Kryptonite and James was Superman.

Personal confession: I don't believe in curses.

It happens elsewhere. The Los Angeles Lakers' entire starting backcourt of Magic Johnson and ex-Cavs coach Byron Scott was wiped out by hamstring injuries in the 1989 Finals against Detroit after the Lakers had waltzed through two sweeps.

John Havlicek and Tiny Archibald suffered playoff injuries that cost the lordly Boston Celtics two titles.

But the Lakers have won 11 NBA championships in L.A. and five in Minneapolis. Boston has won 17 titles.

The Cavs have won none. No one has won anything in a major pro sport since 1964 in Cleveland.

I'm not going to dive too deeply into the woe-is-us sea of gloom that former Browns general manager Phil Savage famously decried. The Cavaliers are too beaten up by the playoff grind to waste energy on what might have been, anyway.

Kevin Love has been gone so long with a dislocated shoulder that all that's left is a wistful memory of what he said the day before the injury in the fourth game against Boston. "I feel pretty damn good. I guess I surprised a lot of people."

It's a Cleveland thing, but Cavs fans are going to wait until they are actually brushing the confetti out of their hair at the parade to feel pretty damn good about themselves.

"Woe." (The real surprise would be if people didn't say it.)

And hail and farewell, Kyrie Irving!

He left us after gallantly trying to come back from a series of foot and knee injuries. A whole medical ethics debate began about the risks of playing hurt after Irving's kneecap fractured in the final minutes of the overtime loss in the first game of the NBA Finals and he underwent surgery on Saturday. 

The rumors that Irving was soft were exercises in calculated insult and unfounded surmise. Why wouldn't he want to play? Every basketball player dreams of playing in the NBA Finals.

In Boston, Paul Pierce left Game 1 of the 2008 Finals in the third quarter in a wheelchair, only to return in the same quarter to lead the winning rally against the Lakers. (And fans in other cities think LeBron milks injuries for sympathy?)

In Cleveland, Irving will be out three to four months after surgery for a fractured kneecap.

"Is." (It is what it is with Irving. And what it is, is tough to take.)

Nevertheless, "We'll meet again," as the song says. "Don't know where. Don't know when."

That song ended the darkly satirical movie "Dr. Strangelove."

It's just basketball. It's not a nuclear holocaust, but it's still very bleak for the Cavaliers. And for . . .

"Us." (Jim Chones foot all over again, right, God?)

If the Cavs were going to win a game with huge numbers from James, wouldn't it have been the first game? When his 44 points weren't enough?

But better efforts have been wasted before. Jerry West, playing on one leg, had 42 points, 13 rebounds and 12 assists in a two-point loss to Boston in the seventh game of the 1969 Finals. West is the only player on a losing team ever to be named Finals MVP.

Where do Cavs fans look for hope in a random universe? (Granted, it's hard to buy the "random" part after 51 years of waiting.)

Maybe a desperate Midwestern city turns its eyes to the most inconsistent, hot and cold, in the zone and out, player on the team, J.R. Smith. That's not to say he's the answer. ("The Answer" was Allen Iverson.)

Playoff opponents have, however, asked the question, "What in the world are we going to do about J.R. Smith?"

That was mainly in Atlanta in Game 2, when the Human Heat Check re-entered the atmosphere of Mother Earth after making eight of 12 3-pointers on step-backs and off the dribble and with hands in his face.

In a random universe, why not random J.R? That would be the Smith of the "one man's trash is another man's treasure" Instagram commentary and the touching quote after the Hawks were eliminated, "My mom was on the court when the confetti fell down, and she said, 'Talk about started from the bottom now we here.'"

But confetti doesn't count until the parade, remember?

"Worse come to worse ... my motto is, 'When in doubt, shoot the ball,'" said Smith.

Worst is here.

Smith was 3 for 13 in the opener. Still, never up, never in.

LeBron James remains confident despite the injury to Kyrie Irving and more NBA Links during the NBA finals.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - See all of the NBA Finals coverage from Cleveland and the Bay Area as the Cavaliers look to bounce back from a Game 1 loss against the Warriors, while adjusting to Kyrie Irving's injury.

Get caught up on lots of content leading into Sunday night's game, including analysis on LeBron James, pictures, videos and more.

The collection of links below is broken down by content from Cleveland and content from Northern California media outlets. At the bottom is general NBA links of note.

See an interesting article or column about the NBA Finals online? We invite you to share a link to it in the comments section below.

Game 2 is Sunday in Oakland, Calif., at 8 p.m. on ABC.

Content from cleveland.com

Chris Haynes reports that Kyrie Irving will miss the rest of the playoffs with a fractured kneecap.

See five things we learned from the Golden State Warriors in Game 1 by Cam Moon.

Tom Reed takes a look at how players perceive the difference from being hurt or injured in the playoffs.

The NBA Finals are a big time for counterfeit goods, and Mary Kilpatrick writes on how the NBA has warned the Cavaliers.

Cavaliers are looking for more scoring to help LeBron James in Game 2.

Terry Pluto takes a look at some options for what the Cavaliers can do to the starting lineup.

Rapper Lil B has made his way into the NBA Finals, as he tweeted about Irving's injury.

Joe Vardon writes that despite the Irving injury, LeBron James still remains confident.

The talk in Game 1 was that the Warriors let James score 44 points, but he reminds fans he had to go out and get them.

Dennis Manoloff said Irving's injury happens, and is not an example of a curse.

Terry Pluto looks at the contracts of LeBron James and Kevin Love.

The Cleveland Cavaliers will hold their first predraft workouts on Monday.

LeBron James has a lot going on as the Cavaliers play in the playoffs, but off the court, he no longer has to worry about the sale of his house in Miami.

Bud Shaw asks fans if they consider themselves lucky remembering James did come back this year.

 

Content from Northern California

Klay Thompson handles postgame interviews the way he handles his business on the court. (San Francisco Chronicle)

LeBron James sets the record on his 44 points in Game 1 of the NBA Finals. (San Francisco Chronicle)

Andre Iguodala masters the mental side of basketball. (San Jose Mercury News)

The Warriors strategy of forcing James to beat them with his scoring is easier now without Irving. (San Jose Mercury News)

Dellavedova, who played his college basketball near Oracle Arena, may be the next man up for the Cavaliers. (San Jose Mercury News)

NBA links

Allen Iverson says that he was not drunk during his "Practice" speech. (ESPN.com)

Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban donates $5 million to Indiana for a new video center. (Yahoo.com)

Dirk Nowitzki will play for Germany in Eurobasket 2015. (Fox Sports)

Royce White is close to committing to the Los Angeles Clippers for the summer leagues. (Pro Basketball Talk)

Storm won the 400 dash on his first - and last - trip to the state meet.

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Berkshire senior Kyle Storm won the boys 400-meter dash, and Gilmour junior Hannah Markel had two top-four finishes Saturday in the Division III OHSAA state track meet at Ohio State’s Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium. 

Storm and Markel highlighted eight event place winners from Northeast Ohio.

Check out complete Day 2 results from the Division III state track and field meet.

Storm’s 400 win came in his first trip to the state meet, after missing last season due to injury. He won Saturday in 48.97 seconds, his personal best. Nick Knudsen of Lutheran West (49.57) was runner-up.

The two had battled since districts, when Knudsen finished first. Storm also won at regionals.

“I just wanted to stay with Nick the whole race and give it my all in the last 100,” said Storm. “As long as I knew I was next to him in the last 100 I knew I had a chance.

“I knew Nick was always right on me but I felt like the last 10, as long as I kept that speed going, I could get it. “

Markel was third in the 1600 (5:04.72) and fourth in the 3200 (11:12.00) Saturday after helping Gilmour’s 4x800 relay take third on Friday.

“My goal coming into this weekend was just the podium, really,” said Markel. “In the 1600 and 3200 just go out there and see what my training could do, have faith in my strategy and plan and kinda just smile and have fun with it and gut it out.”

Gilmour’s 4x400 relay team was seventh Saturday, giving the Lancers placewinners in four events. Lucia Cannata was ninth in the 200 finals.

Best boys event

The winner of the 4x100 relay had to be sorted out with some additional numbers after Ridgewood and Loudonville both crossed the finish line in 43.97. Ridgewood turned out to be the winner, in 43.962 seconds, just ahead of Edgewood’s 43.965.

Best girls event

The 200 was a two-woman race, with Taylor Middleton of Miami Valley and Brittany Holbrook of Upper Scioto Valley neck-and-neck down the stretch. Middleton won in 24.87. Holbrook finished in 24.93.

Boys records set

Warren John F. Kennedy senior Chad Zallow set the Division III state meet record and tied the Division III state record in the 100, winning in 10.55. The state meet record had stood since 1988.

Girls records set

Minster set the state meet and state record for Division III in the 4x400 relay (3:55.16). Both records had been held since 2007 by Gilmour (3:55.48).

Others who stood out

Trinity boys 4x200 relay: After missing out on the 4x100 finals, the same foursome - John Caja, Jarrett Kelly, Brett Dawson and Kevin Wodzisz - got on the podium for the 4x200 (1:31.84).

“We didn’t run our best time of the season, but we got the job done,” said Wodzisz. “I think when I got the baton we were in fourth place and I did my best to get us back into third place.

“Track has been great all four years, but to cap it off with third place in the 4x200, I can’t complain.”

Knudsen: The Lutheran West senior had the second-best preliminary time in the 400 behind Storm.

“I was hoping at least it would be the two of us at the top. I’ve been running against Kyle since districts and we’ve been back and forth, so I figured it would be a close race.”

Knudsen also helped the Longhorns’ 4x400 relay finish fifth (3:26.49). He ran anchor behind teammates Hunter Ross, Eric Madachick and Steven Weber.

Brandon Phillips, Gilmour: The senior was eighth in the boys 800 (1:58.73).

Gilmour girls 4x400 relay: The team of Kelly Davis, Izzy Greene, Caitlin Whetstone and Sydney Hlifka was seventh in 4:04.81.

Wheelchair highlights

Southeast senior Jenna Fesemyer remained the only girl to ever win the 800 in the wheelchair division, winning her third straight title Saturday in 2:38.97. Teammate Rachele Castner was fifth.

Fesemyer swept all four wheelchair events the last two seasons, winning the 100, 400, 800 and shot put.

Kent Roosevelt senior Randy McMullen was third in the boys 800 (2:51.16).

The OHSAA added wheelchair events in 2013, but doesn’t count results in the divisional team standings.

Sound bites

Knudsen on his 400 strategy: “I had to come out fast being in the outside lane. Being inside helps because you can chase the person outside of you. We both knew that whoever had the inside lane would have a bit of an advantage because you can pace yourself with the outside guy. So I tried to get out as fast as I could so that the last 100 we’d hopefully be neck-and-neck.”

Wodzisz on missing the 4x100 finals: “Yesterday we were focusing on our school’s (record) and wanted to break that. After not making the (4x100) finals we just put all our focus on (the 4x200).”

For more high school sports news, like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. Contact high school sports reporter Scott Patsko on Twitter (@ScottPatsko) by email (spatsko@cleveland.com) or log in and leave a message in the comments section below.