The Cavs have been outscored by 43 points in the fourth quarter/overtime periods by Golden State. They run out gas and run out depth on the bench.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- What if Kyrie Irving were still playing for the Cavaliers in the 2015 NBA Finals?

I've been thinking about that for the last few days.

Golden State leads the Cavs, 3-2, in the best-of-seven series and the Warriors are in position to win the title Tuesday night at Quicken Loans Arena.

As I'm writing this, I know it sounds like the whining of someone who has followed Cleveland pro sports for too long.

The last thing I want to do is to add "The Kneecap" to the list of The Shot, The Drive, The Fumble, etc. But the fractured kneecap that Irving suffered late in Game 1 of the Finals changed the entire series.

Perhaps the Cavs would have won the opener in overtime had Irving remained in the game. He was dynamic, scoring 23 points with seven rebounds, six assists and four steals.

OK, maybe they don't win the opener. The score was 105-98 in favor of the Warriors when Irving left the game. There was 2:02 remaining in overtime. Golden State won, 108-100.

And yes, the Cavs won the next two games without Irving.

But when you face the NBA's best team over and over and over for the title -- talent takes over.

Cavs fans have fallen in love Matthew Dellavedova for good reason. Delly plays so hard. He has delivered a couple of shockingly good performances on basketball's biggest stage.

But he's matched up against MVP Stephen Curry, and you can see Delly wearing down. He spent a night in the hospital with exhaustion and dehydration after Game 3.

In the last two games, Curry has scored 59 points and shot 21-of-40 from the field. Delly has totaled 15 points, 5-of-23 shooting. With the undrafted free agent from St. Mary's being no threat to score, it's allowed Curry to rest on defense.

With Irving on the on the floor, Curry had to work on defense.

RUNNING ON EMPTY

The Cavs are trying to win the first title in franchise history with a lineup that never started a single regular season game together.

Think about that.

With Kevin Love (shoulder surgery), Anderson Varejao (Achilles surgery) and Irving (knee surgery) out, Coach David Blatt is forced to play guys who seldom played together at any point in the regular season.

Varejao and Love have been out for so long, it's hard to remember exactly what the Cavs looked like when they did play.

But Irving is fresh in my mind.

Anyway, the lineup now is Iman Shumpert and Dellavedova in the backcourt. It's Timofey Mozgov at center. It's Tristan Thompson and LeBron James at the forwards. It's usually only Smith and James Jones coming off the bench.

Backups are starting and the backups to the backups aren't delivering much.

In the 103-82 loss in Game 4, Smith and Jones combined to play 45 minutes. They scored four points and shot 2-of-15.

In 104-91 loss in Game 5, Mike Miller and Jones played 31 minutes. They scored three points and only combined for two shots.

You can see how the Cavs are sputtering to the finish. They have been outscored in every fourth quarter/overtime period in all five games by a 163-120 margin.

WHAT HAPPENED TO J.R.

Consider that Smith never started a playoff game in his career until this season. He has been a good scorer off the bench for most of his career.

When the Cavs had Irving or Love -- a viable second scorer to James -- it created more openings for Smith. He was not defended as tightly, not under as much pressure to score.

But with Irving and Love hurt and Dellavedova's shooting touch turning frigid, the Warriors have concentrated on Smith as the Cavs No. 2 scoring threat. In Sunday's 104-91 Game 5 loss to Golden State, Smith had 14 points with 9:26 left in the second quarter. He didn't score for the rest of the game, missing his final seven shots.

James tried to build up Smith's confidence. Along with Blatt, James has been encouraging Smith to keep shooting. It worked early in Game 5, but as the misses piled up, suddenly Smith backed off.

"I don't know what happened with him," said James. "We kept going to him. He just missed some shots. He came out aggressive, which we wanted him to do. We kept finding him. He started off well, he just cooled down. It's just a make-or-miss league."

Shumpert has been even worse, shooting 27 percent and averaging 6.0 points. He has done a solid defensive job on Klay Thompson, but not much on the offensive end of the court.

Shumpert has been dealing with a shoulder injury, so who knows how much that has impacted his shooting touch.

But the fact was that the Knicks considered Smith and Shumpert very expendable. What makes them valuable to the Cavs is when they are in supporting roles to a couple of big-time players.

Smith's emotions have always been a battle for him. He is one more flagrant foul away from being suspended for a playoff game.

WHAT IS REAL

Reality is that Irving is not going to play.

Reality is that you can second-guess Blatt about playing a smaller lineup rather than going with Mozgov, but the Cavs lost, 103-82, when the Warriors went with their quicker players. That happened despite 28 points and 10 rebounds from the 7-foot-1 Russian.

Reality is that the Cavs defense was what carried them to a 2-1 in the series, but it has fallen apart in the last two games. The Warriors are averaging 103.5 points, shooting 47 percent from the field, 43 percent from 3-point range. The Cavs now look slow.

Reality is James is having a series for the ages. He already has two triple/doubles in the five games. He's the first NBA player to ever have two triple/doubles while scoring at least 30 points in the process.

In the Game 5 104-91 loss, James either scored or assisted 70 of the Cavs 91 points!

After the game, James said, "I feel confident because I'm the best player in the world ... I don't put a ceiling on what I can do."

It may sound like arrogance, but he's trying to tell his teammates that the series isn't over. He not giving up.

He's playing nearly 46 minutes a game, averaging 36.6 points, 12.4 rebounds and 8.6 assists. I'm not sure we've ever seen anything quite like it.

"We're going home with a Game 6, and we've got enough to win it," James said.

With the effort and leadership that he displays, I won't doubt it. But part of me still wishes Irving was on the court with the Cavs so close to a title.

LeBron James could become the first player for a losing team to win the MVP award for the NBA Finals since Jerry West in 1969. Though the 2015 series is far from over, should the Cavs lose, here's how James' numbers stack up against those for West.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - The Cleveland Cavaliers are far from ready to concede the NBA Finals to the Golden State Warriors. They're returning home for Game 6. And, as LeBron James said, they have the "best player in the world" on their side.

But, should the Cavs lose the series, could a player from the losing team - James - still end up being named the MVP of the NBA Finals?

It's happened before - once.

In 1969, the first year of the award, Jerry West was named the MVP. His Lakers lost to the Boston Celtics in seven games, but his play was so dominating that it could not be overlooked.

West averaged 37.9 points, 7.4 assists and 4.7 rebounds.

Not only was West far better than the top Celtics scorer (John Havlicek averaged 28.3 points, 11 rebounds and 4.4 assists), West accounted for 36 percent of the points for a Lakers team that included Wilt Chamberlain and Elgin Baylor.

(Chamberlain averaged 11.7 points and 25 rebounds a game in the series; Baylor averaged 18.0 points and 10.3 rebounds.)

The argument for James, should the Cavs lose, is that he carried an injury-depleted roster to within striking distance of the title by compiling one of the most impressive statistical lines in the history of the NBA Finals.

Heading into Game 6 on Tuesday, with the Cavs trailing 3 games to 2, James is averaging 36.6 points, 12.4 rebounds and 8.8 assists a game.

James' points account for 39 percent of the Cavs' team total through five games - a bigger share than those scored by West in 1969. James also has accounted for 27 percent of Cleveland's rebounds and 54 percent of the team's assists.

The obvious choice for Golden State, at this point, would be regular season MVP Stephen Curry. Curry is averaging 26.2 points, 5.8 assists and 5.0 rebounds a game during the finals.

James won the MVP in the finals for Miami 2012 and 2013; so this would be his third, matching the three MVP awards each by Magic Johnson, Shaquille O'Neal and Tim Duncan. Michael Jordan, with six, is the only player with more.

Here are the MVPs for previous NBA Finals.

• 2014 - Kawhi Leonard, San Antonio
• 2013 - LeBron James, Miami
• 2012 - LeBron James, Miami
• 2011 - Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas Mavericks
• 2010 - Kobe Bryant, L.A. Lakers
• 2009 - Kobe Bryant, L.A. Lakers
• 2008 - Paul Pierce, Boston Celtics
• 2007 - Tony Parker, San Antonio Spurs
• 2006 - Dwyane Wade, Miami Heat
• 2005 - Tim Duncan, San Antonio
• 2004 - Chauncey Billups, Detroit
• 2003 - Tim Duncan, San Antonio
• 2002 - Shaquille O'Neal, L.A. Lakers
• 2001 - Shaquille O'Neal, L.A. Lakers
• 2000 - Shaquille O'Neal, L.A. Lakers
• 1999 - Tim Duncan, San Antonio
• 1998 - Michael Jordan, Chicago
• 1997 - Michael Jordan, Chicago
• 1996 - Michael Jordan, Chicago
• 1995 - Hakeem Olajuwon, Houston
• 1994 - Hakeem Olajuwon, Houston
• 1993 - Michael Jordan, Chicago
• 1992 - Michael Jordan, Chicago
• 1991 - Michael Jordan, Chicago
• 1990 - Isiah Thomas, Detroit
• 1989 - Joe Dumars, Detroit
• 1988 - James Worthy, L.A. Lakers
• 1987 - Magic Johnson, L.A. Lakers
• 1986 - Larry Bird, Boston
• 1985 - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Los Angeles
• 1984 - Larry Bird, Boston
• 1983 - Moses Malone, Philadelphia
• 1982 - Magic Johnson, Los Angeles
• 1981 - Cedric Maxwell, Boston
• 1980 - Magic Johnson, Los Angeles
• 1979 - Dennis Johnson, Seattle
• 1978 - Wes Unseld, Washington
• 1977 - Bill Walton, Portland
• 1976 - JoJo White, Boston
• 1975 - Rick Barry, Golden State
• 1974 - John Havlicek, Boston
• 1973 - Willis Reed, New York
• 1972 - Wilt Chamberlain, Los Angeles
• 1971 - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Milwaukee
• 1970 - Willis Reed, New York
• 1969 - Jerry West, Los Angeles

Source: NBA

Also:

• See previous stories from the 2015 Cavaliers Playoff Stats Pack series.

The receiver's Instragram video reminds us you're either going forward or backward in life, even when you're stepping sideways. Watch video

BEREA, Ohio - Andrew Hawkins' feet move so fast in the video he looks like Michael Flatley river dancing on speed.

It's 15 seconds of the Browns' receiver navigating an obstacle course designed to improve footwork. Humming birds should be so shifty.

Hawkins uploaded the workout video to his Instagram account in April never imaging it would create such a sensation. If you can get beyond the mere spectacle, it conveys an important message to young players: You have to keeping moving in the NFL. You're either getting better or worse.

Five years into a successful career the 5-foot-7 wideout still trains like the hungry, undrafted free agent who the Gladiators and CFL wouldn't sign in 2008 because of his size.

"As you get older, you have to fine tune," the 29-year-old said last week. "You don't want to lose something for the sake of something else. You hone your gifts. That's what the NFL is all about - using what you're gifted with."

From Hawkins' lips to Josh Gordon's ears, eh?

Hawkins wasn't the highest profile signing of Ray Farmer's first free-agent class a year ago. The Browns added safety Donte Whitner and linebacker Karlos Dansby not only for their talents, but their leadership. Each delivered in a season that saw the Browns jump from four to seven wins before their annual December flameout.

The receiver was supposed to be a complement to Gordon, providing a veteran presence that Davone Bess could not supply in 2013 because of battles with his own demons. But the league suspended Gordon for the first 10 games of the following season for another failed drug test, and his future in the NFL, let alone Browns' organization, remains in serious doubt.

All Hawkins did was record career highs in catches (63) and yards (828) a year ago, leading the team in both categories, while rating as the NFL's 13^th-best receiver, according to ProFootballFocus.com. He'll never evolve into a game breaker like Calvin Johnson or former Bengals teammate A.J. Green and Hawkins is the first to admit it.

"Sometimes, I think that's where players go wrong, trying to imitate someone with different gifts than them," he said. "Once I realized I wasn't 6-5 and I'm not going to be able to run like I'm 6-5 and do the things a 6-5 receiver can do, it made me better as a player."

It's improving those around him, too.

Hawkins helped transform second-year pro Taylor Gabriel into "Baby Hawk" and has pushed one of the league's emerging secondaries each day in practice. No rounded off routes at three-quarters speed from this duo.

"Man, those two dudes, they're special, I mean with their route running and then how they come out every single day and they run their routes so hard," Pro Bowl corner Joe Haden said of Hawkins and Gabriel. "They're the dudes that I really want to go up against every time we play when we're doing 11-on-11. They're going to make me better. They're going to make (Justin) Gilbert better (and) Tramon (Williams better).

"They're just very, very explosive, very, very quick and they run all of their routes extremely hard. That's one thing that you don't really get all the time. You don't get guys running crisp routes like that and with the quickness that they have."

The Browns offered Hawkins tryouts in 2008 and 2011 before finally poaching him from the Bengals with a four-year, $13.6 million free-agent deal the AFC North rival refused to match.

The diminutive receiver embodies the franchise Mike Pettine is trying to build. His attitude and persistence draws others into the fight on and off the field. Hawkins ventures into the hard areas, catching footballs over the middle and wearing a T-shirt in pre-game warmups last December to raise awareness of police shootings in Ohio.

His footwork video, filmed at D1 Sports Training in Tampa, Fla., produced plenty of feedback from peers. Haden encapsulated it in one word:

"Crazy," the corner said.

His brother, former NFL safety Artrell Hawkins, the giant of the family at 5-10, used to ply him with one-on-one clips of Chad Johnson running routes in Bengals' practice. While at the University of Toledo, Hawkins devoured similar videos from old University of Miami workouts featuring Andre Johnson and Santana Moss.

He studied them the way a young stand-up comic would cuts from a Chris Rock or Dave Chappelle show, focusing on the timing, the nuance, the ability to set up the next move.

How does it relate to his recent training tape? Hawkins explained:

"You can't do it all on the field, but broken down it helps . . . The more you practice something the less you think about it in live action. It helps with body control, coordination, speed, quickness."

If you're not going forward, you're going backward in this unforgiving sport. The Browns' organization is reminded of the fact every time its Lord of the Dance runs a route.

Now it's LeBron James' turn to explain why Stephen Curry's huge night wasn't the reason the Cavaliers lost Game 5.

OAKLAND, Calif. - LeBron James and Stephen Curry traded places from Game 3 to Game 5, with James crediting Curry for a sterling performance but insisting it was not the reason the Cavaliers lost.

Curry, the reigning NBA MVP, scored 17 of his team-high 37 points in Golden State's 104-91 victory over the Cavs in Game 5. James was a little better statistically - a triple-double with 40 points, 14 rebounds, and 11 assists - but it was Curry who knocked down dagger shot after dagger shot in the game's deciding quarter.

"I thought he was great," James said Sunday night. "You tip your hat off to a guy like that. He made seven threes. I don't know, were any of them not contested, hand in his face, falling, stepback off the dribble? I'm okay with that. We're okay with that. I mean, you tip your hat to a guy who makes shots like that, and he's the guy that can do it in our league. He's the best shooter in our league.

"But that's not why we lost. We gave up 18 fast breakpoints. We gave up 15 second-chance points. Steph was special, obviously, but him hitting those stepback threes is not why we lost the game."

James' comments on Curry were similar to what Curry had to say following Game 3, when James scored 40 and Cleveland moved ahead by a game in the series. Curry said James is "going to have points.

"But the timely ones are the ones that killed us," Curry said at the time. "The three late in the fourth quarter, certain easy buckets that you allow him to get. But that's not the issue why we're down 2-1 right now. It's the way we're playing on the offensive end, especially to start games. We'll fix that as we try to even the series."

Stephen Curry shot 13-of-23 in Game 5 of the NBA Finals.NBA.com 

Curry's vow to fix the Warriors' offense came true. Coach Steve Kerr's switch to a smaller lineup has allowed Golden State to move quicker in half-court sets and speed up the game in transition - two things the undermanned Cavs want to avoid.

Now it's James' turn to see if his team can solve what he said was ailing it in Game 5. The difference, a loss in Game 6 hands the Larry O'Brien trophy to the Warriors.

To match the Warriors' lineup and pace, Cavs coach David Blatt went small, playing James at center at times and giving just nine minutes to 7-0 starting center Timofey Mozgov. Cleveland lost the rebounding battle 43-37 and coughed up 11 offensive boards.

The thing about Curry's comments after Game 3 is they were followed by James' worst performance of the Finals in Game 4. Dominating the series up to that point, James scored 20 points on 22 shots. He entered that game averaging 41 points for the series, and the Cavs lost Game 4 by 21 - the exact number of points James left off from his average.

So the Cavs could use an off night from Curry on Tuesday, either by his own doing or theirs.

Curry ran Matthew Dellavedova off picks for much of the fourth quarter, often putting on a dribbling display before stepping back and draining a shot over Dellavedova's outstretched arms.

There was no screen on perhaps Curry's most memorable shot, when he dribbled Dellavedova off of him just enough for a three-ball at 2:44 for a 10-point lead.

"I can sit here and talk about what a great play it was and what a turning moment it might have been, but we have to be able to back it up and finish the job," Curry said. "It helped us win this game, and hopefully after our next win we can talk about all the great moments in the series.

That's why James shrugged off Curry's big shots - at first glance, there was little to be done about it. The statistical comparison between Curry and Dellavedova was grizzly, though, with Dellavedova contributing just five points on 2-of-9 shooting in 42 minutes.

Game 5 marked the second time in three games in which Curry scored 17 in the fourth quarter. The Warriors have owned the final quarter in the last three games - including in Cleveland's 96-91 win in Game 3 - outscoring the Cavs 94-60.

"I think tonight, obviously, Steph got it going.," James said. "He hit some huge shots which kept us at bay. They got a couple of offensive rebounds that didn't work to our favor. You know, we needed our best defensive quarter tonight in the fourth quarter, and we didn't get it. We gave up 31 points in the fourth. Some of them were free throws, but a lot of them were them just breaking us down. So we've got to do a better job of that."

Cleveland sports fans wonder about ABC's coverage of the NBA Finals, possible guest appearances at a Warriors parade and World Wide LeBron -- Bud Shaw's You Said It.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- You Said It is based on the premise that the only thing Cleveland sports fans need more than a championship is a sense of humor...

YOU SAID IT

(The Monday Edition)

Hi Bud: Do you think ABC has prepared its '50 years of Sports Futility and Failure' charts/graphs/ footage to show when the inevitable sadly occurs? To be more current and fresh, I hope they can include the annual Browns draft in it - Thomas Jezeski

 Another Cleveland sports fan with high hopes.

 Bud: Will Kelly Olynyk be invited to attend the Warriors' victory parade? - Jay Shulman

His people say he will attend only if there's a timely break in his training for the next WWE Money in the Bank event.

Dear Bud: Knowing what we know now, if LeBron had gone to Ohio State after high school, would he have been a BMOC? - BG, Stow

LeBron is not one to pat himself on the back but if you mean the "best BMOC in the world," yes, he'll humbly admit to that.

Hey Bud: Who had a greater waste of time? You going to journalism school or me
watching the entire USA vs Sweden soccer game - Gary D, Columbia Station

Since the equivalent of "writing" this column is spending day after day rotating your shoe trees, you could feel worse about your choice.

 Hey Bud: I see where Hope Solo's husband said that the people attacking her are on a "witch hunt." Wonder what room he slept in that night?  -- Ted, Concord

First-time You Said It winners reach their goal.

Bud: In addition to his duties as player/coach/GM, is LeBron now in charge of delivering his package to TV viewers?  -- Jim Lefkowitz, Pepper Pike 

Repeat winners get a glimpse of fame.

Look back on Game 5 and ahead to Game 6 of the NBA Finals on Cavs Insider. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Cavaliers face a must-win Tuesday night at Quicken Loans Arena against the Golden State Warriors. Game 6 of the NBA Finals tips off at 9 p.m.

On today's Cavs Insider, Chris Fedor and I were joined by Andy Liu of Golden State of Mind to talk about the Warriors' state of mind heading into a championship-clinching game. Joe Vardon called in to talk about what message LeBron was sending when he called himself the best player in the world and what the Cavaliers could do to extend this series.

Watch the show in the player above. Get complete NBA Finals coverage at cleveland.com/cavs.

Are you #AllinCLE? What's your sign. Share them here.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Clevelanders have waited years for this, to exalt our team in the Finals.

Add your photos of your favorite Cavs signs to our gallery of #ALLin signs. Tell us who shot the photo, who's in it and where you are.

There are three easy ways to share your pictures:

1. E-mail your photos to sendphoto@cleveland.com.
2. Upload using the cleveland.com iPhone and Android apps.
3. Sign-in to your cleveland.com profile or get a new one here. Start the upload process by going to this page:photos.cleveland.com/photogallery/upload.html . When filling out your information, please choose "ALL-IN Cleveland" (it's near the top of the drop-down list").

Check out more photos from Cavalier fans.

The forecast is for rain, but rookie shortstop Francisco Lindor is expected to make his first start since joining the Indians on Sunday from Class AAA Columbus.

CHICAGO -- Get scoring updates and join beat writer Paul Hoynes for a live chat as the Indians and Cubs play the first of a two-game series Monday night at Wrigley Field. Indians right-hander Trevor Bauer will face Chicago's Jake Arrieta.

Game 62: Indians (29-33) vs. Cubs (34-27).

First pitch: 8:05 p.m.pm. ET.

TV/radio: SportsTime Ohio, WMMS FM/100.7, WTAM 1100 AM/1100.

The Browns will conduct their mandatory three-day minicamp Tuesday through Thursday in Berea. The practices will give the club a good idea of what the squad looks like heading into training camp this summer

Monday's game has been rescheduled for Aug. 24. It will come at the end of a 10-game trip for the Indians.

CHICAGO -- Monday night's game between the Indians and Cubs at Wrigley Field has been postponed by rain. It will be made up on Aug. 24 at Wrigley Field.

The Indians are scheduled to complete this brief two-game series on Tuesday night. Both teams will go with Monday's scheduled starters -- Trevor Bauer for the Indians and Jake Arrieta for the Cubs.

First pitch is scheduled for 8:05 p.m. ET.

The upper portions of Wrigley Field were shut down Monday for over an hour because of tornado warnings.

This is the Indians first trip to Wrigley Field since 2009.

The Aug. 24 makeup date comes at the end of a 10-game trip for the Indians in which they play the Twins, Red Sox and Yankees.

Here are three points of emphasis the Cavaliers need to address to get a Game 5 win.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - The Golden State Warriors are looking to celebrate tonight, while the Cleveland Cavaliers are hoping for another trip to The Bay.

Something must give. And if the Cavaliers do manage to find a way to extend this series, these three things will have to be considered or addressed prior to Game 6 of The NBA Finals at The Q.

1. Help wanted

It's no secret that for the most part, LeBron James has been doing it virtually by himself. Double-teams have put his teammates in unfamiliar positions of being playmakers, which has been a struggle. Matthew Dellavedova, J.R. Smith and Iman Shumpert are the main players being asked to step up. It might not be in them to do so, but this is the situation. They've got to bring back their old high school days of domination. James needs help, and if he doesn't get it, the Warriors will be celebrating in Cleveland.

2. Mozgov must play

I understand David Blatt's reasoning and don't fault him for limiting his big man's minutes in Game 5. But in order for the Cavaliers to throw the Warriors off, they have to pound them inside and get them out of that small-ball lineup. The Cavaliers showed early in Game 4 that they were capable of imposing their will when they started the game on a 7-0 run ignited by offensive rebounds and inside play. However, a commitment to playing big (while avoiding turnovers) is key.

3. Can James do more?

With the gaudy numbers he's putting up, James believes he can do more. He says he won't put a ceiling on his potential. If true, maybe taking more of a role in guarding Stephen Curry might be next. Curry's confidence is sky high at the moment and there will be little that Dellavedova or Shumpert can do about it. But James, he's a different beast. He'd have a chance at locking him up. The problem with that is that he has so many other responsibilities that require maximum effort. He couldn't possibly have the energy to chase Curry around, could he? Wouldn't that be asking too much?

We'll see tonight.

The Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors will play once again shortly after the conclusion of the NBA Finals, with much different stakes, of course.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors will play once again shortly after the conclusion of the NBA Finals, with much different stakes, of course.

The two teams competing for the NBA title will headline the first day at the 2015 Samsung NBA Summer League in Las Vegas.

The showcase will begin on Friday, July 10, with Cavs and Warriors capping the opening day of an 11-day, 67-game event split between the Thomas & Mack Center and Cox Pavilion on the University of Nevada Las Vegas campus. Tipoff is set for 10:30 p.m. ET at the Thomas and Mack Center.

The Cavs' second game will be one day later against the Brooklyn Nets at 10 p.m. ET at Cox Pavilion. They will then play Milwaukee (Monday, July 13 at 4 p.m. ET) before the summer league playoffs begin on Wednesday, July 15. 

NBA TV will televise all 67 games, culminating with the Samsung NBA Summer League Championship Game at 9 p.m. ET on Monday, July 20 at the Thomas & Mack Center. 

Last year, the Cavaliers were one of the main attractions thanks to a roster that featured 2014 No. 1 pick Andrew Wiggins and 2013 top selection Anthony Bennett, who played his college basketball at UNLV. 

A showdown between the Cavs and Bucks, a team headlined by No. 2 pick Jabari Parker, was the second-most-viewed NBA Summer League telecast of all time. Wiggins, who was traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves shortly after summer league action for All-Star forward Kevin Love, went on to win the 2014-15 Kia NBA Rookie of the Year Award, the eighth winner in the last 10 years to participate at Samsung NBA Summer League.

The rosters for the 24-team field will be released in the near future. 

See what fans had to say about Game 6 of the NBA Finals between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors on social media.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- With the Cleveland Cavaliers facing elimination and the Golden State Warriors hoping to claim the team's first championship since 1975, fans of both teams are ripe with anticipation as Game 6 of the NBA Finals approaches tonight. 

The most devoted Cavs fans are trying to show they are staying true to the "All in" mantra that has been perpetuated throughout the postseason. 

Meanwhile, several Warriors fans seem confident that their team is hours away from celebrating a title. 

See what fans had to say on social media by scrolling through the Storify below. Also, check out some motivational memes that are floating around the internet. 

The University of Akron has spent $50,000 to sponsor "Wine & Gold All In" t-shirts that will be given to more than 20,000 fans tonight during Game 6 of the NBA Finals at the Q.

The University of Akron will be promoted at the basketball game.University of Akron 

AKRON, Ohio -- The University of Akron has spent $50,000 to sponsor "Cleveland All In" T-shirts that will be given to more than 20,000 fans tonight during Game 6 of the NBA Finals at the Q.

The school is convinced the opportunity is priceless.

"The timing is great for us launching the repositioning as Ohio's Polytechnic University," said Larry Burns, vice president of advancement. "Based on all the opportunities we have, I think it is a great value. This is the sweet spot of where we are trying to reach -- northeast Ohio and a national audience as well."

The university's name and new brand, "Ohio's Polytechnic University," appear on the back of the shirts. University of Akron also will be promoted on electronic message boards, and Burns hopes the Cavs will retweet some UA tweets to their 800,000 followers.

"It's more than just buying advertising," Burns said. "If you integrate all these other elements, we really accomplish more collectively."

Burns said the Cavs contacted him during the first or second playoff series to see if UA was interested sponsoring a T-shirt for Game 6 of the Finals. Burns had established a relationship with the team when, as vice president of external affairs for the University of Toledo, he reached an agreement in August 2014 to be the Cavs' first university sponsor.

UA President Scott Scarborough, a former top official at Toledo, recently hired Burns.

The University of Akron and its brand "Ohio's Polytechnic University" appears on the back of the T-shirts. University of Akron 

Burns said the Cavs chose what appears on the front of the T-shirt. The NBA approved the back.

Burns said university officials had hoped the sponsorship would be for a game in which the Cavs could win the championship.

"But it is still exciting," he said.

The Cavs provided UA with 10 tickets to the game. Scarborough, trustees, donors and a student will attend, Burns said. He did not know the location of the seats.

Burns will also be there.

"I need to make sure everything works well," he said.

The story and photograph has been updated to show the t-shirt that will be given out to fans at the Q. A previous version had been provided by the University of Akron.

The Indians are making their third trip to Wrigley Field since the start of interleague play. After being rained out on Monday, the Indians and Cubs are scheduled to play at Wrighley Field on Tuesday night and then travel to Progressive Field for a two-game series starting Wednesday night.

CHICAGO -- Here are the lineups for Tuesday night's game between the Indians and Cubs. First pitch is scheduled for 8:05 p.m.

INDIANS

2B Jason Kipnis.

SS Francisco Lindor.

LF Michael Brantley.

1B Carlos Santana.

RF Brandon Moss.

C Yan Gomes.

CF Michael Bourn.

3B Giovanny Urshela.

RHP Trevor Bauer, 5-3, 3.53. 

CUBS

CF Dexter Fowler.

1B Anthony Rizzo.

3B Kirs Bryant.

C Miguel Montero.

SS Starling Castro.

LF Chris Coghlan.

RF Chris Denorfia.

RHP Jake Arrieta, 6-4, 3.16.

2B Addison Russell.

UMPIRES

H Phil Cuzzi.

1B Gerry Davis, crew chief.

2B Tony Randazzo.

3B Will Little.

Get the latest from minicamp in Berea from our Browns reporting team. Watch video

BEREA, Ohio -- The Browns opened three days of practice Tuesday as part of mandatory minicamp. Tashaun Gipson returned after sitting out OTAs in part over a contract dispute. The team's top pick, Danny Shelton, also made his first appearance after missing OTAs to finish his degree at the University of Washington.

Cleveland.com's Mary Kay Cabot and Tom Reed reported from Berea following practice. They discussed the play of the offense and the receivers, the defense now that Gipson's in the fold and more. Watch the video above and get complete coverage of minicamp at cleveland.com/browns.

Browns coach Mike Pettine was ready to coach the heck out of Tashaun Gipson when he ended his 'holdout,' but Gipson showed up with a pulled hamstring for mandatory minicamp. Watch video

Berea, Ohio -- Browns coach Mike Pettine was irked by the sight of free safety Tashaun Gipson standing on the sidelines with a pulled hamstring on the first day of mandatory minicamp after he skipped six weeks of the offseason program in a contract stand.

"He showed up here with an injury so we obviously held him out,'' said Pettine. "It's disappointing when a guy's not here to show up with something. We were going to be very careful anyway just like we are with Danny (Shelton). You just don't have an assessment when a guy is not here and with your trainers and with your strength and conditioning. Like I said, we were going to go at a very slow pace but it's unfortunate that he showed up here with an injury.''

Gipson, who signed his tender Friday night but still wants a long-term deal, suffered the injury while working out at home on his own in Dallas. He sat out all of practice on Tuesday and his status for the next two days in uncertain.

"(I was) training, making sure that I was coming back in tip-top shape,'' he said Tuesday after practice. "I wanted to be in the most physical peak of my career, making sure that I was ready to come back and perform. Things happen when you're grinding. It's something that's moreso a precaution than anything. If we had to play today, if this was a Sunday, I'd definitely be out there playing with my guys. It's nothing serious.''

Gipson said his right knee -- the one that caused him to miss the last five games of last season with a torn medial collateral ligament -- is fine.

"The knee is 100 percent,'' he said. "I feel like I did before the injury, and the hamstring, it's just something that's a little tight, something that you don't want to further be problematic and then, hey, you have to rehab it, and it's something that's lingering on into training camp. We want to fix the problem now, get rid of it, and then be ready to train and get ready for training camp and be full-go.''

With Gipson on the sidelines, Jordan Poyer continued to ge the first-team reps on Tuesday -- and could be in for some at the start of training camp too. Pettine said the staff will huddle after minicamp to determine how the unofficial initial depth chart will shake out.

"It's a possibility (Poyer will work some with the ones) but we haven't had those discussions yet,'' said Pettine. "But we'll take everything into account. We're not going to punish a guy over a contract issue, but it's still a real issue when you're talking about a guy taking care of his body. (Gipson) needs to show up for training camp ready to go just like 89 other guys are going to have to do.''

Asked if he expected Gipson to be ready to run through a wall after missing all of OTAs, Pettine said, "I hadn't given it that much thought. I know it's a coaching cliche, that we only worry about the guys that are here but that's the truth.''

Gipson admitted that he held out of the voluntary offseason workouts, including 11 organized team activities practices, because of the contract situation.

"Everything was my decision,'' he said. "My agent, nobody had a play in it. He just supported it, gave me the pros and cons to it and that was one of those things where yeah I would lying if I said the contract situation didn't have something to do with it because it did,'' he said. "But also I had personal things and family matters that I had to tend to. Were they two months long worth? No, but at the same time, I had (ongoing) personal matters which I don't want to touch on right now. I felt like I warranted (missing the practices), but at the end of the day, I'm here and I hope that something can get worked out sooner rather than later.''

The fact that Gipson arrived with the tweaked hamstring prevented Pettine from rolling out the red carpet like he indicated last week he would.

"When he's here we'll coach the heck out of him,'' Pettine said Thursday. "I can't speak for where he is from a frame of mind or what his plans are, but when he's here he'll be welcomed. Been through this in all my time in the NFL, guys with contract issues. Things very quickly get forgotten once they show up."

In Gipson's case, it might take another six weeks or so to get over the quasi-holdout.

More to come soon on Gipson's contract situation on cleveland.com.

Adam Cestaro worked as a Highland assistant boys basketball coach for the past seven seasons.

MEDINA, Ohio - Highland has selected Adam Cestaro as its new boys basketball coach. He is expected to be approved during the June 29 board of education meeting.

Cestaro has been a Highland assistant for the past seven seasons and coached the Ho

rnets' freshman team this past season.

“I see a program that competes for league and district titles on a yearly basis and at the same time represents the Highland community with class, fosters meaningful relationships and prepares student athletes for life long success,” Cestaro said in a statement.

Before arriving at Highland, Cestaro served as a varsity assistant at Archbishop Hoban for five years and was at Woodridge for one season.

He is a social studies teacher at Highland and received bachelor and master degrees at the University of Akron.

Cestaro replaces Michael Murphy, who resigned in April due to a demanding job in business that requires a lot of travel. Murphy led the team to 47 wins in three seasons, including an 18-7 mark this past season and the program's first Division I sectional title.

A sophomore running back from Westerville South got an OSU offer, but is wide open to hearing from other schools. Watch video

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Jaelen Gill walked around Ohio State's instructional camp on Tuesday without the burden of feeling he had to impress the Buckeyes coaching staff. 

That's because he did last week at another camp. And though Gill, who plays at Westerville (Ohio) South, is a 2018 prospect, he already has an Ohio State offer. 

A Columbus-area prospect with an Ohio State offer? Shut it down, he's going to be a Buckeye. 

"No, no," Gill told Northeast Ohio Media Group on Tuesday. "I tell everyone that I am still open. I want to be recruited by everyone."

The 6-foot, 165-pound running back is going to get his wish. Though he hasn't yet received a rating from 247Sports -- remember, he's only heading into his sophomore year -- Gill has more than just the Ohio State offer. He also has ones from Michigan State, Tennessee, Pittsburgh, Purdue, Kentucky and others. 

So Ohio State had to join the offers list to make sure its hold on a prospect in its backyard feels remains strong. They want Gill to feel the love early. But it's not like you had to twist Urban Meyer's arm to offer Gill a scholarship. 

Gill was clearly one of the best players on the field last week, and he still has so much room for improvement, like adding 40 pounds of muscle to his small frame. But it's the potential that has coaches gushing. 

That's why Meyer invited Gill and his father to campus for a visit. Ohio State gave the running back got a tour of the facilities and saw some of the campus, then Meyer invited him into his office. 

"I sat down with Coach Meyer and they all told me that they need me to be a Buckeye," Gill said. "Then Coach (Luke) Fickell sat us down in his office, and that's when they offered me." 

This isn't the typical path for a prospect. Attending these camps is, sure, but usually earning an offer is a process that can progress into a prospect's senior season. The elite ones stand out. 

Gill is an elite one. That's why Ohio State is already working to make sure he stays home. 

"It's really cool, definitely," Gill said. "A lot of sophomores have to go on the camp circuit and a lot of people my age have to wait until their junior or senior year to get their first offer.

"It's definitely cool to know that I'm ahead of the game and all of that. They said my route-running, my IQ, my knowledge for the game, they said that I'm very smooth. And for my age, 15, I'm really big." 

So what's the next step now for Gill? Apparently it's about watching his scholarship offers list grow while making sure he gives all the colleges a close look. He swears that he didn't even think about committing to the Buckeyes when he got his offer. 

Taking it slow. That's his plan. 

"It's kind of overwhelming, but I am starting to get a handle on it," Gill said of his recruitment. "As a 15-year-old, I just take it all in. I am just sitting back and letting it all happen, I guess." 

The 2012 undrafted free agent wants to remain with the Browns, but also want to get paid like one of the NFL's elite safeties. Watch video

BEREA, Ohio - Owning the NFL's second-most interceptions in the past two seasons, Browns free safety Tashaun Gipson knows how to play all the angles.

It comes from being a quick study, trusting his instincts and relying on teammates. The Pro Bowl defensive back is taking a similar approach to negotiating his long-term future with the Browns - or another franchise if it comes to that.

Since signing with Cleveland as an undrafted free agent out of Wyoming in 2012, Gipson has exhibited an unwavering belief in self. He sounds prepared to do it again by playing out his second-round tender ($2.356 million) this season and heading to free agency if a new deal can't be struck.

He's also going to use one of the league's better secondaries - of which Gipson is a critical component - to help drive up his value.

"When you look at factors like that and you say, 'Hey, if I have to bet on myself, I'm confident doing it in this defense,'" Gipson said Tuesday upon returning to club for mandatory minicamp after staying away for much of spring practice because of his contract situation.

"That's one of the things where you look at it and you say, 'Hey, I'm perfectly fine with it, and I know what I can do in this defense. I know the freedom that I have in this defense, and I know the guys around me.'"

Gipson sat out practice Tuesday with a hamstring injury he suffered while training on his own in Dallas. Coach Mike Pettine expressed disappointment that a player who's already missed time might not get reps with his teammates again until training camp opens in late July.

But Gipson knows the defense. He thrived in it a season ago, intercepting six passes in 10-plus games before sustaining a season-ending knee injury, which did not require surgery.

In speaking with reporters, Gipson was relaxed, upbeat and funny. In addressing the knee injury and what it might have cost him in terms of leverage, he deadpanned: "I felt like if I would've played the season out last year, who knows, I probably would be courtside with Joe (Haden) at the Cavs game."

Gipson repeatedly said he prefers to remain with the Browns. He also wants to get paid in the neighborhood of Patriots' safety Devin McCourty, who signed a five-year, $47.5 million deal ($15 million signing bonus and $28 million guaranteed) in the off-season.

The Browns free safety has educated himself on the game's business side after the club elected to offer him a second-round, rather than a first-round tender ($3.347 million). He was clearly unhappy with that decision, but demonstrated enough perspective to mention the second-rounder tender is more money that his first three seasons of salary combined.

He knows what the NFL's top five safeties are making and how the position's value is rising in a passing league. He saw the Jets lavish a four-year, $25 million contract on his good friend and former teammate Buster Skrine. The cornerback played a role in helping the Browns finish with the NFL's best opponent passer rating (74.1) and second-most interceptions (21).

But Skrine is nowhere near as important to the defense as the ball-hawking Gipson and the Browns know it. Last season wasn't a fluke. Only Richard Sherman has more picks than Gipson's 11 since the start of the 2013 campaign.

The safety has steadily improved despite playing in a different defensive scheme each of his first three seasons. Gipson relishes the chance to serve under coordinator Jim O'Neil again and work alongside Haden, Donte Whitner, Tramon Williams, Justin Gilbert, K'Waun Williams and others in a talented secondary.

Reaching a deal before training camp is ideal for both sides, but Gipson appears willing to risk injury to get the contract he desires. He's confident in his abilities and those of his fellow defenders. The Browns might sign their checks, but Gipson sees them working for him in a way. Another big season in that secondary could send No. 39's asking price skyrocketing.

This year's franchise tag for safeties was $9.61 million.

"The safety position, it's changing drastically," Gipson observed. "The top five guys are all getting paid $9-plus million.' That type of stuff, it entices you and it says, 'Hey, man. There's light at the end of the tunnel.'"

Gipson's emergence has been one of the franchise's better stories. He plays with a swagger and production level that commands the attention of every opponent. How many undrafted free agents playing on losing teams are voted into the Pro Bowl in their third season?

The safety appreciates the fact the Browns took a chance on him when nobody else would. He wants to be here. He also referred to himself twice on Tuesday as "a business."

The fact Gipson signed his tender, and is back in the fold for 2015, is a positive step. But as the Browns are starting to build impressive position groups on the offensive line and in the secondary they don't need another Alex Mack situation. The coaching staff can talk up Jordan Poyer all it wants, but he's no Gipson. There's no Cam Erving-type waiting in the wings.

Everyone knows how much Pettine and O'Neil covet good defensive backs, and in Gipson they have an elite free safety.

The Browns can pay him now or watch the 24-year-old use his teammates to potentially break the bank. The franchise tag gives the organization some leverage, but bet against Tashaun Gipson at your own risk.