Bowling Green and quarterback Matt Johnson were chasing championships and records Friday night against Northern Illinois in the MAC Championship game.

Northern Illinois quarterback Tommy Fiedler, (16), is sacked by Bowling Green defensive linemen Taylor Royster, left, and Shannon Smith during the first half of the Mid-American Conference championship game in Detroit.AP Photo 

DETROIT, Michigan -- Bowling Green quarterback Matt Johnson lifted the Falcons to their second Mid-American Conference title in three years with a pair of TD passes, and etched his own name in the MAC record books directing a 34-14 BG victory over Northern Illinois in the MAC title game Friday night in Detroit's Ford Field.

Add in 182 yards rushing and two touchdowns by the Falcons Travis Greene, the game MVP, and it was too much for the Huskies to overcome.

"To be able to run the football is one of the greatest joys on the football field,'' BG head coach Dino Babers said.

Indeed, the bulk of BG's 501 yards of offense came on the ground, 266 overall with Fred Coppet adding 85.

"Huge credit to the offensive line,'' Johnson said. "They were imposing their will all night."

The two teams now await word, 4 p.m. Sunday, on exactly where their post season bowl destination will be. The MAC has seven teams bowl eligible with NIU and BG at the top of the pecking order, with all seven sure to land somewhere. This marked the third straight season NIU (8-5) and BG (10-3) played for all the

marbles with the Falcons winning in 2013 and the Huskies in 2014. And this was the sixth straight season the Huskies had played in the title game. But the big plus for the Falcons was Johnson, who was MVP in 2013. He returned from 2014 injury to try for a second title.

The Huskies, who suffered quarterback injuries all season, were down to fifth-string walk-on freshman quarterback Tommy Fiedler. By halftime, the mis-match was obvious as the Falcons and Johnson had a 21-0 lead. Johnson had 131 of his 235 passing yards accounted for; Fiedler only had 19 of his 152. He also had three interceptions.

A 45-yard touchdown pass from Johnson to Roger Lewis on BG's first possession of the second half for a 28-0 lead seemed to pretty much close the door on NIU's hopes and sealed BG's crown, even as the Huskies made it interesting.

Presented with a short field late in the third quarter Fiedler did get a 32-yard touchdown pass to tight end Desroy Maxwell with 5:43 in the period. Moments later Johnson threw a 64-yard pick-six, cutting BG's lead down to 28-14.

"A great play by him,'' Johnson said of defensive back Shawun Lurry. "He baited me into it. But  we were able to go back down the field and clamp the game down."

The Falcons responded with another touchdown drive for a 34-14 lead with 12:32 to play in the game. Bowling Green's defense followed with a big fourth-down stop, and later an interception, before running out the clock.

Early in the first quarter Johnson broke Ben Roethlisberger's single season MAC passing record. In the second quarter he set the MAC's single season mark for passing touchdowns.

BG's first few drives were struggles with Johnson mis-firing on his passes and receivers dropping ones that did hit their hands. But late in the period tailback Fred Coppet began gashing the Northern Illinois line with power runs between the tackles.

That gave Johnson breathing room to pass on the flanks. A 10-play, 70-yard drive was the result with Coppet rushing for 41 yards and scoring on a four-yard run. That 7-0 lead came with 4:15 to play in the first quarter.

NIU answered with a long drive of its own. And on fourth-and-one in Bowling Green's red zone the Huskies went for it. But a bad handoff resulted in a fumble, recovered by the Falcons, to spoil that opportunity. Another NIU fumble, midway in the second quarter set up a two-yard touchdown pass from Johnson to tight end Derek Lee for a 14-0 lead with 5:28 before halftime.

NIU then had an unsportsmanlike 15-yard penalty late in half for a thrown helmet which opened the door one play later for a 25-yard touchdown run by Greene for a 21-0 lead at halftime. It marked the most points NIU has allowed in the first half all season.

There was still more to come.

See storylines, top performers from Friday’s OHSAA football state finals.

COLUMBUS, Ohio – The second day of the OHSAA state football championships in Columbus is now over and a bittersweet ending for some.

Mogadore saw its hopes of a championship end after falling to Fort Recovery 33-14 (see game story and photo gallery). Check out video highlights, as well as the trophy presentations.

Also see what was said after the game in video of the news conference. 

Other state final games and football content

In other action on Friday, Coldwater won its fourth straight state title, defeating Canton Central Catholic, 35-18.

Check out a story on St. Edward coach Tom Lombardo before Saturday’s Division I state final game.

See how QB Danny Clark’s performance in Archbishop Hoban's Division III win Thursday was a a glimpse of what Ohio State could see in the future.

In Friday night's Division II final, Cincinnati La Salle won its second straight state title after defeating Massillon Perry (game story and photo gallery).

Videos and photos galore, including action highlights

Check out the high school sports video homepage to see lots of videos, including compilations of action highlights recorded from the sidelines.

Action photo galleries

Division II: Massillon Perry vs. La Salle

Division III: Archbishop Hoban vs. Toledo Central Catholic

Division V: Coldwater vs. Canton Central Catholic

Division VII: Mogadore vs. Fort Recovery

State championship schedule

Check out the remaining schedule for the state three championship games, two of which feature teams from Northeast Ohio as Kirtland plays Saturday at 10 a.m., followed by St. Edward at 3 p.m. Keep up with the games with live blogs on cleveland.com/hssports, which feature a chat, in-game videos and analysis.

Recapping Thursday's Hoban championship

Read the game story: Archbishop Hoban wins Division III state title game against Toledo Central Catholic.

Archbishop Hoban receives the Division III state championship trophy. #NEOvarsityhttps://t.co/CUQlMvGPwA

— Tim Bielik (@bielik_tim) December 4, 2015

See video highlights from Hoban’s trophy presentation and a feature story about Anthony Christian.

Watch video of Hoban’s postgame news conference.

Check out key plays that helped Hoban defeat Toledo Central Catholic, a look at the future for the Hoban program and what 12 Knights seniors leave behind after the win.

For more high school sports news, like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

Friday's winter sports roundup for basketball, hockey.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Here are high school sports highlights from Friday. 

BOYS BASKETBALL

No. 10 Medina 73, Solon 63: Check out freelancer Ryan Isley’s game story.

No. 13 St. Edward 87, No. 4 Bedford 78: Check out freelancer Michael Fitzpatrick's story. 

No. 12 Holy Name 65, Bay 61: The Green Wave topped the Rockets in an early Great Lakes Conference tilt thanks to a bounce-back third quarter and 36 points from Dwayne Cohill. A guard who’s receiving interest from Ohio State, Xavier, Purdue and other programs, Cohill sank three 3-pointers en route to a dominant night. Bay (1-2) outscored Holy Name (2-0) 15-3 in the second quarter to take a 30-26 halftime lead before the Green Wave rallied. John Koz paced Bay with 17 points.

No. 18 Elyria 47, Euclid 45: In a matchup between Greater Cleveland Conference teams and squads ranked in the preseason cleveland.com Top 25, the Pioneers eked out a victory in a defensive skirmish. Rider commit Quintin Dove led the Panthers (0-3) and all scorers with 23 points, but Pioneers Blake Furcron (17 points) and Antonio Blanton (14) compensated for the Euclid forward’s big night. 

Twinsburg 58, North Royalton 56: After the Tigers surrendered a 15-point lead, Gary Heath bailed them out. Heath sank a 15-foot fadeaway to give Twinsburg (1-1) a buzzer-beating win against North Royalton (1-1) in a Suburban League National Division game. Mitch Filippi led Bears, who trailed 20-5 after the first quarter, with 14 points

Brecksville 64, Cuyahoga Falls 60 (OT): Dan Auble’s four overtime free throws iced a Bees victory in a Suburban Conference contest. Auble finished with eight points for Brecksville (2-1), which received a game-high 20 from Matt Dimitrijeves. The Black Tigers outscored the Bees 12-9 in the fourth quarter to force the extra period. D’Vontay Friga and Tyler Tofil led Cuyahoga Falls with 13 points each.

Glenville 82, Collinwood 78: The Tarblooders outscored the Railroaders 25-21 in the first quarter and held on in a tight game. Christian Guess led Glenville with 23 points in its Senate Athletic League contest, with Jerome Wright (14 points), Marcus Drish (13), Hercules Shepherd (11) and Joshua Manningham (10) also chipping in. Geno Taylor and Melvin Hill paced the Railroaders with 17 apiece.

Midview 68, Amherst 45: Grant Wells dropped in a game-high 18 points to propel the Middies to a comfortable win in an early-season Southwestern Conference clash. Dimitri Redwood and Garret Overy contributed 11 to the 2-1 Middies’ cause. Casey McConihe led the Comets (0-3) with 11 points.

Martin Luther King Jr. 66, John Adams 59: A 27-point night from Ronald Vann piloted the Knights to their second victory of the season. Robert Carr scored 14 points for MLK (2-1), with Denzel Carter pouring in 13.

North Olmsted 69, Avon 52: North Olmsted rode a 20-point game from Ryan Coleman to a Southwestern Conference victory. The 3-0 Eagles also received 14- and 10-point nights from Andy Lucien and Josh Hufstetler, respectively. North Olmsted broke away by outscoring Avon (1-1) 17-8 in the second quarter. Avon’s Demantie Thornton matched Coleman with 20 points.

Streetsboro 70, Akron Springfield 32: Four Rockets totaled double-figure scoring nights in a Greater Cleveland Conference Metro Division tilt. Cory Gillings led Streetsboro with 13 points, with Jared Tucker and Jerry Judd splashing in 11 apiece. Ronnie Dawson scored 10. Eleven Springfield players scored between one and five points in defeat.

Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin 55, Berkshire 33: An 18-7 first-quarter run set the course for the Lions handing the Badgers their season’s first defeat in NDCL’s season opener. Mark Kostelac’s 20 points paced all scorers, and Brandon Leninger totaled 11 points for NDCL. Jarett Smetana’s 15 points led Berskhire (3-1).

Chagrin Falls 58, Cardinal 42: Ten players scored to help the Tigers to a 16-point victory. Ben Karyo and Joey Vinci led the way by posting 14- and 11-point games, respectively, in a Chagrin Valley Conference contest. Chagrin Falls outscored Cardinal 36-20 after halftime. Robbie Mulh and Cody Naftzger led Cardinal with 11 apiece.

Firelands 56, Fairview 46: Doc Januzzi’s 20 points powered the Falcons past the Warriors (1-1) in Patriot Athletic Conference play. Colin Myers added 14 for Firelands (2-1). Jared Butler (16 points) was the only Fairview performer to reach double digits.

Andrews Osborne Academy 99, Geauga 50: A 32-7 first-quarter surge dictated a romp for the Phoenix en route to a 5-0 start to their season. Arturo Sanchez and Te’John Chapman scored 22 and 21 points, respectively, as five Phoenix cogs enjoyed double-digit nights.

GIRLS BASKETBALL

No. 5 East Tech 89, Whitney Young 13: Chardai Hill and Morgan Daniel scored 19 and 18 points, respectively, to help the Scarabs to a dominant victory in their season-opening game Friday night. Coach Melvin Burke tallied the 250th victory of his 14-season career. Burke’s record now sits at 250-60. Jymirra Sanders scored 14 points in the Scarabs’ triumph against their Senate Athletic League rival.

No. 7 Gilmour 74, Cornerstone Christian 58: Thirty-sixth-year coach Bob Beutel secured his 650th career victory Friday night, with the Lancers scoring more than 70 points for the third time in four games. Naz Hillmon led Gilmour (3-1) with 29 points and nine rebounds, and Grace Mullen added 19 points for the Lancers. Marisa Finazzo finished with seven assists and five steals for the Lancers, who were coming off a loss to No. 2 Magnificat.

Geauga 28, Andrews Osborne Academy 27: Cassie Lee and Gabby Culotta each scored 10 points for the Phoenix, but that proved insufficient against the Grizzlies. Culotta also tallied six rebounds and five steals for Geauga, which outscored Andrews Osborne 8-2 in the fourth quarter.

Lorain Horizon Science Academy 41, Open Door Christian 28: Camarya Snipes-Thomas scored 14 points to lift Lorain Horizon Science Academy past the Open Door Academy. Jalicia Smalley tallied 11 for the Dragons. Open Door Christian’s Liz Nejadfard matched Snipes-Thomas’ total.

Laurel 68, Wheeling (W.V.) 60: The Gators jumped out to a 27-15 halftime lead, and Alex Cade’s 22 points buoyed them throughout the night against the West Virginia program. Cade also loaded up her stat line with 10 rebounds, five steals and four blocks. Christina Steele totaled 15 points, five assists and five steals for Laurel (3-1).

HOCKEY

Shaker Heights 6, Lake Catholic 2: Six different Red Raiders scored goals in their defeat of the Cougars. Jeff Grossman-McKee, Chris Strnisha, Wyatt Eisen, Daniel Ritts, PJ Anderson and Jamal Townsend found the net for Shaker Heights, which scored three first-period goals and improved to 4-0. Liam Swik stopped 12 Lake Catholic shots.

St. Edward 2, Walsh Jesuit 1: Nick Steckle and Jake Ward scored goals, and Warren Hill added 23 saves in the Eagles’ victory.

BOYS BOWLING

Woodridge 2,485, Streetsboro 2,075: Sophomores Austin Fleming and Logan Leipiold were the Bulldogs’ top scorers in the match, with Fleming finishing with game scores of 249 and 193. Leipold rolled a season-best game with a 206.

Akron Springfield 2,377, Garrettsville Garfield 2,125: Frank Garretson eclipsed 200 in the Spartans’ matchup against the G-Men, but his scores of 246 and 212 lifted Springfield to a victory. Mike Calvert rolled a 220 in Game 2 for the Spartans, with Colton Riddle surpassing 185 in both games (188, 197) Collin McGurer bowled a 192 in his second game to represent the G-Men’s best score.

LeBron James produced 37 points, seven rebounds, and eight assists in a loss to the New Orleans Pelicans.

NEW ORLEANS - The fourth quarter LeBron James gave the Cavs Friday night should've been enough.

But it wasn't, and now Cleveland has lost consecutive games to teams coming off four-game losing streaks.

James tied a season high with 37 points, but was shut out in overtime and the Cavs lost to the Pelicans, 114-108. He also contributed seven assists and eight rebounds to go with five turnovers, and shot 13-of-29 from the field and 10-of-11 from the foul line.

The difference between James in overtime and James in the fourth quarter was stark. He scored 23 in the fourth, including 21 after the Pelicans had pushed out to a 94-81 advantage with 6:52 to go. But he took just two shots in the extra session.

The only Cleveland points that didn't belong to him during the Cavs' furious fourth-quarter comeback came on a three-pointer from Matthew Dellavedova with 4:02 left, assisted of course by James.

He was ruthless on the drive and off the dribble, with perhaps his best highlight an unfathomable layup with Dante Cunningham draped all over him and a free throw that followed with 2:39 to go.

James also made a key mistake, trying to throw a crosscourt pass to Richard Jefferson that was stolen by Anthony Davis and turned into a dunk with less than a minute left.

Two James free throws with 15.5 seconds remaining gave the Cavs a 105-102 lead, but Jrue Holiday's three-ball with eight seconds left tied it. James' fadeaway with .9 seconds left banged off the rim. He shot 9-of-15 in the quarter.

With 3:33 left in the second quarter, James fouled Ryan Anderson on a shot attempt. As Anderson was walking from the play to the foul line, he appeared to brush his shoulder into James' chest.

James didn't like it and gave Anderson a one-handed shove in the back, and for was slapped with a technical.

According to ESPN's stats shop, when James touched the ball in the third quarter, the Cavs shot just 1-of-8 and scored three points. When he didn't touch the ball, they were 7-of-12 for 21 points. James entered the fourth quarter with 14 points on just 4-of-12 shooting.

An epic 23-point fourth-quarter performance by LeBron James goes to waste as the Cleveland Cavaliers lose their second straight game, and this time it was by the New Orleans Pelicans in overtime 114-108 Friday night at Smoothie King Center.

NEW ORLEANS - An epic 23-point fourth-quarter performance by LeBron James goes to waste as the Cleveland Cavaliers lose their second straight game, this time to the New Orleans Pelicans in overtime 114-108 Friday night at Smoothie King Center.

James ended the evening with 37 points, six rebounds and eight assists in 45 minutes. He nearly singlehandedly willed his team to a win.

Anthony Davis had a monster game for New Orleans (5-15) by producing 31 points, 12 rebounds and a block. He scored six in the overtime period. Eric Gordon supplied 19 points and Ryan Anderson added 18.

J.R. Smith had 18 points, all of which came from his six 3-pointers. But, he only scored three after the first quarter. Kevin Love registered 15 points and 10 boards while Tristan Thompson pulled down 10 as well off the bench.

Set the scene

Head coach David Blatt has been disappointed with two things of late: His team's slow starts and opposing guards frequently getting into the teeth of their defense.

"I really think we can do better in a lot of facets of the game. Certainly, (dribble penetration is) one of them," he said before the game. "We've got to be good in transition, we got to be able to stay in front of our man obviously in order to get into our schemes. Defensively, you have to control the ball at the point of entry. We can do better at that and overall, we want to raise our level back up to where it was."

Two of his concerns were repaired. Their defense was still pretty much absent, though. New Orleans shot 50 percent from the field. But Cleveland (13-6) did manage to start the way they hoped.

Blatt chose to insert Matthew Dellavedova in with the starting group. Smith scored the team's first nine points. Timofey Mozgov dunked an alley-oop off a pass from Dellavedova, James converted a transition layup over Davis and then followed it with a layup off a cross screen in the paint.

Just like that, the Cavaliers got the quick start they wanted and were up 15-4. But finding a sustainable offense would be the obstacle of the evening, as the Pelicans would go on an 8-0 run to take the momentum away.

With the Pelicans going blow for blow with the Cavaliers, frustration set in from an unlikely source in the second quarter. James picked up a technical after shoving Anderson in the back after the stretch-four drew a foul on him in the post.

That's not like the four-time MVP. Anderson just happened to have gotten the best of James on that spin move and was simply walking to the free throw line. Cleveland entered the break leading 53-52. Whatever they discussed in the locker room didn't hit home because New Orleans came back on the court focused.

That push may have ignited something the Cavaliers weren't prepared for in the third. Eric Gordon put in 10 of his 19 points in the quarter, as the Pelicans scored 32 in the period. The Cavaliers looked distraught, trailing by 12 before trimming it to seven before the fourth quarter arrived.

James took over with New Orleans leading by 13 midway in the fourth. He repeatedly drove into the paint, spinning bank shots for point after point. On his 15^th point of the quarter, he grabbed a loose ball, bounced past Gordon and banked the ball home as he was hacked on the arm by Dante Cunningham for a three-point play.

The Cavaliers eventually led by three, but quickly trailed by one when Davis picked off a James pass and stuffed in a one-handed jam with 45 seconds left.

James quickly came back with a driving, pump-fake layup around Davis to take back the lead with 34 seconds on the clock. Tyreke Evans would miss an off-balanced runner, and James hit two free throws to put his team up three with 15.5 seconds remaining.

New Orleans gave the ball to Jrue Holiday, who's hard jab to his right lost  Dellavedova. His three splashed in, tying the game with 8.0 seconds left.

After a timeout, James brought the ball the length of the court. His step-back jumper over Dante Cunningham just clanked off the back of the rim, sending the game into overtime.

From there, the Pelicans outscored the Cavaliers 9-3.

Another milestone reached

James passed Austin Carr (635 games) for fifth in Cavaliers history in games played.

"I don't like passing Austin," he said with a smile.

On deck

The Miami Heat (11-6) will host the Cavaliers on Saturday, concluding the team's two-game road trip. Miami is 9-3 at home, with Cleveland 4-5 on the road.

Quarterback Jimmy Keefe tied a Division I state football championship game record for passing yards, Cole Gest scored twice in his final high school game, and St. Edward needed all of it.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Quarterback Jimmy Keefe tied a Division I state football championship game record for passing yards, Cole Gest scored twice in his final high school game, and St. Edward needed all of it.

The Eagles (14-1) held off Huber Heights Wayne, 45-35, on Saturday in Ohio Stadium. St. Edward's second straight state title, which came in a rematch with the Warriors, required the Eagles to rally after giving up a 31-14 fourth-quarter lead. After surrendering a go-ahead touchdown to Michigan State recruit Messiah deWeaver, the Eagles marched back for the winning score.

See how they did it in the above video. Look below for the state championship trophy presentation and more postgame reaction.

Trophy presentation

St. Edward postgame press conference

More from Keefe

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Lombardo coached Lake Catholic to a state title in 2001.

COLUMBUS, Ohio – With so many state champions at St. Edward, it’s not every day the Eagles accomplish something for the first time. 

But on Saturday, football coach Tom Lombardo sure did.

With the Eagles’ 45-35 win against Huber Heights Wayne in the Division I state final (see game story and 41 pictures), Lombardo became the first to coach two schools to a football championship. His first title came in 2001 with Lake Catholic.

Only one other coach even got two schools to the finals. Ed Glass coached Warren Harding to the Class AAA title in 1974, and North Canton Hoover to a Division I runner-up finish in 1984.

“I don’t know what to say,” Lombardo said of the accomplishment. “I’ve been blessed to be around great players and great programs. And I can (have) some small part in helping that. I think a lot of it has to do with great players and great kids like Eds has.”

Lombardo, who came to St. Edward from Highland in April, also became just the second coach in OHSAA tournament history to lead a Division I team to a repeat title in his first year. It’s been done four other times across all divisions. Cincinnati LaSalle coach Jim Hilvert pulled it off on Friday in Division II.

“Having a new coach, a lot of people might not think it’s easy but I think coach Lombardo is the best fit that we could have,” said quarterback Jimmy Keefe. “Just an offensive mind like he has and just knowing all the kinds of situations. Preparing us for something like this with the schedule we played. For a first-year coach to not have a great (previous) relationship with the kids … it’s just unbelievable, I think.”

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

See some of the top high school football defensive performers from 2015 OHSAA state championship games played Thursday-Saturday.

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Below are some of the top high school football defensive performers from 2015 OHSAA state championship games played Thursday-Saturday.

Vote for your favorite in the poll below. Voting is open until Thursday at noon. Check out the offensive game balls contest too.

Contenders from state title games

Tony Butler, St. Edward: Made an interception during the Eagles' 45-35 Division I state title win against Huber Heights Wayne. This is his second straight season with an INT in a state final. 

Anthony Christian, Archbishop Hoban: Caught an interception and contributed to a safety as the Knights' beat Toledo Central Catholic, 33-20, in the Division III state championship on Thursday. 

Owen Loncar, Kirtland: Made a clutch interception with 2:35 left in the fourth quarter against Marion Local during the Hornets' 22-20 Division VI state title win on Saturday. 

Evan Madden, Kirtland: Blocked a Marion Local extra point attempt in the first quarter. In a game decided by two points, every point turned out to be critical. 

For more high school sports news, like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

Check out some of the top high school football offensive performers from 2015 OHSAA state championship games played Thursday-Saturday.

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Below are some of the top high school football offensive performers from 2015 OHSAA state championship games played Thursday-Saturday.

Vote for your favorite in the poll below. Voting is open until Thursday at noon. Check out the defensive game balls contest too.

Contenders from state title games

Joey Bates, Kirtland: Rushed for 206 yards and two touchdowns, including a 57-yarder with 2:08 remaining to put the Hornets ahead by seven against Marion Local during Kirtland's 22-20 Division VI state championship win on Saturday.  

Cole Gest, St. Edward: Rushed for 122 yards and two touchdowns on 23 carries as the Eagles beat Huber Heights Wayne, 45-35, in Saturday's Division I state championship. 

Jimmy Keefe, St. Edward: Completed 24-of-34 passes for 419 yards, tying an OHSAA Division I record for passing yards in a state final. He also threw two touchdown passes against Huber Heights Wayne. 

Todd Sibley, Archbishop Hoban: Rushed for 162 yards and touchdown runs of 55 and 22 yards in the Knights' 33-20 Division III state title win against Toledo Central Catholic on Thursday. 

For more high school sports news, like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

GRAND RAPIDS, Michigan -— The furiously attacking Lake Erie Monsters of Cleveland outshot Grand Rapids 42-17, but the surging Griffins had the edge where it counts Saturday night, winning their American Hockey League game, 4-1, at Van Andel Arena. Lake Erie's record slipped to 13-6-1-2 with the loss, in third place in the AHL Central Division. Grand Rapids, at...

Special to The Plain Dealer 

GRAND RAPIDS, Michigan --- The furiously attacking Lake Erie Monsters of Cleveland outshot Grand Rapids 42-17, but the surging Griffins had the edge where it counts Saturday night, winning their American Hockey League game, 4-1, at Van Andel Arena.

Lake Erie's record slipped to 13-6-1-2 with the loss, in third place in the AHL Central Division. Grand Rapids, at 10-8-0-1, extended its winning streak to eight games.

Defenseman Dean Kukan scored the lone goal for the Monsters, at 8:16 of the third period.

Veteran winger Eric Tangradi had a hat trick for the Griffins, capped by an empty-net goal with 15 seconds left in the third period.

He also scored at 1:14 of the second period and 14:58 of the third.

Grand Rapids center Andreas Athanasiou started the scoring at 5:03 of the first period.

Joonas Korpisalo stopped 13 of 16 shots in goal for Lake Erie. Tom McCollum, getting the win for the Griffins, saved 41 of 42.

Attendance was 5,750.

Coming off three games in three nights, the Monsters next play the Chicago Wolves at 7 p.m. Friday at the Quicken Loans Arena.

Dwyane Wade and the Miami Heat picked apart the LeBron-less Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday night in South Beach, rolling to a 99-84 victory.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Dwyane Wade scored 19 in 29 stress-free minutes as the Miami Heat hammered the Cleveland Cavaliers, 99-84, Saturday night at AmericanAirlines Arena in Miami. Cavs superstar LeBron James did not play (rest).

The Cavs (13-7) have lost three straight. The Heat (12-6) has won three of four.

Here is a capsule look at the relevant part of the game, based on the telecast by Fox Sports Ohio:  

Fait accompli: The outcome was determined before tipoff.

The Cavs, after an overtime loss to the Pelicans on Friday night in New Orleans,  traveled to Miami and did not arrive at the hotel until after 5 a.m.

Later Saturday, Cavs coach David Blatt announced that LeBron would remain in civvies. The Cavs already were without guards Kyrie Irving and Iman Shumpert, who have not played this season because of injuries.

So the Cavs sans LeBron, Irving and Shumpert faced a quality opponent that has been particularly good defensively. In its house.

That the Heat rolled should have come as no surprise.

(Cavs Nation need not be reminded that, on Oct. 30 in Cleveland, the Cavs easily defeated the healthy Heat, 102-92. LeBron shot 13-of-19 and scored 29.)

Immediate impact: The Heat's first possession served as a portent.

With nine seconds left on the shot clock, point guard Goran Dragic passed to Gerald Green beyond the 3-point arc topside. Green caught the ball, dribbled past J.R. Smith at the top of the key, drove down an open lane and dunked with seven seconds on the shot clock. Green also drew a foul on Cavs center Timofey Mozgov.

Fox Sports Ohio analyst Austin Carr said: "That is what has been troubling (for the Cavs) for the last four or five games: Individually, they just give up too much dribble-penetration. Right there, (Green) is not really doing much at first. He just received the pass and went straight to the basket and threw it down and got fouled. Individually is where the Cavs have to make the first commitment to defense.''

Green missed the free throw to keep Miami's advantage at 2-0.

The Heat continued to get the shots it wanted in the first quarter, finishing 14-of-19 (73.7 percent) from the field with nine assists. The Heat led, 30-14, late in the quarter and settled for 34-22 by the end. Sixteen of its points came in the paint.

More of the same: In the second quarter, the Heat shot 9-of-16 (56.3 percent) and outscored the Cavs, 26-20. Tack on 10 points in the paint.

By halftime, Miami's guards -- Wade, Dragic, Green, Tyler Johnson and Josh Richardson -- had shot a combined 17-of-26 and scored 40, with plenty of plays created for teammates.

Slow road to nowhere: The Cavs' priority in the second half was to avoid injury.

Different games: The Heat shot 37-of-68 (54.4 percent) from the field; the Cavs, 31-of-85 (36.5 percent). 

Yikes: Cavs forward Kevin Love was 1-of-4 for two points in the first quarter and finished 2-of-11 for five points in 22 minutes.

Thanks for nothing: Richard Jefferson, who replaced LeBron in the starting lineup, played yet another game in which he didn't receive the benefit of the doubt from the referees.

The most ridiculous of the non-calls came with 3:53 remaining in the first quarter. Jefferson drove into the paint from the right side and clearly was bumped by Miami's Chris Bosh in the act of shooting. Jefferson crumpled to the court as the ball went through the hoop, but with no whistle accompanying it.

Jefferson remained on the court for 10-plus seconds as he recalibrated his compass.

Fox Sports Ohio play-by-play voice Fred McLeod said: "That's a tough no-call. My goodness.''

Carr said: "He definitely got popped. In the act of shooting, he got popped.''

Fox Sports Ohio showed the replay.

McLeod said: "Unbelievable.''

Carr said: "I don't understand that, either. Just because (Bosh) put his hands straight up....He used his body. He moved into him.''

McLeod said: "Wow.''

Carr said: "Sometimes, they don't want to see certain things, I guess.''

Saturday's winter sports roundup: basketball, wrestling and hockey scores and highlights.

Saturday's winter sports roundup: basketball, wrestling and hockey scores and highlights.

Ben Hawk's 40-yard field goal in the fourth quarter gave the Bishop Hartley football team to a 31-28 win against Steubenville in Saturday's Division IV state final.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Ben Hawk's 40-yard field goal with 4:57 to play propelled the Bishop Hartley football team to a 31-28 win against Steubenville in Saturday's Division IV state final. 

The Hawks' defense made the lead stand up as they claimed their third state championship in school history. 

#OHSAA STATE FB D4: Bishop Hartley wins the Div. IV Championship! Coverage: https://t.co/OK27qXf0Q9. pic.twitter.com/kcfs7D72Mw

— OHSAA Sports (@OHSAASports) December 6, 2015

The back-and-forth matchup went to halftime with Bishop Hartley leading, 21-14. 

Big Red running back Johnnie Blue scored on a three-yard run late in the third quarter, his third, which the Hawks' answered with a 64-yard touchdown run by Rich Jones III. 

Steubenville quarterback Dmitri Collaros found wideout Mandela Lawrence-Burke with a 42-yard touchdown pass to tie the Hawks at 28 with 10:25 left in the fourth. 

Quri Hickman rushed for the the first two touchdowns for Bishop Hartley and Rian Anderson scored on an eight-yard touchdown pass from QB Jake Ruby six seconds before half. 

Follow our high school sports Twitter account @NEOvarsity and tag your high school sports Tweets and score updates with the #NEOVarsity hashtag.

No. 7 Stanford grabs the Pac-12 championship with a 41-22 win over No. 24 Southern California on Saturday.

SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- Run, pass and catch. Christian McCaffrey did it all in a record-setting performance that should send him to New York for the Heisman Trophy ceremony and Stanford to another big-time bowl.

McCaffrey ran for 207 yards and a score, threw a touchdown pass, caught another and broke Barry Sanders' single-season all-purpose yards record to lead No. 7 Stanford to the Pac-12 championship with a 41-22 win over No. 24 Southern California on Saturday.

Kevin Hogan caught the TD pass from McCaffrey, threw one and ran for a third and Solomon Thomas scored on a 34-yard fumble return for the Cardinal (11-2, No. 7 CFP). Stanford will either play in the Rose Bowl as Pac-12 champion or possibly make the four-team playoff if No. 1 Clemson loses the ACC championship.

Cody Kessler threw for 187 yards and a touchdown and ran for another score for the Trojans (8-5, No. 20 CFP), who lost in their first game since removing the interim tag from coach Clay Helton.

Stanford took control of the game with a pair of touchdowns in a span of just over 3 minutes late in the third quarter. After blowing an early 13-point lead, the Cardinal faced a third-down in their own territory. Hogan then found McCaffrey open in the middle of the field and he ran with for a 67-yard reception down to the USC 7. Hogan ran it in on the next play to put Stanford back on top.

Blake Martinez then sacked Kessler and caused a fumble on the next possession that Thomas scooped up and ran in for the score that made it 27-16.

After USC scored to make it a one-possession game, McCaffrey put the capper on another Stanford win with a 27-yard touchdown reception when he was left wide open in the middle of the field.

McCaffrey added 105 yards receiving and 149 return yards to give him a Stanford record 461 all-purpose yards for the game and 3,496 for the season. That broke Sanders' single-season record of 3,250 yards set in 1988, although McCaffrey took two extra games to do it.

After being thoroughly outplayed for the first 25 minutes, the Trojans got right back into the game with three straight scoring drives. Kessler led a 15-play drive in the closing minutes of the half to lead to a 40-yard field goal by Alex Wood that cut Stanford's lead to 13-3.

Kessler then threw a 1-yard TD pass to Jahleel Pinner to open the third quarter to cut it to 13-9 and Ronald Jones II scored on a 27-yard run on the next possession to give the Trojans their first lead at 16-13.

The Cardinal dominated the game early but led only 13-0 because of problems converting in the red zone. Stanford held a 210-9 advantage in yards gained but was unable to break the game open.

A holding penalty on Rollins Stallworth negated a TD on the first drive, forcing Stanford to settle for a field goal. Stanford later was stopped at the 1-yard line, leading to another short field goal by Conrad Ukropina and Hogan got sacked on a fourth down from the 1.

The only touchdown in the first half came on McCaffrey's trick play. Hogan pitched to Barry Sanders Jr., who then flipped it to McCaffrey, who had lined up as a receiver. McCaffrey then threw to a wide-open Hogan for his second TD pass of the season.

Watch the AmericanAirlines Arena crowd lambast LeBron James for sitting out Saturday night, and how he responded.

MIAMI -- When LeBron James first returned to South Beach on Christmas Day as a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Miami Heat paid tribute to him on the video boards and the AmericanAirlines Arena fans stood in appreciation.

On Saturday night, with James sitting out the Heat's 99-84 win over the Cavs, the Miami fans had a different message for him.

"LeBron is tired," they chanted, over and over.

James, who was kept out of the game by coach David Blatt to rest after playing 44 minutes Friday night, did not speak to reporters after the game. But during the "LeBron is tired" chant, he began waving the fingers on his left hand, perhaps all four of them.

In James' four seasons with the Heat he led the team to four Finals and two championships.

Also, James wasn't "tired," as the Miami faithful, or at least no more so than any other Cav that arrived at the team hotel in Miami around 5 a.m. after an overnight flight from New Orleans.

"He feels great, that's why he wasn't thrilled with the concept," a team official told Cleveland.com.

Cavs coach David Blatt said the decision was his to sit James.

Connor Cook led the Spartans (12-1) on a 22-play drive that set up Scott's 1-yard run. A half-dozen Iowa defenders tried to stop Scott, but he wouldn't be denied.

INDIANAPOLIS -- L.J. Scott's late lunge did more than put the ball across the goal line -- it all but certainly put No. 5 Michigan State in the College Football Playoff.

Scott kept powering forward and stretched the ball into the end zone for a touchdown with 27 seconds that sent the Spartans past No. 4 Iowa 16-13 Saturday night in the Big Ten championship game.

Quarterback Connor Cook led the Spartans (12-1, No. 5 CFP) on a 22-play drive that set up Scott's 1-yard run on third down. A half-dozen Iowa defenders tried to stop Scott, but he wouldn't be denied.

Iowa (12-1, No. 4 CFP) lost for the first time this season -- and just barely.

"Let's get on and party," Spartans coach Mark Dantonio shouted to the crowd when it was over.

After settling for three field goals in the first 59 1/2 minutes, Cook moved the Spartans 82 yards and kept their national title hopes intact.

Cook, the game's MVP, methodically moved the Spartans in a drive that consumed nearly the final 9 1/2 minutes. He finished 16 of 32 for 191 yards with one interception and no touchdowns.

But with the season on the line, Cook and the offense made play after play against an Iowa defense that hadn't given up a touchdown all night -- until Scott got free just long enough.

"We wanted to come back and win a championship," Cook said. "It's awesome, man."

Michigan State earned its second conference title in three years, will chase its first national championship since splitting the title with Notre Dame in 1966. The Spartans need two more wins to earn the school's first uncontested national title since 1952.

Iowa lost for the first time with C.J. Beathard as its starting quarterback.

Heisman Trophy hopeful Deshaun Watson threw for 289 yards and three touchdowns and ran for two scores

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Heisman Trophy hopeful Deshaun Watson threw for three touchdowns and ran for two more as No. 1 Clemson stayed unbeaten -- perhaps helped by a disputed call -- by holding off eighth-ranked North Carolina 45-37 Saturday night in the ACC championship game.

Watson's 420 total yards and five total touchdowns set ACC championship game records and assures the Tigers (13-0) a spot in the College Football Playoff.

It didn't come without some suspense.

North Carolina's Ryan Switzer hauled in his second TD catch of the game with 1:13 left to cut Clemson's lead to eight and threaten the Tigers.

The Tar Heels appeared to recover the onside kick, but were called for being offside -- although replays didn't show any player in a blue jersey being offside -- and had to kick again. The Tar Heels attempted another onside kick and this time Clemson recovered and ran out the clock.

"I had a chance to look at it and they missed it. They were wrong. That's all I'm going to say about it. They were wrong," UNC coach Larry Fedora said.

Now, the only suspense left is whether Clemson or No. 2 Alabama is in the top spot when the playoff pairings are revealed Sunday.

"We've got three top 10 wins. Anybody else got that? And we're 13-0," a grinning Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said after the game.

Clemson racked up a conference championship game record 608 yards, eclipsing the 500-yard mark for the ninth consecutive game.

Wayne Gallman ran for 185 yards on 27 carries and scored two touchdowns and Artavis Scott had seven catches for 96 yards and a score.

Marquise Williams threw for 224 yards and three touchdowns and also ran for 81 yards and a score for the Tar Heels (11-2, No. 10 CFP), who were trying to win their first ACC title in 35 years.

Clemson began to take control midway through the third quarter, turning a Williams interception in the red zone and failed fake punt into touchdowns to take 35-16 lead. Gallman scored on a 3-yard touchdown run and Watson connected with Scott on a 35-yard scoring strike in the end zone to build a 35-16 lead.

After Williams cut the lead to 35-23 on a 1-yard TD run, the Tigers got a scare when Watson took a shot to the side of his helmet with 29 seconds left in the third quarter on a short run. But he returned to the game after sitting out one play.

The Tar Heels trailed 42-30 midway through the fourth quarter and were looking to make it a one-possession game when Clemson defensive end Shaq Lawson sacked Williams and forced a fumble that teammate Austin Bryant recovered. That led to a field goal and 45-30 lead.

The Tigers outgained the Tar Heels 309-103 in the first half, but needed a jump pass touchdown from Watson to tight end Jordan Leggett with two seconds left in the second quarter to take a 21-16 lead into the locker room.

Clemson's lead might have been bigger had it not been for a curious decision by Tigers punter Andy Teasdall, who decided to take matters into his own hand and take off running on fourth-and-15 at his own 30. He picked up just 4 yards before being dragged down and received an earful from coaches when he returned to the sideline.

The Tar Heels took advantage right away, quickly moving 34 yards in four plays with Williams finding Switzer in the back of the end zone for a 3-yard touchdown pass to give the Tar Heels a 16-14 lead.

"My punter, I don't have an explanation," Tigers coach Dabo Swinney said in a televised interview at halftime. "He just tried to do something on his own."

However, Watson would put the Tigers back in front with two seconds left in the first half on a 1-yard jump pass to tight end Jordan Leggett.

Watson was named the game's Most Outstanding Player while continuing to build his case to become the first Heisman Trophy winner in school history.

"If you sit down and watch our 13 games, he's the best player in the country -- and there is no doubt about it," Swinney said. "This guy beats you not just with his legs, but his arm, his mind, his heart, his guts and his toughness. He's a great champion."

The Rose Bowl will choose between Ohio State and Iowa. If the Buckeyes don't go there, expect the Fiesta Bowl.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Thoughts on conference championship Saturday, which included no chaos and will keep Ohio State from backing in to the College Football Playoff.

1. Ohio State won't make the playoff. The games were interesting, but Clemson, Alabama and Stanford all won their conference titles, which means the playoff hopes of the Buckeyes, who sat home in Columbus and watched, vanished.

2. A guess at the playoff rankings to be released on ESPN on Sunday in a show that starts at noon: 1. Clemson 2. Alabama 3. Michigan State 4. Oklahoma

3. The possible landing spots for the Buckeyes are the Rose Bowl, the Fiesta Bowl or the Peach Bowl.

4. With Michigan State headed to the playoff as the Big Ten champ, the Rose Bowl will choose a Big Ten team as a replacement. The Rose Bowl rep in charge of that pick reiterated to me this week that the Rose will pick the highest-ranked Big Ten team in the selection committee rankings barring an extreme circumstance. There is no circumstance. Picking the highest-rated team takes the heat off the Rose Bowl, which is a partner with the Big Ten, and the Big Ten is a whole conference, not just Ohio State.

The Rose Bowl can do whatever it wants. But assuming it does what it has said it will do, the whole decision comes down to how the committee ranks the rest of the top 25 after making an easy call with the four playoff teams.

5. So will the committee rank 12-1 Iowa, which was No. 4 before Saturday night's loss to Michigan State, or 11-1 Ohio State higher?

Both lost to Michigan State by three in the final seconds. Both have one win over a top 25 team.

It could go either way. There's no way anyone can know for sure what the committee will do. Anyone who says they do is lying. So you'll have to wait. And the overall top 25 rankings and other New Year's bowl pairings won't be announced until after 3 p.m.

[enhanced link]

6. I was going to guess, but I don't think I have a guess. Here's one thing I felt sitting and watching all the games Saturday, after last year covering Ohio State live in the Big Ten Championship.

You get a vibe that the best teams in the country are out there putting it on the line, at times making each other look bad, and then you're going to go rank a team that sat home on Saturday higher than one of those teams?

There's some emotion involved. The committee has to sleep and then come up with decisions by the next afternoon.

That's why I think Michigan State passes Oklahoma for No. 3. And it's why I suppose I will guess and say that Iowa stays ahead of Ohio State and takes the Rose Bowl bid.

7. But you can't know. Ranking either Iowa or Ohio State higher can be defended.

8. If Ohio State doesn't go to the Rose Bowl, then where?

It will for sure be either the Fiesta Bowl or the Peach Bowl. The four teams that should fill those spots are Notre Dame, Florida State, Houston and either Ohio State or Iowa. It's just a matter of placing them and creating matchups.

9. Maybe the committee does want to make Ohio State-Notre Dame. But Florida State-Notre Dame would sell as well. And Ohio State-Houston, with Tom Herman in charge of the Cougars, sells better than a Houston matchup against anyone else.

10. So what's my guess for a non-Rose foe? No guess. But my bet would be Fiesta either way for the Buckeyes, against either Houston or Notre Dame.

Bonus thoughts: I haven't seen a single person who thinks No. 1 Clemson will win the national title. I think I think Clemson will win. At the moment. ... I also think Clemson QB Deshaun Watson is my Heisman choice. ... I'm not sure why so many people still think good defense equals bad football. I thought Iowa and Michigan State proved they could play with anyone Saturday night, even if it was ugly. ... This trophy presentation with Michigan State QB Connor Cook and Ohio State legend Archie Griffin is not going over well.

Connor needs some "Trophy Accepting" lessons #DontDissArchie https://t.co/a6LP3Uq1Eh

-- Dane Brugler (@dpbrugler) December 6, 2015

The Cleveland Cavaliers arrived in Miami shortly after 5 a.m. It was the second game of a back-to-back after losing in overtime against the New Orleans Pelicans the night before. The setup made things incredibly challenging and it was known as soon as the schedule was released.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Cleveland Cavaliers arrived in Miami shortly after 5 a.m. It was the second game of a back-to-back after losing in overtime against the New Orleans Pelicans the night before. The setup made things incredibly challenging and it was known as soon as the schedule was released.

Then, about an hour before tip, Cavaliers head coach David Blatt made it more difficult, electing to sit LeBron James against his former team. James isn't injured so there's nothing to worry about for Tuesday night's showdown against Portland.

Saturday, however was another story.

Just like last season when James was sidelined with a bad back, the Cavs got thumped, losing to Miami, 99-84. The final score doesn't even show how lopsided the game was so maybe this stat will: The Cavs led for 21 seconds.

The Cavs are now 3-11 without James in the last two seasons. Miami went 9-9 without him in his four years.

Here are five observations from the loss:

Blatt's call - It's tough to tell James, the ultimate competitor, that he's going to rest. He wanted to play 82 games this season and playing in his old kingdom made Saturday's game a little bit different.

It took some convincing from Blatt, general manager David Griffin and James' trainer, Mike Mancias, for James to miss the game.

But it was the right call and Blatt deserves credit.

I was unhappy with Blatt's decision to play James 45 minutes on Friday against New Orleans, seeing the minutes start to pile up. James had slowly crept above his minutes-per-game average in four of the last five games, carrying much of the offensive scoring load for the shorthanded Cavaliers.

That was never the plan.

The Cavs spent wildly this off-season, boosting their bench and bringing in a serviceable new playmaker, Mo Williams, to try to keep James fresh and healthy heading into the postseason.

So Blatt and the crew chose the prefect time to sit James -- the second game of a back-to-back after an exhausting fourth quarter where he scored 23 points and carried the Cavs into overtime.

No matter how lethargic the Cavs looked without their unquestioned leader, Blatt should look for more opportunities to hold James out as the season progresses. It's up to the rest of the players on the supersized payroll to step up in James' absence and keep the Cavs competitive.

Focal point flop - With James resting and Kyrie Irving sidelined, the only member of Cleveland's Big Three to take the court in Miami was Kevin Love. Or did he?

A three-time All-Star and $110 million man, Love should've stepped up and played with the attitude and effort of one of the best power forwards in the NBA. It was his opportunity to be the focal point of the offense and send a reminder of his greatness.

Instead, he no-showed, much like the rest of the Cavs' starting unit.

"Not just Kevin," Blatt said. "A lot of guys had to give us more than they did. It wasn't just one guy."

Blatt's right. It wasn't just Love. But he's the big-money player and the expectations are, and should be, higher for him. The Cavs needed more. 

"I got good shots, real good shots, especially from the perimeter," Love said. "Just didn't make them."

He recorded a season-low five points on 2-of-11 shooting and pulled down eight boards in 22 disastrous minutes. I mean, seriously? That's the performance Love provides on a night when the offense belongs to him?

Love has had a strong start to the season, showing flashbacks to his Minnesota days. One horrendous night in Miami doesn't change any of that. And he's still an important ingredient in Cleveland's championship elixir. But his play on Saturday was not nearly good enough. I would hope for a much better effort next time James rests.

On the other side, Bosh, who is very familiar with Love's role, scored 14 points on 5-of-6 from the floor. He also grabbed six rebounds, dished out three assists and had two blocks.

Laying down - The Cavs didn't have as much talent on the court as usual. Their offense has centered on James all season and it unsurprisingly dipped with him in a sport coat, one that made him look like a ship captain.

The 84 points is relatively excusable.

The lack of fight, the defeated attitude from the opening tip and the 93 points given up in the first 40 minutes isn't. Effort can be controlled and too often the Cavs allowed easy baskets, showing little pride on the defensive end of the floor. 

On the night, Miami was 37-of-68 (54.4 percent) from the field, scoring 44 of their 99 points in the paint and putting together a highlight-reel of plays.

The only burst of energy came once the game was well out of reach and Blatt emptied his bench. A loss is one thing, and it's only December, but failing to show effort is another, especially when it's an issue that James has already spoken of a few times this season.

"The way they played was the way we should have played from the start of the game," J.R. Smith said after the game. He scored 12 points on 4-of-12 shooting, including 1-of-5 from three-point range.

He's right. Without James, the Cavs should've known they would have to fight and scrap to make up for their lack of offense. 

No Mo - Williams was another player with a bigger platform on Saturday. Instead of stepping up in the face of injuries, Williams flopped. He played 12 minutes, scoring five points on 2-of-7 shooting. He also committed four fouls.

In the last six games, Williams is averaging 10.0 points on 28-of-56 (50 percent) from the field. He is also averaging just 24 minutes per game. Perhaps Blatt is attempting to not overuse the 32-year-old combo guard. Or maybe Williams' questionable defense is causing his workload to be cut back.

Soon, Irving and Iman Shumpert will be back and the Cavs will have to figure out what to do about Williams.

He was brought to Cleveland in the off-season to be Irving's primary backup while also keeping the team afloat during Irving's absence. Williams' scoring punch off the bench was something the Cavs missed during the postseason run. But Dellavedova's minutes aren't going to be cut much. He entered the night tops in assist-to-turnover ratio and he brings much-needed defensive intensity. He also has earned Blatt's trust.

So how will Williams get consistent minutes, especially if he continues to be a defensive liability? It's something Blatt will have to navigate once he gets his full roster and it won't be an easy decision. 

More Anderson Varejao? The floppy-haired big man is not what he once was. Coming off an Achilles injury and on the wrong side of 30, Varejao is not quick enough or athletic enough to hang with some of the young big men in the Eastern Conference.

He does, however, bring two things that have been lacking: Hustle and toughness.

He showed it again Saturday, as he was one of the only players who looked like they cared as the Cavs were getting embarrassed. He finished with six rebounds and one steal in 14 productive minutes. The game was out of reach, but showed some value. If Timofey Mozgov continues to struggle and his confidence continues to wane then maybe Blatt should consider giving Varejao more playing time, hoping his energy, work ethic and never-back-down attitude can funnel through the roster.

There's no reason to panic or make drastic changes. It doesn't matter that the Cavs have tumbled from the top of the Eastern Conference standings. Not now anyway.

A loss was expected without James. The overall performance, the Cavs morphing into the Philadelphia 76ers for one night, was not.

There was enough talent on the court to keep the game from being a laugher. I mean, they still had Love, Mozgov, Williams, Tristan Thompson, Dellavedova, Smith, Richard Jefferson, among others. That's plenty to stay competitive. But the Cavs chose to join James, they chose to take the night off.

Tuesday is an opportunity to bounce back. 

Cleveland dropped its third consecutive game, losing to Miami 99-84 with LeBron James resting.

MIAMI - After an exhausting Friday night overtime loss to New Orleans in which LeBron James scored 23 of his 37 points in the fourth quarter, head coach David Blatt decided to rest his star on Saturday against Miami.

It was the first game James has missed this season, and if his absence results in the way the Cleveland Cavaliers performed at American Airlines Arena, the organization should hope he never misses a game from here.

"We're going to have to bring a little bit more than just basketball tonight," Blatt said. However, that didn't occur because apparently James wasn't the only Cavalier resting.

Cleveland dropped its third consecutive game, losing to Miami 99-84. It's the team's longest losing streak of the season. Dwyane Wade led Miami (12-6) with 19 points and five assists. Tyler Johnson scored 19 points off the bench, and Goran Dragic supplied 17 points and eight assists.

Kevin Love, whom James has called the "focal point" of the team, was anything but. He recorded a season-low five points on 2-of-11 shooting and pulled down eight boards. He, along with the rest of the team, was out of it from the beginning.

Richard Jefferson had a team-high 16 points on 18 shots as he started in place of James.

The Heat shot 54 percent from the field, while the Cavaliers connected on 37 percent of their shots.

Late-night issues

The Cavaliers had a late flight out of New Orleans. Players didn't make it to their hotel rooms until approximately 5:30 in the morning Saturday. Blatt allowed his team to sleep in a little later than usual.

For some, that extra rest didn't help much.

"My body is tired as hell," the Cavs' J.R. Smith told Cleveland.com moments before the game. "But this is one of the things that you have to fight through it. It's a game where it's more mentally driven than anything."

Legs were dragging and their spunk was on vacation. Miami repeatedly beat Cleveland with backdoor layups. Smith was caught sleeping on defense throughout. The Eastern Conference champs were a couple of steps behind all night.

Gerald Green's madness

With the Cavaliers in a vulnerable state, Miami's Gerald Green used this opportunity to star, produce and direct his very own personal highlight-dunking reel. On the Heat's first possession, he drove easily by a fatigued Smith an elevated to a jaw-dropping height to throw down a vicious one-handed slam.

The crowd went into a frenzy. That play would describe the Cavaliers' energy level for the night. Miami proceeded on a 15-2 run to create separation in the quarter, cushion that would not be overcome.

Green didn't care about cushion. He wasn't done embarrassing the Cavaliers.

In the second quarter he drove baseline, and Matthew Dellavedova and Timofey Mozgov were waiting for him in the paint. The athletic freak had little regard for the both of them as he skied higher, and higher. Dellavedova was the only one who tried to challenge the dunk.

Mozgov wisely thought otherwise. Green assaulted the rim as he slammed it home over Dellavedova. Once again, the place erupted. Miami built a 20-point lead in the second quarter, extended it to 26 in the third and pushed it to 27 in the fourth.

At the start of the fourth, fans started chanting, "LeBron is tired. LeBron is tired." James, who was sitting on the bench, didn't have a reaction either way. This was an evening where everything went Miami's way.

If there was ever a need for a running clock, this game would have fit the bill.

On deck

The Portland Trail Blazers (8-12) will take on the Cavaliers at The Q on Tuesday at 7 p.m. The game will be televised on NBATV.