There were three pitchers going for two spots in the Indians rotation this spring. The winners and loser were revealed Wednesday. Cody Anderson and Josh Tomlin will open the season in the rotation and Trevor Bauer will be in the bullpen.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Welcome to the bullpen Trevor Bauer. They don't have a nickname or T-shirts like The Bullpen Mafia of the past. What they do have is the look of a New York subway train at rush hour.

It's packed in there. Eight relievers, bullpen coach Jason Bere and a couple of catchers. Who gets squatter's rights for the warmest seat in the pen come opening day Monday at Progressive Field?

Ross Detwiler and Joba Chamberlain made the pen as spring-training invitees. Jeff Manship did the same thing last year, although he didn't break camp with the team. Those qualify as pleasant surprises.

Bauer being thrown into the pen isn't a surprise; it's a shock. He had a good camp. He cut down his walks and on Throw Down Tuesday he struck out seven, didn't walk a batter and pitched six scoreless innings against the Angels. But Josh Tomlin, who has never walked away from a fight in his life, held up his end of the bargain in the duel in the desert.

Tomlin struck out 10 and threw six scoreless innings against Seattle on Tuesday night. In a brutal spring, Tomlin saved his best for last. Would it have made a difference if Tomlin flopped against the Mariners? Probably not, but by pitching the way he did it made it a lot of easier for his bosses to explain how Cody Anderson and Tomlin won the fourth and fifth rotation spots, respectively, and Bauer was demoted.

This arrangement is not going to last. The Indians are carrying 13 pitchers and six of them are starters. You could stretch that to seven by including Detwiler, the lone lefty on the staff, because the Indians think he'll return to his starting roots sometime in the future. Something is going to give.

Bauer, Tomlin duel in the desert

GM Chris Antonetti, in explaining the move, told reporters in Goodyear, Ariz. that the Indians used 11 different starters last year. He said there will be plenty of starts for Bauer during the course of the year. Maybe there will be, maybe there won't.

Here's how the majority of the starts went last season - Corey Kluber 32, Bauer 30, Carlos Carrasco 30 and Danny Salazar 30. Anderson was next in line with 15 starts. Limiting Bauer to 15 starts seems like the waste of a talented arm.

Anderson, who pitched his way past Bauer and Tomlin into the fourth spot, has two options left. If he falters, the Indians can send him down and throw Bauer lifeline. Bauer is out of options.

Tribe sets 25-man roster; Anderson, Tomlin in rotation

The Indians haven't pushed the subject, but it's clear they want to have a better start to the season than the last three years under manager Terry Francona. That might have played a role in the decision as well.

Last year Anderson went 6-0 against the teams the Indians will be playing in April. Included in that record was a 5-0 record against AL Central foes Detroit, Minnesota and the White Sox.

Tomlin went 4-1 against the same teams, including a 3-1 record against Chicago, Detroit and Minnesota.

Bauer was 4-7 last season against the teams the Indians play in April. He was 3-1 against Chicago, but 0-2 against Detroit and Seattle.

Over the offseason Bauer tried to distance himself from the game. He was still training six to seven hours a day, but he was trying to find other pursuits so he wasn't stuck in the baseball mode 24/7.

In spring training, he told reporters, "I don't know what kind of pitcher I want to be anymore. I just want to throw hard."

That question has been temporarily answered - he's a resident of the bullpen, a good place to throw hard. It just doesn't feel like he's going to stay there long. Whether it's with the Indians or another team, Bauer is bound to return to the rotation.

The Indians have a big need for outfield help. Could Bauer bring that to them in a trade?

Russell secretly recorded a video of teammate Nick Young that ended up on a celebrity gossip site.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Former Ohio State basketball player D'Angelo Russell has issued an apology for secretly filming a video of Los Angeles Lakers teammate Nick Young that ended up on a celebrity gossip site.

In the video Young admits to having relationships with other women. Young is currently engaged to popular rapper Iggy Azalea.

In an exclusive interview with The Vertical's Adrian Wojnarowski, Russell said he never intended for the video to become public.

"I am sick," Russell told The Vertical. "I am sorry about recording the video. I can't repeat myself enough on that: I am sorry I recorded that video. I feel horrible. I wish this never happened."

Read everything Russell told The Vertical here.

Now Russell turns the page to trying to win back the trust of his teammates.

When ESPN broke this story on Tuesday night, it reported that teammates had isolated Russell, that they wouldn't eat with him on the road and that one player got up and walked away when Russell sat down next to him in the locker room.

Russell told the Vertical that he and Young had spoken about the incident, but didn't share any details other than that.

It's the entire team that Russell has to make things right with, though. Even if Young was in the wrong too, the Lakers and players around the league view what Russell did as a major violation of locker room trust.

Russell said he didn't intentionally leak the video, but it got it out.

So Russell is far from cleaning up his mess.

Great young man. Made a horrible mistake. Owned up to it. https://t.co/eG73dvAjYA

-- Jeff Boals (@JeffBoals) March 31, 2016

Cleveland Cavaliers guard J.R. Smith held his inaugural "J.R. Smith Bowling Night" event in the downtown-area Corner Alley.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Cleveland Cavaliers guard J.R. Smith held his inaugural "J.R. Smith Bowling Night" event in the downtown-area Corner Alley on Wednesday night.

There were approximately 75 fans in attendance getting the opportunity to spend some leisure time with the sharpshooter on his off day, but at the same time participants contributed to a good cause.

The "J.R. Smith Youth Foundation," which was established in 2010, powered the evening. All the proceeds will go toward funding college scholarships and grants, sponsoring underprivileged youths for sporting camps and supplying resources for Down syndrome research.

Smith shares a close bond with Brad Hennefer, an avid basketball and golf junkie who battles Down syndrome.

"My relationship with Brad is so strong that I feel like it was only right to help," Smith told cleveland.com. "And sports, so many kids really need to learn the basics. They have the raw talent, but don't have the fundamentals. I want to provide that for those that can't themselves."

J.R. Smith posed for plenty of pictures during his inaugural bowling event Wednesday. Instagram/@Blurredimagemedia 

Smith posed for pictures, signed autographs, went around mingling, cracked jokes and bowled a few frames.

"Just hanging out, getting to bowl next to J.R. and not feel like you're in a long line for his time," said die-hard Cavs fans Richard Lowes. "He is interacting with people and not rushing. It's been an unbelievable night."

At one point during the evening before Smith picked up his bowling ball for his turn, he requested someone put the Toronto Raptors-Atlanta Hawks game on one of the six televisions hung directly above the pins.

This might have been an off day, but Smith's clearly keeping tabs on a Toronto team that is two games behind the Cavaliers for the No. 1 spot in the Eastern Conference after winning 105-97 over the Hawks.

However, the night was geared toward having fun and giving back. Both were accomplished.

"I think bowling is something Cleveland is underground known for, so it made sense," Smith said. "I enjoyed myself and I'm looking forward to doing it again in Cleveland."

It's that time of year again where baseball writers make their predictions on how the upcoming season is going to unfold.

Get the latest updates and analysis on the Cleveland Cavaliers game against the Brooklyn Nets.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Cleveland Cavaliers crushed the short-handed Brooklyn Nets, 107-87. 

LeBron James led the way with 24 points and 11 assists. Kevin Love chipped in with 19 points. 

The Cavs (53-22) will head to Atlanta for the second game of a back-to-back on Friday. 

Scoring Summary:

End of 3rd Quarter - Cavs lead Nets, 89-63. The Cavs are led by LeBron James, who has 24 points. Kevin Love has added 19. The Nets are led by Thaddeus Young's 18 points. 

End of 2nd Quarter - Cavs lead Nets, 63-39. The Cavs are led by Kevin love, who has 16 points on 5-of-8 shooting. LeBron James has added 14 points. Brooklyn is paced by Thaddeus Young, who has 10 points. 

End of 1st Quarter - Cavs lead Nets, 29-22. The Cavs are led by Kevin Love, who has eight points and five rebounds. LeBron James has added six points. The Nets are led by Thaddeus Young, who has eight points. 

Cleveland.com's Tom Reed tells us who he is most intrigued by as team activities resume for the Browns. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Cleveland Browns will resume team activities next week as veterans will be in the facility working out. Players will be available to the media on Tuesday. They return on Monday.

Thursday, as part of Sports Insider, Bud Shaw and I asked Tom Reed to tell us which second-year player he was most intrigued by heading into the unofficial start of the 2016 season. Watch Tom's answer in the video above and make sure you catch Sports Insider live every Thursday at noon.

Watch full episode of Sports Insider

Is the division full of parity or mediocrity?

Young had strong words about how Ohio State handled his recruitment during an interview with SECcountry.com.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Urban Meyer doesn't always get every recruit he wants. Ohio State never gets every recruit it offers.

Not every recruit loves Ohio State. Count Kentucky offensive line commit Landon Young among them.

In an interview with SECcountry.com, Young had strong words about his experience with Urban Meyer and the Ohio State coaching staff during more than one visit to Columbus:

"I had gone up to camp there, and they had treated me like a piece of meat, just treated me like crap. By that time, I was a four-star tackle. I weighed about 270 [pounds], and I was 6-foot-7," Young told SECcountry.com.

"I wasn't even on their radar. I came back up after they offered me. Four straight days, I got (offers from) the University of Cincinnati, Alabama, Auburn and then Ohio State. I went up and said, 'Coach (Meyer), what was the reason that you all of a sudden offered me?' He said, 'We looked at your tape, and it was pretty good and I saw interest in that.' I said, 'Well coach, back when I was just committing to Kentucky and keeping my options open, I came up to a camp and sent you my film and everything, and you didn't even reply. It seemed like y'all just deleted it.'

"He said, 'Well, if you look back at that time, you were how big?' I said, '6-7, 270, just like I am now.' He said, 'Well, you were an insubstantial tackle, an insubstantial player,' so he was saying I (didn't) even amount to being able to be recruited by Ohio State as a four-star tackle. He said, 'Now what offers did you have?' I said, 'I had my one from Kentucky,' and he said, 'Well, you were an insubstantial player with insubstantial offers from an insubstantial school.'"

Read the SECcountry.com story for a full Q&A with young.

Young, a U.S. Army All-American this year, is a four-star offensive tackle from Lexington, Ky. He was rated the No. 6 tackle in the country by 247Sports, and is the highest-rated player in Kentucky's 2016 recruiting class.

How Kentucky recruiting Ohio is keeping the Big Ten down

Young is hardly the first prospect to get a string offers from big programs once one sees fit to pull the trigger. The same thing happened with 2016 Ohio State commit Jahsen Wint. As soon as the Buckeyes offered Wint, other programs came calling for a player who at one point was committed to Temple and had offers from UMass and Albany.

Even Alabama and Michigan showed interest in Wint, but never offered. That's the game.

It's also the same way recruits magically jump from three stars to four stars. It's arbitrary and the schools listed on in your recruiting profile can give you a boost even if you're not playing games at the time.

So it's not surprising that Ohio State would offer Young even if they didn't initially appear interested.

But clearly something about his visits to Columbus rubbed Young the wrong way.

Bauer was demoted to the bullpen earlier this week. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Cleveland Indians turned some heads earlier this week when they resolved their fifth-starter competition by demoting Trevor Bauer to the bullpen and naming Josh Tomlin as a member of the rotation. Bauer was expected to be a key component of a strong starting staff.

Will the Indians look to trade Bauer? Our Indians beat reporter, Paul Hoynes, joined Bud Shaw and me on Sports Insider on Thursday and answered that question. See his answer above and watch Sports Insider live every Thursday at noon.

Watch the full episode of Thursday's Sports Insider

Penn State football coach James Franklin deleted a Tweet he posted Thursday that read: "No talent required." He also blocked the reporter who pointed out the wording of the Tweet.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Penn State football coach James Franklin posted a picture Thursday to Twitter that might not flatter a prized recruit.

It read: "No talent required."

Franklin deleted the Tweet, but ESPN Big Ten reporter Josh Moyer saved it. Moyer wrote that Franklin blocked him on Twitter after he questioned the picture's wording.

Well, JF deleted the tweet in question - and apparently blocked me for pointing it out.

Here's the pic he tweeted: pic.twitter.com/0fDTCy9ytr

-- Josh Moyer (@ESPNJoshMoyer) March 31, 2016

Moyer wrote on Twitter, "I mean, I get what PSU's going for here ... but I feel like it could've been worded better than 'NO TALENT REQUIRED.'" 

The Nittany Lions finished 7-6 last season and were 4-4 in the Big Ten. They will usher in a new quarterback this fall, as three-year starter Christian Hackenberg departs for the NFL.

Penn State's incoming recruiting class is ranked 20th in the nation and fourth in the Big Ten by 247Sports.com. The Lions have four players committed in their 2017 class, including Cincinnati St. Xavier quarterback Sean Clifford.

Clifford and Stephens City, Virginia linebacker Dylan Rivers of Sherando High School are rated four-star prospects.

The Lions also have a 2018 pact with five-star, in-state defensive end Micah Parsons of Central Dauphin, near Harrisburg.

Contact sports reporter Matt Goul on Twitter (@mgoul) or email (mgoul@cleveland.com). Or log in and leave a message below in the comments section.

Browns quarterback Josh McCown has had a few conversations with Johnny Manziel and believes he can excel in the league if he decides he loves the game enough.

CLEVELAND, Ohio --  Browns quarterback Josh McCown is one of the few people who've been able to get through to Johnny Manziel, who was released by the Browns March 11 and is under investigation by a grand jury in Dallas and by the NFL for domestic violence.

"We've been able to connect a couple of times and it's been good,'' McCown told cleveland.com Thursday. "It's been good conversations and talks and we'll leave it at that.''

McCown, who grew close to Manziel during their lone year together, was disappointed to see Manziel's career end in Cleveland the way it did.

"It's a player in your room and somebody that you spent the last year with,'' he said. "You root for them and you want them to have the best outcome possible. I've been released before and it's never a good feeling, but hopefully he can take this time to really focus and think about what he wants out of this game and then move in that direction.''

McCown still believes that Manziel can win in the NFL is he decides he loves the game enough.

"I enjoyed the time I spent with him,'' he said. "I believe that he can play in this league and he certainly has the skillset that he can play at a high level. It's just for him to take some time and evaluate what he wants out of his career and this game, and once he makes that determination then keep moving forward in that direction and get that accomplished. I believe in him. I believe he can do it if he makes the right decisions moving forward.''

McCown said Manziel displayed enough passion for the game when he was around the Browns facility, but obviously not enough when he was away from it.

"It's just a matter of being able to embrace that 24/7,'' said McCown. "That's an area of growth for him that obviously needs to occur. I absolutely think he can play in this league, but at this position you've got to love it and you've got to evaluate everything in your life and say 'what place does football have in my life?' And if it's up there at the top, then you've got to eliminate the things that would keep you from accomplishing the goals that you have. He's got to look through that and go, 'man, do I love this game and how much do I love it?' That's what I'm hopeful that he moves towards.

Josh McCown has no plans to ask to be traded now that RG3 is here

McCown, who could be traded by the Browns now that Robert Griffin III is on board, said he didn't realize Manziel had slipped that far off track in his personal life.

"No, not really,'' he said. "When he was in the facility and I was around him, he was all about football and trying to get better and preparing and all of those things. All of that stuff outside, whatever else was happening, I was not aware of. Maybe I should've been more aware, but I wasn't.' I just wish him the best.''

Many outside the Cavaliers organization view the team as a mess. Is that accurate? Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The NBA's regular season is slowly grinding towards the playoffs. Meanwhile, the Cavaliers have had their share of drama, some of it valid and some of it not. It's created a national perception and local perception that the team is a mess. 

Is that perception accurate? Cleveland.com's Joe Vardon joined Bud Shaw and me on Sports Insider on Thursday to answer that question and share his thoughts on the state of the team. Watch his answer above and make sure to catch Sports Insider live every Thursday at noon.

Watch the full episode of Thursday's Sports Insider

Lasater is not rated on 247Sports.com, but visited Michigan on Thursday, a day ahead of its spring game.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Michigan received a Class of 2017 verbal commitment from Florida linebacker/fullback Chase Lasater on Thursday.

He announced his decision via Twitter.

Officially committed to the University of Michigan ! #wolverine #goblue #big10 @CoachJim4UM pic.twitter.com/K9ogjP9hMq

-- Chase Lasater (@ChaseLasater) March 31, 2016

Lasater is not rated on 247Sports.com, but visited Michigan on Thursday, a day ahead of its spring game.

The 6-foot-2, 235-pounder reportedly gained Michigan's interest as a fullback, but hopes to play linebacker for the Wolverines.

Here are his junior year highlights at Trinity Christian in Jacksonville.

LeBron James scored 24 points to go with 11 rebounds in a resounding win over the Brooklyn Nets Thursday night.

Carlos Carrasco turned in his longest start of the spring on Thursday as he threw 6 2/3 innings in a 3-1 victory over the Reds at Goodyear Ballpark.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Manager Terry Francona let Carlos Carrasco air his right arm out Thursday in his last start before the regular season. Carrasco cruised through 6 2/3 innings as the Indians left the Arizona desert following a 3-1 victory over the Reds at Goodyear Ballpark.

Carrasco, if the weather cooperates, will have five days to prepare to face Boston on Wednesday night at Progressive Field in the second game of the regular season. On Thursday he struck out six, walked two and allowed one run on five hits.

Usually a starter doesn't go as deep into a game as Carrasco did in his spring finale. They usually cut it short as Corey Kluber did Wednesday when he went 4 1/3 innings in a 4-3 victory over the Dodgers.

"We probably let him get a little more stretched out than the other guys," manager Terry Francona told reporters in Goodyear, Ariz., after the game, "because he had been like one start behind. But he's good to go."

Carrasco went 2-1 with a 3.28 ERA in six Cactus League starts this spring. He struck out 23 and walked three in 24 2/3 innings. The opposition hit .265 against Carrasco with 26 hits and nine earned runs.

"I think Carlos is fine," said Francona. "He's strong. He's understanding pitching (better). I mean, he's always been strong and he's always had the ability. Now that he understands, you're starting to see him figure out some things. I think that bodes well because as good as he is, there's probably more (to come)."

The five starters the Indians will open the season with Monday went a combined 10-5 with a 4.26 ERA in 105 2/3 innings this spring. Cody Anderson and Danny Salazar will make their final starts of the exhibition season Friday and Saturday, respectively, against the Rangers at Globe Life Park in Arlington, Texas.

Carlos Carrasco finally bubbles to surface

As the Indians close the book on another spring in the Valley of the Sun, let us contemplate their 16-12-4 record and the five additional things we learned about them Thursday.

No. 1. Roll on Big O

The Indians broke camp ranked fourth in the AL in homers and tied for sixth in runs. Last season they finished 13^th in homers and 11^th in runs. What's more one of their top home runs hitters, Giovanny Urshela, will open the season at Class AAA Columbus.

Urshela and Yan Gomes lead the Indians with five homers this spring.

Still, the way the Tribe exited Cactus League play Thursday was a bit disconcerting. They beat the Reds, 3-1, but they scored two of their runs on wild pitches and another on a passed ball.

No.2. The plan in action

One of the reasons the Indians can annually invite a herd of non-roster big league veterans to spring training on minor league deals is because some of them actually make the team. This year Joba Chamberlain, Ross Detwiler and Marlon Byrd won trips to the 25-man roster.

Tito gives Joba Chamberlain good news

No. 3 MVP of the spring

There were a lot of fine performances this spring by the Indians. Francisco Lindor hit .339 (19-for-56), including seven doubles. Jose Ramirez will open the year as a utility man, but he hit like regular all spring. Gomes looks like he's all the way back from last year's struggles and Kluber rolled through his six Cactus League starts.

Mike Napoli brought power and grit to the club. Rajai Davis took the wraps off at just the right time. Backup catcher Roberto Perez has swung the bat well and thrown even better. Lefty Joe Thatcher pitched so well he still hasn't figured out why he didn't win a job in the bullpen.

But the springtime MVP award goes to Tyler Naquin and Cody Anderson. They're roommates so they're going to have to find a way to split the trophy. Maybe they could grab it like a wishbone at Thanksgiving and pull.

Naquin front and center in center field

Naquin and Anderson spent the winter in Goodyear, Ariz., at the team's strength and conditioning camps. This spring they both made the 25-man roster. Naquin hit.407 (22-for-54) and was the best outfielder in camp. Anderson pitched his way into the No.4 spot in the rotation, passing Trevor Bauer and Josh Tomlin along the way.

No.4. Best moment of the spring

It came on March 11 when Napoli worked a 12-pitch walk against Scott Obert after Colorado pitchers had retired 20 straight Indians to start the game. Napoli drew the walk with the Tribe five outs away from being victimized by a perfect game.

Francona loved Napoli's 12-pitch walk

After the walk, Adam Moore doubled to end the no-hitter. Zach Walters followed with a single to end the shutout. The Indians lost, 6-1, but as a way of Napoli introducing himself to his new teammates, it couldn't have gone better.

No. 5. He's staying

Robbie Grossman, one of the multitude of outfielders who came to camp with the Indians in mid-February, was told recently that he was not going to make the club. The Indians said they'd like to keep him at Columbus, but understood if he pursued a big league job elsewhere.

Grossman has decided to stay in the organization. He hit .231 (9-for-39) with a homer and three RBI in 21 games this spring.

"I will not be doing any more interviews until I make my commitment," Lindsey wrote. "So no more interviews will be done by me that'll be concerning college. I want to keep the process to myself and my family only. Thank you!"

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Five-star wide receiver Tyjon Lindsey of Corona (Calif.) Centennial just had what he described as a very positive visit to Ohio State. 

So it's no surprise that the Buckeyes made the cut Thursday when he revealed a newly-trimmed list of 10 schools. 

Also making Lindsey's list were Oregon, USC, Alabama, Auburn, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Texas A&M, Tennessee and Michigan. 

After Lindsey posted a video that revealed his top 10, he also shared a message that said he's going underground. Lindsey won't be doing any more interviews with the media moving forward.

"I will not be doing any more interviews until I make my commitment," Lindsey wrote on his Twitter profile. "So no more interviews will be done by me that'll be concerning college. I want to keep the process to myself and my family only. Thank you!"

Rated the No. 5 wide receiver in the 2017 recruiting class in the 247Sports composite rankings, Lindsey was on Ohio State's campus last weekend and came away very impressed with the Buckeyes.

"The coaches told me once I went up there I would love it," Lindsey told cleveland.com during a phone interview Monday. "They were definitely right."  

MY FINAL 10 SCHOOLS! I'LL BE SHUTTING DOWN MY RECRUITING PROCESS TO THESE 10 ONLY! https://t.co/rmu39ra8rh WATCHai,dA(r) pic.twitter.com/FimLEezweF

-- Tyjon A. Lindsey ++A(r) (@tyjonlindsey) April 1, 2016

Despite the Cleveland Cavaliers' 2-2 record in their last four games, Kyrie Irving isn't lacking confidence in his team, saying "we're still the team to beat."

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Despite the Cleveland Cavaliers' 2-2 record in their last four games, point guard Kyrie Irving isn't lacking confidence in his team.

"We're still to the team to beat honestly, regardless of what anybody else says," he said after the 107-87 win over the Brooklyn Nets on Thursday. "'[Pundits talking about] what we need and what we don't need and what we need to get better at. . . . ' Us internally, we know we have to improve on a lot of things but we've just got to handle business as professionals and continue to get better."

Clarification was needed. I asked him if he's saying the Cavaliers are the team to beat in the Eastern Conference or in the entire league. He didn't backtrack.

"I feel like we're the team to beat," he replied. "Honestly, it's open season until we get into the playoffs. I've got a lot more confidence than I think that anyone realizes in our team and what's going on in our locker room."

Their latest victory put them at 53 wins for the season, the total they accumulated last season. When LeBron James was informed of Irving's comments, he didn't completely join in on the "we're the team to beat" narrative.

"I think we're all confident in our ability when we're playing at a high level," James said. "We want to continue to use these games to get better. When the postseason starts, hopefully we can lock in, which I believe we can and make a run at it."

For a team that has gone through a coaching change, cryptic tweets and multiple team meetings, they are still No. 1 in the Eastern Conference standings with a 2 1/2 game lead over the Toronto Raptors with seven games to go.

"Everything surrounding our team is just crazy to think that were still in first place," Irving said.

A team with James, Irving and Kevin Love will always be a force to be reckoned with. At times the team has played down to the level of its competition and lost games it shouldn't have. But the Cavs also have had some impressive road wins over some of top teams this league has to offer.

Cleveland has the third-best record in the association. So why aren't the Cavaliers getting the respect they feel they deserve?

"It seems like that because everybody is watching Golden State. That's why," big man Tristan Thompson told cleveland.com. And that could be true. The Warriors are on pace to eclipse the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls' NBA record of 72 wins, and Stephen Curry is rapidly becoming the face of the league.

It's easy to overlook teams when the Warriors are shredding the record book. But the Cavaliers don't appear to mind much, believing they'll eventually get their chance to prove their worth on the greatest stage.

Even though the Cavaliers haven't been the most consistent team, they want everyone to know they still should be feared.

"We've had a damn good season to this point and we're going to continue that," James said.

Remember when LeBron James and the Cavaliers used to dance to Rick Astley? Now it seems like the Cavs don't have that same swagger, but they may just have a quiet confidence that they'll win it all come June. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Remember when LeBron James and the Cavaliers used to dance?

The memory came rushing back in the waning moments of Cleveland's 107-87 win over the Brooklyn Nets Thursday, in which James scored 24 points and posted 11 assists.

During a timeout with 3:32 left in the game, The Q's in-game management people selected Rick Astley's 80's hit "Never Gonna Give You Up" to pump through the loudspeakers.

As you can see in the video above, James, who was long out of the game by then, started to shake to the beat.

During the best regular-season the Cavaliers ever had, in 2008-09, that song rocked during timeouts of every blowout toward the end of the year.

There were lots of those moments during the Cavs' 66-win campaign, and James and his then-Cavs teammates boogied like crazy on the bench each time.

To perhaps further jog your memory, the Rick Astley days at The Q coincided with LeBron's pregame family portrait routine.

Anyway, the rest of the NBA didn't take too kindly to the Cavs' carrying on as they did that season, especially the Rick Astley part. One game in particular, a 107-76 smashing of the Boston Celtics in April, James, Mo Williams, and Delonte West were dancing so hard during a timeout that it drew the ire of then-Celtics sharpshooter Ray Allen.

"I'm always going to remember that," Allen said, according to a Plain Dealer story by Brian Windhorst from the 08-09 season.

SEE: When LeBron and Cavs danced too much

Those Cavs obviously enjoyed each other. They had a certain swagger. And, then, they were stunned in the Eastern finals by Orlando, 4-2, and James never got the chance to face Kobe Bryant in the Finals.

The comparison between those days and the present isn't about dancing during timeouts. James, Kyrie Irving, and Iman Shumpert, among others, have been known to bust a move during a timeout every now and again.

It's about swagger. These Cavs don't look like they have it. Perhaps they have something better, though. A quiet confidence.

After Thursday's win, Kyrie Irving said he felt "we're the team to beat." He didn't exactly specify if he was narrowing the scope of that confidence to the Eastern Conference - given the full 15 games by which the Cavs trail the West-leading Warriors.

But it's doubtful. Most probably, Irving feels the Cavs are the team to beat in the whole league come June.

"I think we're all confident in our ability when we're playing at a high level," James said, when asked about Irving's comment. "We want to continue to use the games to continue to get better as the postseason starts if we can and make a run at it."

The Cavs are not even guaranteed the top seed for the East playoffs. They lead the Toronto Raptors by 2-1/2 games with seven to play, so it's likely they'll be no. 1. Just not definite. Coach Tyronn Lue is planning to rest James and others in a few of the games.

"We work so hard all year to be number one," James said. "I'm never a guy to say, uh, (I want) to finish second."

Fine. It's been six years since a James team didn't end up winning the East. But out of those five consecutive trips to the Finals, James has lost three times, including the last two.

I asked both James and Williams - the only two Cavs here now who were on the team during those dancin' days - and both said they vaguely remember jamming to "Never Gonna Give You Up." But neither could recall the specifics of it to make the comparison.

Seriously? How could they forget? These Cavs never have any fun.

Despite Cleveland's 53 wins and first-place standing, there is a general sense outside the organization that this just hasn't been a good season for the Cavs. James has been in a mood to fight that notion lately, including twice on Thursday.

"I don't think there's been too much bad," James said. "I think people get caught up on what's going on on the outside, and I focus on what needs to be done inside the locker room.

"We've had a damn good season to this point and we want to continue that."

The Cleveland Cavaliers played the ideal opponent before a trip to scorching Atlanta on the second night of a back-to-back. And did what the self-proclaimed "team to beat" should do against one of the dregs of the NBA.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Cleveland Cavaliers played the ideal opponent before a trip to scorching Atlanta on the second night of a back-to-back. And then did what the self-proclaimed "team to beat" should do against one of the dregs of the NBA.

The Cavs made quick work of the Brooklyn Nets, who were playing without top scorer Brook Lopez. They pushed their lead to as many as 32 points, rested the stars in the fourth quarter and cruised to a simple 107-87 win.

LeBron James scored 24 points on 8-of-11 from the field and dished out 11 assists. Kevin Love added 19 points to go with 10 rebounds for his fifth straight double-double.

Here are five observations:

Hitting a mark - The win gives them 53 on the season, the same total reached one year ago, with seven games remaining.

During an at-times tumultuous season, the overall record -- while not explaining the entire story of the 2015-16 Cavaliers -- isn't something the players were simply glossing over.

"Sometimes (it gets forgotten)," Love said. "We've maybe played down to some teams and lost some tough games, but we're still very talented. We still have the ability to do great things and have a very talented team that can lock in. So, it's great that we've reached 53 wins but we want to continue to get better these last seven (games) now and be ready to go when the real thing starts."

Topping last year's mark was never the goal. Nor was claiming the top seed in the East, which Cleveland looks destined to do. It was all about the big picture, progressing toward the postseason.

"You want to get better every year," James said. "In the midst of another year you want to get better every week and every month, and I think for the most part we've done that."

A team with James, a talented Big Three and the second-highest payroll in league history will never be judged on the regular season. It's a grind and there are too many variables in play. It's all about the postseason for this much-ballyhooed group.

Behind the 53 wins and Irving's brazen statement about being the "team to beat" lies another truth: The Cavs are the third best team in the league, by any measure.

They're third in the standings and fourth in win differential. They are 10-6 against the top four teams from each conference. Golden State has one loss against that same group.

The Warriors have raised the bar, and there's some truth to the idea that their stellar play is clouding what the Cavs have done. There's also truth to the idea that very few players have progressed from the Cavs' Finals squad and they have been a tier below Golden State and San Antonio all season. High expectations bring more criticism.

Everything, of course, can change in the postseason, especially with James. 

"I think how you want to approach it and how you want to be perceived or whatever the case may be, but, we've had a damn good season to this point and we want to continue that," James said.

New lineup - For the final 3:21 of the first half the Cavaliers were forced to use a unique lineup, one that didn't include Kyrie Irving, Matthew Dellavedova or Mo Williams -- the three primary point guards.

Dellavedova was in foul trouble. Irving was struggling and still a bit under the weather after missing Thursday's shootaround.

"Not feeling like myself, but obviously coming into tonight being back on track for us was really important, especially a team we lost to in Brooklyn," Irving said. "We wanted to come out and protect home court."

Williams remains on the outside of the normal rotation.

That's the beauty of having James. Lue played him at point guard alongside J.R. Smith, Iman Shumpert, Timofey Mozgov and Love. With less than a minute remaining in the half, Tristan Thompson subbed out Mozgov.

That James-at-point-guard group went on a 15-2 run to close the half.

"I mean, to be able to go to that lineup, he brought in Shump and I was able to move into the one," James said. "I'm not a point guard but I really don't have a position. I can do it if I need to, and we was able to close the half off on a huge run to give us a 20-plus lead to get it going into halftime, so it was definitely beneficial for us."

That was just the third time the lineup, with Mozgov at center, had been used all season, totaling five minutes. With Thompson at center instead, the lineup has been used seven times, totaling seven minutes.

Still, Lue didn't hesitate when asked if the success of that five-man lineup will cause him to think about using it more moving forward.

"Yes, it could happen," he said.

Three-point record - The Cavs were 12-of-38 (31.6 percent) from beyond the arc against the Nets. Love led the charge, hitting 4-of-8, three of which were assisted by James.

Even Channing Frye found the range after struggling in the previous four games. He was 3-of-6 from deep Thursday en route to a 13-point night.

They have now buried 10 or more triples in a franchise-record 13 straight games. The current streak is the second longest in the NBA, trailing the Warriors (16 games).

The three-point barrage capped a month that led to some wondering whether the Cavs were relying too much on those looks. But that's who they are, a drive-and-kick team. 

The Cavs made 194 three-pointers in March -- also a franchise record -- despite playing a tough schedule. 

"Like I told guys before the game, we win tonight's game, we had an 11-5 month, which I'll take," Lue said. "All these back-to-backs this month, being 11-5 out of 16 games is pretty good." 

While perhaps crazy to think about, the Cavs could get even better from beyond the arc as the playoffs approach. That is, of course, if Irving finds his elusive stroke.

The 24-year-old point guard was a chilly 30-of-97 (30.9 percent) from distance in March. He went 0-of-5 Thursday.

"Early (this season), I knew he was struggling shooting the ball and then I thought there was probably like an eight or ten-game series where he shot the ball really well and we thought he was getting his legs back and getting his legs underneath him," Lue said of Irving. "Those shots he got throughout the course of this game, he got a lot of open shots, uncontested, catch-and-shoot and he's got to make those shots and we're living with those shots because we know he can make them."

He can make them. Just not this year. For his career, Irving shoots 37.8 percent from long range. He was a career-best 41.5 percent last season. This year, he is shooting 31.6 percent.

Support for Kyrie - It's been an eventful season for Irving. He missed the first few months recovering from a fractured kneecap and is still trying to regain his previous form. He's also been the target of criticism (and tweets?) from fans, teammates and opposing players for his me-first style.

Things took another harsh turn this week, as social media exploded about his relationship with R&B singer Kehlani.

On Monday PartyNextDoor, a singer who dated Kehlani in the past, posted a photo of himself holding Kehlani's hand on his Instagram account with a caption suggesting they were back together. The post was quickly deleted. But on social media, it only takes a few seconds.

Irving alluded to a break up on Twitter -- before deleting the posts -- late Wednesday night, a few days after Kehlani posted a photo of an IV attached to her right arm with a caption that read in part, "today I wanted to leave this earth."

BREAKING: Here are the complete set of tweets Kyrie just posted about the Kehlani situation pic.twitter.com/wQQyt9szwX

-- Cleveland SportsTalk (@CLEsportsTalk) March 31, 2016

(h/t @CLESportsTalk)

"I just think as a team, we're all just there for him," Lue said prior to Thursday's win. "He's a part of this team and it's our job to make sure he's OK, he's in good hands and just being around his teammates and just being around the guys he competes with every night makes him at ease." 

So has Lue talked to Irving about his personal life?

"I'd rather not speak about that," Lue said. "Like I've said, I've talked to Kyrie, but it's best between us. Our team, we all have his back and he knows that 100 percent."

Despite what appears to have been a rough week, Irving was able to keep perspective when asked about the challenge of staying focused with so much swirling around him.

"It hasn't been difficult," Irving said. "I've been through a ton of adversity in my life. There's nothing anything or anyone can say that I can't get through. I've been through enough already in my short 24 years that most people can say for their whole entire lives. For me it's just coming to work every single day, doing what I need to do in order to provide for my family and be there for my brothers."

Defending Delly - Dellavedova was one of the few disappointments against Brooklyn, finishing with zero points on 0-of-6 from the field, including 0-of-3 from three-point range. He had more air balls than made field goals.

In the last five games, Dellavedova is averaging 5.8 points on 7-of-24 (29.1 percent) from the field, including 4-of-15 (26.6 percent) from beyond the arc.

On Tuesday, the Rockets spoke after the game about playing Dellavedova as a passer, temping him to look for his own shot.

The Nets seemed to employ the same strategy and the results were similar.

"I hope so. I hope they drop back," Lue said when asked about teams going under screens and daring Dellavedova to shoot. "He's over 40 percent three-point shooter and Delly can make those shots. He's proven to make those shots. Made big shots in the Finals for us. If teams are going to give him that, I'm comfortable with that."

He shouldn't be.

Delly has proven to be one of the best catch-and-shoot marksmen in the NBA this season, feasting when defenses collapse and fail to rotate back in time.

According to NBA stats, Dellavedova is 57.9 percent from two-point range on catch-and-shoot opportunities. He's 46.7 percent from three-point range.

On pullups, the shots opposing defenses are starting to welcome, Dellavedova is 33.6 percent from two-point range and 31.9 percent from beyond the arc.

He also gets worse the more he dribbles, which helps shine a light on the need for his teammates to set him up and why defenses are trying to turn him into a scorer instead of distributor or floor spacer.

Zero dribbles: 60.6 percent on twos; 46.4 percent on threes

One dribble: 37.9 percent on twos; 33.3 percent on threes

Two dribbles: 37.9 percent on twos; 15.4 percent on threes

Three-to-six dribbles: 32.0 percent on twos; 14.3 percent on threes

The Cleveland Cavaliers demolished the Brooklyn Nets 107-87 Thursday night at The Q.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Exactly a week ago, the rebuilding Brooklyn Nets defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers 104-95 in New York.

It was another case of playing down to the competition. On Thursday at The Q, it took a quarter and a half for the Cavaliers to fully engage, but once they did, it was a wrap and officially payback time.

The Cavaliers demolished the Nets, 107-87.

LeBron James led the way with 24 points, 11 assists and four rebounds. Kevin Love supplied 19 points and 10 boards.

Brooklyn (21-54) was down a handful of points for the first half of the second quarter. The Nets were in it strictly from playing hard. Without their best player in Brook Lopez, who was resting, they had to outwork the Cavaliers to attempt another upset.

As soon as Cavs coach Tyronn Lue reinserted James at the midway point in the second, the game drastically changed. James was a distributing machine as he operated in the post and found his shooters for open 3-pointers. Cleveland launched 20 of them in the first two quarters, landing seven.

Those threes anchored a 24-point halftime cushion, with the Nets having gone 0-for-11 from deep. Brooklyn was rattled. Facing a large deficit, players took it upon themselves to play hero ball with no true hero. The Nets only dug themselves a deeper hole in the third.

They shot airballs that were from wide-open looks and missed multiple uncontested layups. Cleveland (53-22) had the Nets spooked and in disarray.

The Cavaliers ran their offensive sets with patience and precision. There was not only ball movement, but also body movement. The Nets witnessed a clinic on how to run an offense and play defense.

Brooklyn was held to 32 percent shooting, the lowest for a Cleveland opponent this season. It was a mixture of great defense and terrible shots. The Cavaliers led by as many as 32.

Kyrie Irving and J.R. Smith were questionable entering the game with an illness, but suited up and played. They were a combined 7-of-22 from the field. Channing Frye added 13 points, including three 3-pointers off the bench.

None of the Cavaliers' starters played in the fourth quarter. Every player logged minutes in this one.

After knocking down his second field goal in the opening quarter, James moved past Hall-of-Famer Dominique Wilkins for 12^th place on the league's all-time scoring list.

"It just shows the hard work that LeBron's put in over his career to get to those points," Lue said.

The Cavaliers continue to be in the midst of trying to keep the Toronto Raptors from overtaking them for the No. 1 spot in the Eastern Conference standings. The reigning conference champs are 2 1/2 games up with seven remaining in the regular season.

On deck

The Atlanta Hawks will host the Cavaliers on Friday in what will be the Central Division champs' second game in as many nights. ESPN will have the 8 p.m. game. Cleveland is up 1-0 in the head-to-head season matchup.