A strong field will be racing for a purse of $500,000 in today's running of the Ohio Derby at ThistleDown Racino.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The 81st running of the Ohio Derby is this afternoon at ThistleDown Racino in North Randall, Ohio with the strongest field in years racing for the biggest purse in years -- $500,000.

Lightly-raced Whiskey Ticket from Triple Crown trainer Bob Baffert's powerhouse stable drew the rail post position and was tabbed the 3-1 morning line favorite. Whiskey Ticket has made just two starts, including a win in the Illinois Derby in April.

Baffert is riding high after saddling American Pharoah for his victorious Triple Crown adventure this year, the first three-year-old to win the crown since Affirmed in 1978.

Divining Rod, after finishing third to American Pharoah in the Preakness Stakes, is the 7-2 second choice, followed by 9-2 Far Right, who finished 15^th in the Kentucky Derby. Local favorite War Story, owned by Ron Paolucci of Stow, Ohio, and Mr. Z from the stable of D. Wayne Lukas, are listed at 6-1. Mr. Z was fifth in the Preakness and 13^th in the Kentucky Derby.

81st Ohio Derby

• What: 81st $500,000 Ohio Derby, a 1-1/16-mile race for three-year-old thoroughbreds.
• Where: ThistleDown Racino, 21501 Emery Rd., North Randall, Ohio.
• When: Saturday's Ohio Derby will come out of the starting gate at approximately 4:25 p.m. It is eighth race on a nine-race program. First race post time is 12:55 p.m.
• Race history: Bombay won the first Ohio Derby in 1876. After a hiatus of 41 years, it returned with Kentucky Derby winner Black Gold capturing the Ohio Derby crown. East Hall scored an upset a year ago, winning by a head at 8-1.

D'Arcy Egan's picks

1. War Story: It's a rare chance to root for the hometown favorite. He has the perfect post position and jockey Kent Desormeaux has experience in handling him. Needs his best effort.
2. Divining Rod: Dynamite performances in winning the Lexington Stakes and a third-place finish in the Preakness Stakes on a sloppy track against the unbeatable American Pharoah.
3. Whiskey Ticket: He could surprise, but has only raced twice in his life and not for two months. Has been tough in the stretch.

Best of the rest: Far Right has the stretch drive, and the credentials. ... Mr. Z showed spirit on sloppy Preakness Stakes track. ... With his early speed, Bodhisattva could be close at the finish line.

• Click here for today's ThistleDown entries. The Ohio Derby is the eighth race.

The first time LeBron James saw Cleveland Cavaliers center Timofey Mozgov was in a San Francisco hotel lobby, hours before a regular-season game against the Golden State Warriors.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The first time LeBron James saw Cleveland Cavaliers center Timofey Mozgov was in a San Francisco hotel lobby, hours before a regular-season game against the Golden State Warriors. Mozgov has just arrived in a trade from the Denver Nuggets and was set to make his debut later that night. Even with James still sidelined because of nagging injuries, that moment was important.
 
It was a few weeks earlier, after a loss in Miami on Christmas Day, shortly after Anderson Varejao suffered a season-ending Achilles injury, when James said of his team, "We're not that good right now."
 
James, a two-time champion, could tell. He learned in Miami what it took to win a championship and knew there were fatal flaws with the Cavs roster that couldn't be corrected internally. They weren't big enough. They weren't tough enough. They didn't have a player capable of protecting the paint. 
 
Cavaliers general manager David Griffin heard his star and went to work.
 
After acquiring Iman Shumpert and J.R. Smith, he called the Nuggets, hoping to pry away Mozgov, the underutilized center.
 
The Cavs had been working tirelessly, trying to find a rim protector since the summer. Griffin had made earlier inquiries about Mozgov, a player David Blatt coached during his time with the Russian National Team when Blatt helped lead it to a bronze medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics, but couldn't come to an agreement.
 
He tried again, but it was costly. Denver wanted two first-round picks for the promising 28-year-old 7-footer. Griffin and the Cavs were desperate. They needed Mozgov's combination of size and athleticism and Blatt, a stranger in his own locker room, needed an ally. So they made the deal.
 
James took one glance at Mozgov's size in that hotel lobby, and his attitude changed. He had a new belief.
 
At that point, the team, beaten down early in the season, stood tall, and finished the second half of the season on a flurry. And nobody played bigger than Mozgov, swatting shots and smothering opposing guards when they entered the paint.

The Cleveland Cavaliers know they'd look ridiculous replacing David Blatt after a trip to the NBA Finals. LeBron James should know it wouldn't be in his best interest either -- Bud Shaw's Sports Spin. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio - In all the talk of David Blatt's future and LeBron James' unbridled power within the organization, we can probably rule out one possibility (and maybe only one:)

That when James spoke of having a secret motivation to win the NBA title, it likely wasn't to get Blatt a raise and a contract extension.

These NBA coach-superstar relationships work themselves out, or don't. This one, not surprisingly, is under construction.

What we can say is there are many more coach-player relationships that become strained or that go up in flames in the NBA than there are Gregg Popovich-Tim Duncan marriages.

To say James should act more like Duncan in respecting his coach is obvious. 

But Popovich earned it. And Blatt must earn it, too.

For now, Blatt has time. Which is exactly what he should get as a first-year NBA head coach who just happens to have a much more impressive resume than many other first-year NBA head coaches. 

A NBA Finals appearance is part of that resume now. 

The Cavaliers would look absolutely ridiculous making a change after going as far as they went while losing Kyrie Irving, Kevin Love and Anderson Varejao, and they know it.

Perhaps nobody knows it more than Dan Gilbert. Does he have to say something to put it to rest? No. His GM, David Griffin, is speaking for him.

At least as best as he can.

"I think sensational sells now, and certainly with a team like ours, the more sensational the better," Griffin said. "LeBron himself said, I think it was June 1, that he thinks Coach has done a hell of a job. So if you want to use his actual words, that's what the man said.

"[...] From a purely basketball perspective, I'm not quite sure exactly what anybody is looking to have happen. It's all conjecture. I think one thing David did as well as anybody I've ever seen -- and I wish I did better -- was just ignore the noise from the media perspective. Because frankly, none of that means anything. We know what actually takes place here."

Griffin makes a great point, though when the GM can remember the exact date the star player said something positive about the head coach that might be a sign the star player hasn't said it often enough.

One question in particular also isn't asked often enough. Why would James want Blatt replaced now?

It would speak far worse of James than it would of the Cavaliers' head coach. It would be blood on James' hands at a time when he's positioned himself as the grateful native son embracing the chance to come back and lead his team to a NBA title.

This, after four years away in which-- he leads us to believe -- changed him in important ways.

Did James respect Mike Brown? Did he embrace Erik Spoelstra? Who would he embrace? Tyronn Lue?

James doesn't want a coach (or a team president like Pat Riley) dictating to him. Blatt doesn't. Brown didn't.

 James should want a coach who gives the Cavaliers  a great chance to win. The Cavs had a chance with Blatt.

The only reason it was downgraded from "great" was because the Cavaliers were so undermanned.

"We went through an awful lot of growing pains this year, and the process was long and arduous until we sort of found our stride and got our roster to where we wanted to," Blatt told reporters this week.

Blatt calls coaching James "exhilarating" and "invigorating." Marc Stein's ESPN report from this week added the word "emasculating."

Blatt does his best to sell James' in-game attitude as a team-motivated intensity born of his desire to win so badly.

James is the only one who can quiet the story that it's something else: a lack of respect. He hasn't done it well enough yet. 

For Blatt, winning a NBA title is the only way change the story. Short of that, we know how this eventually ends.

But that's not an immediate concern. For now, James doesn't need a coaching change any more than the Cavs do.

Matthew Dellavedova hit big shots, dove on the floor to win loose balls and pushed himself to the point of dehydration. He wrestled with opponents big and small, and gave league MVP Stephen Curry fits early in the Finals.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- On an unseasonably warm Sunday afternoon in early January, the Cleveland Cavaliers were getting ready for a matinee game against the Dallas Mavericks. 

About an hour before tip, Cavaliers general manager David Griffin held an impromptu meeting with the media, attempting to quiet the noise surrounding his team. The Cavs had started slowly and there was speculation about David Blatt's future, questions about LeBron James' health and bewilderment about Kevin Love's early-season struggles. 

During his defense of the team, GM David Griffin revealed an interesting piece of information: "I think it's clear that point guard depth is something we need to address," he said.

The search began. The Cavs explored free agency, reportedly keeping a close eye on Steve Nash's situation in Los Angeles before he chose to retire. They also made trade calls, with Miami's Norris Cole and Denver's Jameer Nelson as prime targets. But came up empty. So the Cavs stuck with Matthew Dellavedova.

What a ride he had.

Overlooked coming out of high school in Australia, the player called "Delly" starred at St. Mary's before going undrafted and having to fight for his NBA spot.

Throughout the playoffs -- and especially after Kyrie Irving was lost for the NBA Finals with a Game 1 knee injury -- Dellavedova's hard work, determination and hustle transformed him into a folk hero. He hit big shots, dove on the floor to win loose balls and pushed himself to the point of dehydration. He wrestled with opponents big and small, and gave league MVP Stephen Curry fits early in the Finals.

People all over the globe couldn't get enough.

His jersey became a best-seller. USA Today.com produced a video entitled "Matthew Dellavedova: Where did this guy come from?" Delly was a punchline to a joke in Jimmy Fallon's opening monologue on "The Tonight Show." And his hometown of Maryborough in Australia renamed its sports arena to "The Dellavedova Dome."

"Every time he touches the ball, every time he gets a stop or whatever the case is, 20,000 people go berserk," teammate J.R. Smith said. ". . . . Like seriously, that's a real-life storybook for him. It's a storybook setting."

More importantly, Dellavedova became a trusted teammate.

"This guy right here he's not the most athletic, fastest, greatest shooter in our league, I'd put him out there with anybody," James said after Dellavedova's heroics helped Cleveland eliminate Chicago in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

That was just the beginning of Delly's legend, the story of the overlooked plucky Australian who became Cleveland's starting point and an unlikely, short-lived star.

A look at five key observations from Browns minicamp and the offseason practices that preceded it.

Walker is the fifth offer for the Buckeyes in the 2017 recruiting class.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Add another name to the mix for the Ohio State basketball team's recruiting targets for the 2017 class.

The Buckeyes offered four-star Reading, Pa., shooting guard Lonnie Walker on Friday, according to Walker's public Twitter account. Walker is the No. 29 overall prospect in the 2017 class and the No. 3 shooting guard according to 247Sports' composite ratings.

Walker is the fifth known offer for the Buckeyes in the 2017 class. Ohio State offered Westerville South big man Kaleb Wesson on Monday, the first day that college coaches could call or text members of the 2017 recruiting class.

Ohio State also has offers out to Plano West, Texas, shooting guard Chris Giles (a high school teammate of current Buckeye Mickey Mitchell), Apple Valley, Minn, shooting guard Gary Trent Jr. (who has a close relationship with Ohio State assistant Jeff Boals) and Miami Beach, Fla., 7-footer Zach Brown.

Just got offered by Ohio state [?] [?]

-- IV (@lonniewalker_4) June 19, 2015

This isn't football where Ohio State and Urban Meyer can afford to scour the nation with 200-plus offers and pick from that crop to fill a 25-man recruiting class. The Ohio State basketball team currently has one spot available for 2017, and has to pick it spots.

Judging by the offers out there already, the Buckeyes are looking to add another big, or a guard with a good shooting touch who could play the point if needed. The 6-foot-4, 180-pound Walker fits the description according to the scouting work done by CityofBasketballLove.com.

The No. 2 player in Pennsylvania also has offers from Villanova, Indiana, UCLA, Stanford and Holy Cross.

"They're very great schools, especially Stanford, a high-academic school, which me and my father are looking for," Walker told CoBL. "Ohio State has D'Angelo Russell coming out of there; really good college."

Here are the lineups and the pitching matchup for Saturday's affair between the Indians and Rays.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Here are the lineups and the pitching matchup for Saturday's affair between the Indians and Rays.

Pitching matchup: Corey Kluber (3-8, 3.54 ERA) vs. Erasmo Ramirez (6-2, 4.45 ERA)

Lineups

Indians

1. DH Jason Kipnis

2. SS Francisco Lindor

3. LF Michael Brantley

4. 1B Carlos Santana

5. RF Brandon Moss

6. C Yan Gomes

7. 2B Mike Aviles

8. CF Michael Bourn

9. 3B Giovanny Urshela

Rays

1. CF Kevin Kiermaier

2. DH Joey Butler

3. 3B Evan Longoria

4. LF David DeJesus

5. 2B Logan Forsythe

6. RF Steven Souza

7. SS Asdrubal Cabrera

8. 1B Nick Franklin

9. C Rene Rivera

Mr. Z ignored a loose shoe to win after a torrid stretch battle with Tencendur and Divining Rod in a thrilling finish in the $500,000 Ohio Derby.

NORTH RANDALL, Ohio - Mr. Z ignored a loose horseshoe to fend off Tencendur and 2-1 favorite Divining Rod in a torrid stretch battle and win the $500,000 81^st Ohio Derby on Saturday afternoon at ThistleDown Racino.

Only a nose and a head separated the three at the wire, leaving fans guessing until Mr. Z was posted the winner, returning $15.60, 8. and 4.20. Second-place Tencendur paid $5.40 and $3.60, a head in front of 2-1 favorite Divining Rod, who paid $2.60.

"Mr. Z showed a lot of heart," said jockey Joe Bravo, who was aboard the three-year-old colt for the first time. "He was running so smoothly, I didn't know there was a problem with his shoe. He put together a gutsy performance."

After winning the 1 1/16-mile stake, and posting his first victory of the year after knocking heads with the likes of Triple Crown winner American Pharoah in his last three straight races, Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas had trouble getting the son of Malibu Moon to stand still for a winner's circle photograph.

Once Mr. Z settled down and the camera shutters finally clicked, Lukas lifted Mr. Z's left hind leg to check it for an injury. The horseshoe was still attached to Mr. Z's foot, but loosely hanging from one metal nail. Lukas pulled off the shoe with his hand and gave it to a helper.

Lukas was all smiles after the race, and happy he made the trip to ThistleDown to watch the colt owned by Kentucky's Calumet Farms in action.

"I knew Mr. Z had a good chance," said Lukas. "He's had a lot of tough races this year, but he's dead fit right now. That was a very competitive field."

Bravo took Mr. Z right the lead out of the starting gate, with Tencendur settling in behind him en route to a quick 23.86 quarter-mile. The field let him coast to a half-mile in 48.08, and Bravo was ready.

"He was so relaxed and quiet, but you can tell he's a fighter," said Bravo. "When they came after him, he wasn't going to quit. That was a gritty stretch drive."

War Story was almost five lengths behind the trio, finishing fourth.

"What's funny is that I followed Mr. Z closely all throughout the Triple Crown races," said Bravo. "I'd never ridden him, but I really liked him. When I got the call from Wayne, I didn't tell him that I would have begged him to put me on Mr. Z."

It was a great afternoon for Bravo, who also won the seventh race with Etheridge $5.60.

The crowd at ThistleDown consistently grew during the early races on Saturday, with the small track apron and many of the stands jammed at post time for the Ohio Derby. Wagering on the nine-race program topped the $100,000 mark for the first time this year.

"With the increase in the Ohio Derby purse to $500,000, and the very competitive field put together for this year's race, I think ThistleDown could get back its graded stakes status," said Lukas. "The committee has to look at not only the size of the purse, but also the quality of the this dear's field."

ThistleDown General Manager Rick Skinner said he couldn't predict any growth in the Ohio Derby purse for 2016.

"The Ohio Derby purse was only $100,000 when we got here," said Skinner. "We increased it to $300,000 a year ago, and $500,000 this year. We're looking at giving another boost, as well as considering a sponsorship arrangement that could increase the purse."

LeBron James talks Finals and next season while he got a haircut for a paid testimonial with Bleacher Report's "Uninterrupted."

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- LeBron James said he is "still in a little funk" over losing the Finals to Golden State, but continues to sound like there is no doubt he will return to the Cavaliers next season.

James is widely expected to opt out of his contract by June 29 and become a free agent, only to re-sign with the Cavs on a new, short-term deal.

"Hopefully I can put our team in position once again to try to compete for a championship next year and year in and year out," James said on Bleacher Report's "Uninterrupted," a series of streamed testimonials James takes part in as part of an undisclosed financial arrangement. "That's my goal, and my inspiration hasn't changed."

James told the Northeast Ohio Media Group during the Finals he is "happy where I'm at" in Cleveland, and in the immediate aftermath of Tuesday's Game 6 loss to the Golden State Warriors he reiterated his family was happy to be home.

James has a $21.57 million player option on the deal he signed when he returned to Cleveland last summer. He'll likely decline the option for a new one-year contract worth roughly $22 million with a player option.

In James' latest "Uninterrupted" video, in which he speaks while sitting in a barber's chair getting a haircut, he said "being back home is everything that I dreamed of, everything that I thought about.

"Being back with these fans, being back with this community, just being back here and trying to bring joy to this city, which deserves it," James said. "Bringing a sense of pride to this city, which deserves it. Giving this city something to talk about, which they deserve."

Of the Finals, in which James averaged 35.8 points, 13.3 rebounds and 8.8 assists but the Cavs' lost 4-2, he said "it hurt to lose, and I'm still in a little funk right now, but I'm trying to work my way out of it."

"You know, for a team that's first getting together, in our first year to be able to reach the Finals, (I'm) not saying I'm happy with the results, but I'm proud of our guys," James said. "Just the growth that they had from the first day we walked in the gym to the other day, us losing, I'm proud of the guys and what they was able to accomplish."

Cleveland coach David Blatt said on Thursday that "LeBron's heart was in the right place" in moments where he yelled at Blatt on the court or changed a play call. Blatt said coaching James was "invigorating and exhilarating."

The Indians' fifth starters are a combined 3-8 with a 9.00 ERA. That has to change for the team to contend.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- In spring training, it appeared the Indians had too many starters. Or at least, they had depth in the rotation. But here it's the middle of June, and the team is looking for a fifth starter. And they have been looking for a fifth starter most of the season.

The good news is the Big Four of Corey Kluber, Trevor Bauer, Carlos Carrasco and Danny Salazar have stayed healthy and been pretty effective. They are a combined 23-19 with a 3.72 ERA.

But the fifth spot in the rotation ... heaven help us!!!

Four pitchers have combined for 13 starts. Their record is 3-8 with a 9.00 ERA. Even worse, they have averaged only four innings per start. Not only do they lose, they demolish the bullpen in the process.

Here's how it breaks down:

• T.J. House is 0-4 with a 13.15 ERA in four starts.
• Shaun Marcum is 3-2 with a 6.00 ERA in seven starts.
• Bruce Chen made one start, 0-1 with an 12.79 ERA.
• Zach McAllister made one start, 0-1 with an 11.25 ERA.

Now, think back to spring training. The Tribe had the following candidates:

1. Gavin Floyd. He signed for $4 million. When healthy, he is a solid 12-game winner. But he wasn't healthy last season and injured his elbow again. He had surgery on March 16.

2. Josh Tomlin was considered a possibility. He had shoulder surgery on April 4.

3. T.J. House had a spot in the rotation when camp opened. The Indians really like the lefty. But he was terrible early in the year with the Tribe, and now is on the disabled list in Class AAA Columbus with shoulder problems.

4. McAllister has been a starter, but is best suited for the bullpen.

5. Chen was brought to camp as a long shot. He was 2-1 with a 1.74 ERA at Columbus. He made one start for the Tribe, was hit hard and retired.

6. Marcum was 4-0 with a 1.36 ERA in Columbus. He has had some good games and some bad ones. He has been designated for assignment.

7. The success of Marcum and Chen for Columbus shows the huge gap between Class AAA and the Majors. A veteran big leaguer with marginal stuff can dominate in the International League.

ABOUT CODY ANDERSON

Now, the Indians turn to Cody Anderson, and they are hoping that he can grab that spot in the rotation.

The Indians know it's a bit of long shot. Anderson is coming up after only three starts and 19 1/3 innings in Class AAA (1-1, 2.33 ERA). He opened the season with a 3-2 record and 1.69 ERA at Class AA Akron.

Anderson is 24. He was the 2013 Tribe Minor League pitcher of the year (9-4, 2.34 ERA at Class A Carolina). But in 2014, he had a lot of problems in Akron (4-11, 5.44 ERA).

The Indians determined that Anderson's problem was his conditioning. The 6-foot-4, 235-pound right-hander spent the winter after 2013 deciding that he wanted to get stronger. He went on his own weight lifting program, and bulked up.

But Anderson lost some flexibility in the process. Jason Kipnis did the same thing after the 2013 season.

Anderson spent most of this past off-season at the Tribe's training facility in Goodyear, where the team's trainers put him on a new regimen. He lost some bulk, added more strength and flexibility. Suddenly, he became a big-time prospect. Now, he has a chance to stick in the Majors. The Indians don't have a lot of starting options in the minors right now who are close to being big-league ready.

ABOUT URSHELA AND LINDOR

1. The main reason that Francisco Lindor and Giovanny Urshela are in the big leagues is because the Indians left side of the infield simply collapsed. Lonnie Chisenhall and Jose Ramirez lost confidence and made it impossible for the Tribe to be patient with them. So they were shipped to Class AAA.

2. Chisenhall's decline was alarming. He batted .332 with 9 HR and 41 RBI prior to the 2014 All-Star break. Since then, he batted .216 with 8 HR and 37 RBI in 385 official at bats. His defense was decent early in the season, but had problems at third in the last few days before his demotion.

3. Ramirez appears to have not been mentally prepared to open the season in the Majors. He was batting .180. His defense at short was no longer up to the high standard that he set with the Tribe in the second half of 2014.

4. Just to show the difference between Class AAA and Majors, Chisenhall entered the weekend batting .414 for the Clippers. Ramirez was batting .371. When Chisenhall was sent to Columbus during the 2013 season, he batted .390 in 105 official plate appearances.

5. Lindor is only 21, Urshela is 23. This is their first trip to the Majors. I've talked to several baseball people who estimate about 80 percent of players first promoted return to the minors at least once. On the Tribe right now, the only ones who have been in the Majors for at least two years without a refresher course in the minors are Carlos Santana, Cody Allen, Michael Bourn and Jason Kipnis.

6. The Tribe hopes Lindor and Urshela can supply a spark and energy. Chisenhall and Ramirez were weighed down by their slumps and it was a bit of a drag on the team.

7. Urshela and Lindor are both considered above average with the glove. The Indians lead the American League by allowing 32 unearned runs. Fangraphs ranks the Tribe No. 13 out of 15 American League teams in overall defense. Ramirez was ranked No. 10 defensively among 12 starting American League shortstops when he was sent down. He had eight errors in 46 games compared to four errors in 56 games at short a year ago.

8. Fangraphs ranked Chisenhall No. 6 among AL third baseman defensively. Second baseman Jason Kipnis was ranked No. 3, Carlos Santana was at No. 8 at first base. The website has Michael Bourn at No. 14 among center fielders.

9. Can Lindor and Urshela hit enough to stay in Cleveland? If they do, it's possible they will indeed supply some energy and defense that the infield really needs.

10. Because the Tribe has utilityman Mike Aviles, the Indians do not have to play the two rookies every single game. Aviles can fill in at every infield and outfield position.

ABOUT THE TRIBE

The Indians entered the weekend with a 31-34 record. This is a very, very strange team this season. Consider the following:

1. At home, they are 13-20. On the road, they are 18-15. Until the Indians begin to act like Progressive Field is their home, they are going nowhere. Last year, they were 48-33 at home ... compared to 37-44 on the road.

2. For all the gnashing of teeth about facing lefty hitters, the team has an 11-15 record against them. Not great, but hardly a disaster. They were 25-25 a year ago vs. lefties.

3. The problem is this team is supposed to smash right-handers. They are 20-20 in those games. Actually, the problem is they aren't hitting much of anyone and they are batting .224 with runners in scoring position.

4. In April, the Indians were 7-14. Lots went wrong. Then they had a 17-12 record in May. OK, it seemed the Indians were going in the right direction. But they took a 7-9 June record into the weekend series with Tampa Bay.

5. The last time the Indians were .500 was on April 10, a 2-2 record. I hope this is not one of those seasons where it seems to be an endless battle to crawl above .500. The Indians have a better team than that.

• Terry's Talkin' Browns
• Terry's Talkin' Cavs

The Cleveland Cavaliers' regular season can be broken into three parts; the first wasn't so good and the last was brilliant.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A few hours before the curtain lifted on the Cavaliers' season in one of perhaps the most anticipated opening nights of all time - ahem, LeBron James' formal homecoming -- The Nike commercial dropped.

You know the one.

The Cavs gather around James. The city gathers around the Cavs. The region gathers around the city. "Together," it was called.

Some of Nike's most poignant, powerful stuff. Seemed to capture the feeling coursing through the veins of every northeast Ohioan who was even casually interested in sports.

Who could've guessed at the time, but the ad foretold Cleveland's dismal start as much as it did the Cavs' magical finish. The following is a recounting of Cleveland's wild regular season.

Dion Waiters was in the commercial. So was Anderson Varejao. Not pictured: coach David Blatt.

Waiters, the Cavs' top draft choice in 2012, was fall guy 1B (with Blatt holding the 1A slot). A reputation for selfish play, Waiters and (to be fair) Kyrie Irving drove James nuts in the beginning.

Cleveland lost three of its first four. In loss two, Waiters and Irving jacked up so many quick shots in the first half that James blatantly stood in the corner in the second while the Cavs lost by 19 to Portland.

When Cleveland dropped four straight from Nov. 17-22, ill-advised shots or turnovers caused James to pout or sulk (or both) instead of racing back on defense. James couldn't contain his frustration.

"We're a very fragile team right now," James said, following a 110-93 drubbing by the Toronto Raptors on Nov. 22.

On Dec. 23, Cleveland won its 17^th game out of 27. The dream team of James, Irving and Kevin Love was beginning to click. But that same night, Varejao, the team's starting center, averaging 9.8 points and 6.5 rebounds, tore his Achilles tendon. The one teammate James trusted to defend the interior was gone for the season.

All of a sudden, James was looking at the roster, with Waiters but no Varejao, and shaking his head at Blatt, the "rookie" NBA coach whose years of experience in Europe and Israel mattered little to him.

The Cavs lost to the Heat on Christmas Day in Miami, adding to James' crisis of confidence as he hugged former teammates and was given an ovation by Miami fans. Now, James' frustrations with Blatt were becoming magnified. The media was picking up on James' penchant for talking past Blatt to assistant Tyronn Lue in the course of play, and that he wouldn't look at Blatt during timeouts.

The day after a 23-point home loss to Detroit, James offered a lukewarm endorsement of Blatt to the press, tempered by statements like "what other coach do we have" and "Listen man, I don't pay no bills around here. I play."

Only, James wouldn't play again for two weeks. His body was breaking down as he turned 30. With an aching knee, a balky back, and a bruised psyche, James sat until Jan. 13.

The Cavs were officially a mess. They'd become a 19-20 mess.

Part II, Magic moves/trades

Looking back, the moves orchestrated by Cavaliers General Manager David Griffin in early January can only be viewed as pure genius. Their impact judged solely as profound.

But at the time Griffin pulled the trigger on two franchise-changing trades, he was taking risks.

On Jan. 5, Griffin dealt Dion Waiters to Oklahoma City in a three-team trade that brought Iman Shumpert and J.R. Smith from the New York Knicks and a protected first-round pick from the Thunder. Cleveland also shipped the very end of its bench - Alex Kirk and Lou Amundson - and a second-round pick to the Knicks.

Trading Waiters wasn't the risky part. Perhaps the Cavs' best trade piece, Griffin promised James he would move Waiters as part of the GM's attempt to upgrade and mature the roster.

Shumpert, 24, was advertised as the key piece in the deal. He was to provide a defensive presence on the perimeter that neither Waiters, nor Irving, could. Except that Shumpert was nursing a separated shoulder and would not be ready to play for three weeks.

Smith, 29, was Waiters only with more baggage. Once the NBA's Sixth Man of the Year, Smith, like Waiters, was a shoot-first, shoot-often player who was experiencing one of his worst seasons with the Knicks. Smith racked up about $1 million in fines from the NBA.

Two days after dealing Waiters, Griffin acquired 7-foot-1 center Timofey Mozgov. A Russian native whom Griffin coveted before the season began, Mozgov had previous experience playing for Cleveland coach David Blatt in Europe.

With Anderson Varejao lost for the season, Mozgov was a necessity as a rebounder and interior defender. But at 28, he hadn't reached 10 points or eight rebounds per game as a part-time starter in four previous seasons. Griffin coughed up two first-round picks to the Denver Nuggets for Mozgov, including the pick he netted from Oklahoma City for Waiters, and used Cleveland's roughly $5 million trade exception.

The Cavs mortgaged their draft and roster flexibility for Mozgov. And in Shumpert and Smith, they brought in two players who couldn't help the lowly Knicks - at the time winners of just five of 31 games.

Griffin loves to tell the story of James' "spirit being lifted" when he first saw the hulking Russian at the team hotel in San Francisco.

Shumpert and Smith, meanwhile, were leaving a city (New York) they loved and a team they felt like they had failed. Smith, at least, knew James from working out with him in Akron over the summer prior to the 2004 draft.

Shumpert seemed to shrug at the allure of playing with James.

"Getting traded, it wasn't the best feeling in the world," Shumpert would later say.

"When we got traded, sitting on that plane, me and J.R. just talked about what we could bring to the (Cavs). We right away knew what they needed. It was one of those -- we were outside lookin' in, sayin' if they had this and that, they'd be real tough."

He was precisely correct.

Part III, Strong finish

The first time James played with Irving, Love, Mozgov and Smith together, the Cavs lost. On Jan. 13, in Phoenix, James made his anticipated return after two weeks off. He scored 33 points, looking bouncier and healthier than he had all season, but the Cavs still fell 107-100.

Cleveland's record was an unfathomable 19-20. Its losing streak, a season-long six games. That same night in Phoenix, James shoved Blatt. James was arguing a call with a ref, Blatt tried to intercede, and James pushed him back as he continued to plead his case. The Internet erupted.

Still ripe were the numerous reports over the apparent disconnect between James and Blatt. Just days earlier, Griffin was compelled to confirm that Blatt would remain the coach and declare the "narrative" that James wanted him gone as "dead."

The postgame press conference in Phoenix was a critical moment. If either Blatt or James deviated in their explanation of the push, controversy would erupt. Instead, both men described it as James protecting his coach from a technical foul.

Some say the season's turning point was James' first full practice back, on Jan. 12, in Phoenix. Irving recalled a meeting between him, James, and Love at shootaround the morning of Cleveland's next game in Los Angeles.

Blatt, jokingly, says it was the surprise bowling trip he planned for the team on an off day in L.A.

Either way, the Cavs didn't lose another game for three weeks. They went from a joke to a juggernaut. Central Division champs for the fourth time in team history. Fifty three-wins. An NBA-best 34-9 since Jan. 15.

James, Irving and Love were the highest-scoring trio in the league at 63.4 points per game.

Irving, now 23, blossomed under James' leadership and earned his respect. He registered the NBA's two best individual scoring games of the season, a 55-pointer against Portland (without James) on Jan. 28 and 57 against San Antonio on March 12.

James' 25.3 points and 6.0 rebounds per game were the second-lowest of his career, but his 7.4 assists were the second-most of 12 seasons. Together, James and Irving (Cleveland's two All-Stars), became the fifth duo in NBA history to average at least 20 points and five assists per game.

Love complained about struggling to find a role in the offense and was involved in more than one awkward exchange with James in the media. His 16.4 ppg and 9.7 rpg were among the lowest of his career, but he was still the most dangerous third option in the NBA.

After acquiring Smith and Shumpert, the Cavs led the league with 11.6 three-pointers per game. Smith recorded three games with eight treys.

Mozgov's 10.6 points per game were a career high. With him and James playing together, Cleveland was 10^th in the league in opponent's field-goal percentage and fifth in opponents' points per game.

James' relationship with Blatt evolved from its icy beginning. James still called him a "rookie coach" - which Blatt didn't like - but the respect and communication between star player and coach had grown.

They, not just superstar player and coach, but all the Cavs, had come a long way.

"It felt like the '90s," Thome said Friday at Progressive Field. "We got here early, my son and I walked around Cleveland and it felt like the days of the 90s when we were in the World Series. The city, it was so cool to see that again from a fan looking in now." Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Jim Thome took his son to an NBA Finals game at Quicken Loans Arena last week. The former Indians slugger and his 7-year-old, Landon, were featured on the jumbotron.

"Dad, they're cheering for me," Landon said to his father as the sellout crowd acknowledged the presence of the man who clubbed 337 home runs in 13 seasons on the other side of the Gateway Plaza.

That night, Thome sat as an observer amid a crowd roaring for its team as it competed for a championship. It was a bit of role reversal for the longtime power hitter, and it evoked some nostalgia.

"It felt like the '90s," Thome said Friday at Progressive Field. "We got here early, my son and I walked around Cleveland and it felt like the days of the 90s when we were in the World Series. The city, it was so cool to see that again from a fan looking in now."

Members of the 1995 Indians reunited at the ballpark this weekend as the organization celebrated the club that amassed a 100-44 record and reached the World Series for the first time in 41 years. Thome, Kenny Lofton, Dennis Martinez, Charles Nagy, Carlos Baerga, Mike Hargrove and others reminisced about the team's potent offense, brash attitude and, of course, about the way they captured the focus of a city starved for a championship.

Twenty years later, that team is still revered in Cleveland.

"We had a great relationship with the fans," Martinez said.

The Indians' then-record 455-game sellout streak began in 1995. When Thome squeezed Jeff Huson's pop-up two steps to the left of third base, the franchise clinched its first postseason berth in four decades.

"The game is over," Herb Score shouted on the broadcast. "The Indians have won the divisional title. Indians fans have waited 41 years and now they can really cheer."

Even after the Tribe fell short in the Fall Classic -- the Atlanta Braves captured the trophy in six games -- tens of thousands of fans attended the team's end-of-season celebration in downtown Cleveland.

"Unfortunately, we didn't' get to finish the whole deal," said former catcher Sandy Alomar Jr., now the Indians' first-base coach. "The people in Cleveland are so hungry for a winning baseball team. They cherish those moments. And '95 and '97 were great."

For Cleveland fans, 2015 was, too. The Cavaliers reached the NBA Finals and fans filled E. 4th St., where ESPN conducted its live broadcasts. Nearby bars and restaurants attracted ticketless patrons and extended their late-night hours.

Eventually, a roster riddled with injuries ran out of steam. Thome watched it unfold from up close. And it reminded him of an era he and Cleveland fans remember well.

"Just to watch how [the fans] love LeBron [James] -- it was everything Cavs and you could just feel the vibe," Thome said. "It was a neat experience. I wish they could've done it." 

There is a four-way tie for second heading into today's final round.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- One day after suffering from vertigo, Jason Day shot 2-under par 68 on Saturday to create a four-way tie for the lead after the third round at the 2015 U.S. Open. Day is tied with Masters champion Jordan Spieth, Dustin Johnson and Branden Grace.

Spieth will attempt to become the first player since Tiger Woods in 2002 to win the first two majors of the year.

Louis Oosthuizen shot the day's best round with a 4-under 66.

Keep up with Day, Spieth, Johnson, Grace and the rest of the field with our live leaderboard throughout today's final round of the tournament.

Check out the box below for live Twitter updates and pictures from Twitter accounts of some of the top golfers as well as the PGA Tour and other notable Twitter golf feeds.

U.S. Open live leaderboard

U.S. Open TV schedule

• Today: 2-10:30 p.m., FOX

Live streaming

• USOPEN.com
• FOXSports.com

Tee times

Click here for final-round tee times and pairings.

U.S. Open links

Distractions a challenge for U.S. Open leaders (NYTimes.com).

U.S. Open coverage by Fox is wild, but not too wild (LATimes.com).

Louis Oosthuizen catches fire and shoots a 66 (CBSSports.com).

Dustin Johnson has a chance to finish what he started (Yahoo.com).

Warehouse fire sends massive cloud of black smoke over U.S. Open (USA Today).

U.S. Open live twitter feeds

Tweets from https://twitter.com/AmandaHarnocz/lists/us-open

#usopengolf Tweets

Gerry is a high school 100-meter champ who is Nebraska's best overall athlete and who could be a breakout star after making the switch to safety last season.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The running countdown of the Northeast Ohio Media Group's top 50 Big Ten football players for the 2015 season.

No. 32, Nate Gerry, Nebraska

Junior safety, 6-foot-2, 205 pounds

* On Twitter: @NathanGerry

* See the rest of the top 50

* What he's done: Nebraska's best athlete, Gerry was a second-team All-Big Ten pick by conference media last season and an honorable mention selection for the coaches after making 90 tackles, second among the Cornhuskers. He's a playmaker, with five interceptions a year ago and an 85-yard return for a touchdown of a blocked field goal. The Big Ten is filled with solid, veteran secondary players, and Gerry fits that bill, but still retains an upside. 

He started every game as a sophomore last year after starting three as a freshman linebacker in 2013. His play in his first year of a position switch is why so much more could be ahead as he settles into the secondary.

He was named the Big Ten's defensive player of the week for his efforts against Iowa in Nebraska's rivalry game, when he had an interception, 15 tackles and three tackles for loss. And new coach Mike Riley already named him one of Nebraska's six captains for 2015.

Proud to take the field Sept 5th with Westy, Malik, Nate, Jack, Alex, and Tommy! #GBR [?] [?] [?] pic.twitter.com/5s5tFVKBqS

-- Mike Riley (@Coach_Riley) June 5, 2015

* How he got here: The best player in South Dakota in the Class of 2013, the three-star recruit according to 247sports.com picked Nebraska over Iowa, Michigan State, Minnesota and others. He was also a track star in high school who was South Dakota's 100 meter champ. 

* What's ahead: Like the safety listed before him on this list, Wisconsin's Michael Caputo, Gerry will be a defensive leader for a team in transition, as the Cornhuskers break in their new coach. Gerry was among the many Cornhuskers initially upset by the firing of Bo Pelini, writing on Twitter, "he's the reason we came here." Gerry sat out Nebraska's spring game with a knee injury but will be fine for the season. 

He could be a true breakout defender in the Big Ten and has the tools to be a future NFL safety.

Also, he should continue to like the Batman villain Bane.

#BANE

A photo posted by nathangerry (@nathangerry) on Apr 30, 2013 at 9:41am PDT

Elsewhere

* Gerry on switch from linebacker

The Northeast Ohio Media Group ranked the 50 best Big Ten football players for the 2015 season. See their photos and check out why these players made the list.

Here are the lineups and the pitching matchup for Sunday's matinee between Cleveland and Tampa.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Here are the lineups and the pitching matchup for Sunday's matinee between Cleveland and Tampa.

Pitching matchup: Cody Anderson (MLB debut) vs. Alex Colome (3-3, 5.14 ERA)

Lineups

Indians

1. 2B Jason Kipnis

2. SS Francisco Lindor

3. LF Michael Brantley

4. DH David Murphy

5. 1B Carlos Santana

6. RF Brandon Moss

7. 3B Mike Aviles

8. CF Michael Bourn

9. C Roberto Perez

Rays

1. CF Kevin Kiermaier

2. LF Joey Butler

3. 3B Evan Longoria

4. DH David DeJesus

5. 2B Logan Forsythe

6. RF Steven Souza

7. SS Asdrubal Cabrera

8. 1B Jake Elmore

9. C Curt Casali

Will Tashaun sign an extension before the season begins? Can Paul Kruger match or exceed his sack total from last season? Where will Cameron Erving fit? These and other questions answered in Hey Mary Kay!

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Send in your questions for Hey Mary Kay! here.

Hey Mary Kay: Will Tashaun Gipson sign a contract extension before the season begins?

-- Joe C., Sandusky, Ohio

Hey Joe: Judging from Gipson's interview during minicamp last week, I think he's prepared to play out the tender and see what he can get on the open market  unless the Browns make him a blockbuster offer. Gipson has Devin McCourty stars in his eyes right now and won't settle for a deal from the Browns that's significantly less than what the Patriots paid their Pro Bowl safety: five years, $47 million, $15 million signing bonus and $28 million guaranteed.  Of course, if he does play out the $2.36 million second-round tender, the Browns can always use the franchise or transition tag on him after the season to ensure he's here for 2016.

Hey Mary Kay: Do you think Paul Kruger will match or exceed his sack total from last year?

 -- Pete Young, Sugar Hill, Georgia

Hey Joe: Kruger had a sensational 2014, with a team-high 11 sacks, tied for fifth-most by a Brown in a season. And he achieved the feat without having another double-digit sacker on the defense, which put to rest the notion that he was a product of all the attention Terrell Suggs received in Baltimore. But I do think Kruger can exceed that total this year in Mike Pettine's defense. In addition to the philosophy of rushing him early and often, he should have some other good pass-rushers this year taking the heat off him, including Armonty Bryant and Nate Orchard. What's more, with Danny Shelton expected to occupy two blockers in the middle, which should open up lanes for Kruger and others to get to the quarterback. If all goes as planned, he'll hit double-digits again, and so will at least one of his teammates.

Hey Mary Kay: Will there be enough reps to go around for all these running back on the roster?

-- Maria Velten, Fairview Park, Ohio

Hey Maria: No. The Browns have a surplus of good backs this year, and there's no way all of them will get enough carries. Offensive coordinator John DeFilippo is hoping one of them gets the hot hand and reveals himself as the featured back. Third-round pick Duke Johnson will make an immediate impact, but maybe mostly on third down in the early going. Isaiah Crowell and Terence West have been battling it out for carries on first and second down, along with second-year back Glenn Winston. The young backs will have to show maturity, consistency and an incredible work ethic to get on the field this season.

Hey Mary Kay: Where will No. 19 pick Cam Erving fit into the mix on such a good offensive line?

-- Sam L., Columbus, Ohio

Hey Sam: DeFilippo said Erving will open camp at right guard, where he'll battle starter John Greco for playing time. Unfortunately for Erving, he suffered a minor injury of some sort during minicamp and sat out the final two days. The Browns have been moving him around to different spots, including left tackle to give Joe Thomas a rest and center, but they're hoping Erving can settle into a spot soon and stake his claim to a starting job. But it won't be easy. Greco has played well and has earned good reviews for his offseason from DeFilippo, as has right tackle Mitchell Schwartz.

Get live updates and chat with beat writer Zack Meisel in the comments section below as the Indians and Rays battle at Progressive Field. Cleveland's Cody Anderson will oppose Tampa's Alex Colome.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Get live updates and chat with beat writer Zack Meisel in the comments section below as the Indians and Rays battle at Progressive Field. Cleveland's Cody Anderson will oppose Tampa's Alex Colome.

Game 68: Indians (31-36) vs. Rays (40-30)

First pitch: 1:10 p.m. ET at Progressive Field

TV/radio: STO; WMMS FM/100.7; WTAM 1100.

The Nike ad hints that LeBron James still has unfinished business in Cleveland

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Cavaliers and Nike took out full-page ads in a special section commemorating the team's season in The Plain Dealer.

In their ad, the Cavs said thank you to fans, proclaiming "There's no place like home."

Nike's ad featured the back of LeBron James in his NBA Finals jersey. It succinctly looks back at the season and playoffs, ending with a reminder that there is still unfinished business for James in Cleveland. It reads,

"Imagine if LeBron came home to Cleveland.

Imagine if the team struggled early but finished the regular season strong.

Imagine if their big man went down, but they still found a way to power through the Eastern Conference.

Imagine if they faced the top seed in the Finals.

Imagine if they pushed Game 1 to overtime but lost another star to injury.

Imagine if everyone counted them out.

Imagine if they shocked the world and took the next two games.

Imagine if fatigue caught up with them, and they lost Games 4 and 5.

Imagine if they defied odds, logic and the basketball gods to come back and win the series in 7.

Except this isn't Hollywood. It's Cleveland.

Nothing is given. Everything is earned.

Just do it."

J.R. Smith came from a rough path in his life to comfort in Cleveland. And then the playoffs arrived.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - After the Cavaliers had captured the Eastern Conference championship against Atlanta, J.R. Smith interrupted the post game press conference to snap a selfie of himself, LeBron James and Tristan Thompson on stage.
 
Picture taken, Smith then described to reporters what it was like to have wound up with James and the Cavs by, of all things, quoting recording artist Drake. Actually, to be more precise, by quoting his own mother, who apparently quoted Drake to her son as the confetti streamed down at The Q after Game 4.
 
"She's like, talk about starting from the bottom, and now we here," Smith said,  following Cleveland's 30-point drubbing of the Hawks to clinch the series.  Smith scored 18 points with four 3-pointers.
 
"So to be able to do this, I mean, it's unreal to be in this situation and this position. I could have been in a worse situation, but my prayers have been answered."
 
When the Cavs acquired Smith and Shumpert from the New York Knicks in a three-team trade on Jan. 5, the Knicks owned just five wins. Smith was averaging 10.9 points and shooting 40 percent from the field - worst since 2005-06 for him -- while developing a reputation for errant behavior on and off the court.
 
Smith wound up starting 45 games for Cleveland. He scored 12.7 points, shot 42.5 percent (39 percent from 3-point range), and was embraced by James, with whom he had a relationship before joining the Cavs.

The entire night represented Smith's season with the Cavs. He turned out to be the perfect fit during the regular season, productive to a fault, showing virtually only the positive, funny, reflective side of his personality.

But Smith had his rocky moments during the playoffs. He punched Jae Crowder in the face during Game 4 of a first-round series against Boston and was suspended for two games. In Game 2 of the NBA Finals, Smith committed three misguided fouls that nearly cost the Cavs that overtime win. He shot just 31 percent from the field during the Finals.
 
Smith, who has said he wants to remain a Cav, has a player option on his contract worth $6.4 million. What he chooses to do with it could largely decide where he goes next season. Only he knows from precisely where he came.