Before he can begin a rehab assignment, however, Carrasco has one other chore to tackle: pitcher's fielding practice.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Only one obstacle stands in the way between Carlos Carrasco and a minor-league rehab assignment.

The right-hander, sidelined since late April by a strained hamstring, logged another bullpen session on Monday at Progressive Field.

"He looked really good," said pitching coach Mickey Callaway. "He was throwing, like, 100 [mph] out there. He's in a really good spot."

Carrasco has thrown two side sessions since he landed on the disabled list. Later this week, he'll throw a simulated game, possibly at Class A Lake County, since the Indians hit the road for a three-city tour starting Wednesday.

Before he can begin a rehab assignment, however, Carrasco has one other chore to tackle: pitcher's fielding practice. Carrasco suffered his injury while covering first base on an infield grounder in Detroit on April 24. Callaway said Carrasco isn't quite ready for that challenge.

"That'll be the one test," Francona said, "before we can let him pitch that he certainly has to pass because it's probably the hardest. I don't think we need to let him go sprint 100 yards straight, but going in a direction when you don't know [where] you're going to go? Yeah."

Callaway said Carrasco isn't feeling any soreness or interference from his hamstring when he pitches on the side. Carrasco threw 40 pitches on Monday.

"We were able to keep him throwing and keep his arm in shape," Callaway said. "[It's] coming out better than it has all season. He's throwing all of his pitches and is itching to get out there to face some hitters."

Carrasco relieved to learn he'd only miss 4-6 weeks

Coming back: The Indians plan to activate right fielder Lonnie Chisenhall from the bereavement list on Tuesday. He was scheduled to return to Cleveland on Monday night.

Going away: Michael Brantley will visit with Dr. Craig Morgan -- who performed his shoulder surgery in early November -- in Delaware on Tuesday. Brantley landed on the disabled list over the weekend, retroactive to May 10. He played catch at Progressive Field on Monday.

"He's doing everything [but hitting]," Francona said.

Indians hope Brantley's shoulder won't be season-long issue

Coming along: Joba Chamberlain has limited the opposition to one earned run on four hits in 12 2/3 innings. Opposing hitters are batting .103 with a .342 OPS against the right-hander. Francona described the reliever's performance thus far as "outstanding."

"When you've been around a long time," said Chamberlain, a 10-year big league veteran, "you know what they want to do and they have an idea of what you want to do so it's just a game of adjustments and trying to make the adjustments throughout the at-bat."

There was little time for Toronto Raptors head coach Dwane Casey and his staff to celebrate a Game 7 win against the Miami Heat, one that put the Raptors in the conference finals for the first time in franchise history.

INDEPENDENCE, Ohio -- There was little time for Toronto Raptors head coach Dwane Casey and his staff to celebrate a Game 7 win against the Miami Heat, one that put the Raptors in the conference finals for the first time in franchise history.

For Casey, it was about turning the page, starting to prepare for the Cleveland Cavaliers, the class of the Eastern Conference and a team that Casey holds in high esteem.

"We'll go in and play hard to compete against in my opinion probably the best team in the league right now as far as playing basketball, playing together, playing both ends of the floor and shooting the 3-ball," Casey said during a conference call on Monday. "In my heart I feel like LeBron James is the best player in the NBA right now. They didn't ask me for my vote so I didn't give it to them."

James finished third in this year's MVP voting, behind Golden State's Stephen Curry and San Antonio's Kawhi Leonard.

Curry's rise from undersized, frail point guard to record-breaking superstar and two-time MVP has led to an ongoing conversation about the league's best player.

Perhaps Casey is siding with the guy he sees more often in the East. Maybe he's trying not to ruffle any feathers prior to the Eastern Conference Finals opener on Tuesday night. Whatever the reason, Casey cast his vote, siding with James because of his all-around play.

"He does so many things for his team offensively and defensively that you can take all the other stuff, but what he brings to the team, some of it you can't even quantify," Casey said. "I have no doubt our team will go in and compete and play hard and we're going to go in with confidence and feel like we should win. If we don't, we shouldn't be in this business."

James' overall numbers have dropped off this postseason -- second on the team in scoring, averaging 23.5 points. But his fingerprints have been all over Cleveland's perfect record.

"What he brings to the table now is probably more lethal than his scoring, his post-up ability, his attacking ability," Casey said. "I've said this all along and we had to prepare for him when he was in Miami, his passing is probably his biggest weapon. He's such a smart player, he sees the floor, he finds good shooters and they don't even have to move their hands.

"It's not like some of the passes are at your ankles or over your head. He puts it right on the numbers and you better have your hands ready or it will go through your chest. That's probably one of his biggest strengths is his passing."

James is averaging a team-high 7.3 assists in the playoffs, with many of those leading to an avalanche of 3s in the first two series, as the Hawks and Pistons were powerless trying to slow down the postseason's second-best offense.

"We have to pick our poison to what we want to try to take away and what we have to live with," Casey said. "They have been shooting the ball very, very well. Atlanta tried to take away a lot. They switched a lot to try and take away a lot of the pick-and-roll stuff and they ended up not taking away anything. They're a lethal team right now. They can put a team on the floor 1-5 that can stretch you out and shoot the 3 with Channing Frye and (Kevin) Love possibly at the 5. They're very lethal. Our work is cut out for us to take out their 3-ball."

The Raptors don't have nearly as much experience and they certainly have their hands full.

But they are free from the playoff demons that haunted them for decades. They come to Cleveland with their spirits high.

Toronto's late-game meltdowns have been put to rest and the pressure has started to fade after learning how to win tight games, showing the necessary poise in a pair of Game 7 victories against battle tested opponents.

None of that, however, changes the perception of the series.

The Cavs -- 20-2 against Eastern Conference foes in the last two postseasons -- are the overwhelming favorite to advance to their second straight NBA Finals.

"Everybody has not expected us to do as much all year long and this series is not going to be any different," Casey said. "I don't know how Cleveland feels about us but nobody is going to favor us to beat them in this series. The only people who are going to believe in that are the people in our locker room and the guys on the floor."

The outsiders might not respect the Raptors. James and the Cavs do.

"There's no sneaking up on nobody in the final four," James said Monday following the final practice before the series opener. "Teams are here for a reason. Toronto is here for a reason. OKC, us and Golden State, we're all here for a reason. So there's no sneaking up on nobody at this point."

Browns quarterback Cody Kessler trained with David and Derek Carr as a high schooler in Bakersfield, California. Now, he and Derek are in the NFL together.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Browns rookie quarterback Cody Kessler had two Carrs in high school that helped him get where he needed to be.

One was Derek, the Pro Bowl quarterback of the Raiders, and one was David, the former No. 1 overall pick of the Texans and current NFL Network analyst.

When Kessler, the Browns' third-round pick out of USC, was a sophomore in high school, the Carrs moved back from Houston to their hometown of Bakersfield, Ca., and connected with the young quarterback through mutual friend and quarterback guru Steve Calhoun.

Before long, David began tutoring not only his younger brother Derek, then a senior at Bakersfield Christian, but Kessler, who played for Bakersfield's Centennial High.

"My buddy (Calhoun) who had trained Cody forever said 'come over and check out this kid, I think he's going to be pretty good,''' David Carr told cleveland.com. "He said, 'he's a basketball player but I think he's going to be a pretty good quarterback.'''

David took Calhoun up on his offer and headed over to the training facility in Bakersfield, a town about 100 miles north of Los Angeles.

"There were all these industrial buildings and there was this one building where there was grass in the back and it was not even level,'' Carr recalled. "It was bumpy and it was really sketchy. The first time I went back there, I was like, 'you guys actually practice back here?' I remember Cody was out there throwing balls and he was dropping back downhill and I was like 'how do you do this?' and we were just kind of laughing about it.''

Cody Kessler and Derek Carr trained together under David Carr as high schoolers in Bakersfield, Ca.Mary Kay Cabot, cleveland.com 

But after that first practice, Carr knew that Kessler had potential.

"I watched him from a distance and I don't know if he missed a pass the whole workout,'' said Carr. "Then I came over and gave him a couple of tips, just basic stuff and he was super coachable. He picked it up, and I started working with him ever since then. He and Derek would always go out and throw and compete, and it was fun watching them develop.''

Kessler (6-1, 215) brought his receivers to the training facility to work with Calhoun, and David and Derek would work there with them during the offseasons of Carr's 11-year NFL career.

"He always had a good release, really good mechanics, really sound, but playing all of these different sports, you don't have a lot of time to focus on the quarterback position,'' said Carr. "But he started working with me and his quarterback coach at Southern Cal (Clay Helton) and we really tightened up his footwork and he can pick things up quick. He's a great athlete.''

Kessler also excelled in basketball at Bakersfield, averaging 30 points and 11 rebounds a game.

"I thought he might try to play basketball but then he had a great (football) season and ended up going to SC and we were all pumped,'' said Carr.

Carr remembers countless hours of working with his Derek and Kessler, preparing them not only for their high school seasons, but for their stellar college careers, Derek at David's alma mater Fresno State and Kessler at USC.

"They don't look anything now like they did back then -- they were young kids, and I was like, 'man you guys can be pretty good,''' he said.

But Kessler and Carr -- a second-round pick of the Raiders in 2014 who thought he might be drafted by the Browns -- didn't dare to dream back then that they might one day face each other in the NFL.

"No, we were just listening to whatever Dave was telling us to do pretty much at that time,'' Kessler said at rookie camp Friday.

Hue Jackson has a high expectation for Cody Kessler but too soon to say if he'll start

As fate would have it, Kessler and Carr faced each other in the 2013 Las Vegas Bowl in the final game of Carr's career. The Trojans blew out Fresno State 45-20, and Kessler threw for 344 yards and a bowl-record four TDs. But Carr, who was held to just 217 yards and two touchdowns, received the consolation prize of becoming just the fourth player in NCAA history to throw for 5,000 yards and 50 touchdowns.

"It was really cool,'' said Kessler. "He ended his career playing against each other which was cool for me. I told him 'good luck with everything' and his response was 'hopefully you'll be there in a couple of years and we'll get to play each other,' --  so we'll see.''

David remembers "a lot of trash talk that game but we were pulling for both guys. That was a fun game, a good deal.''

After Derek left college, his father, Rodger,  continued to follow Kessler at USC.

"That whole family has just been great to me,'' said Kessler. "Rodger has always been supportive of me and was cheering for me these last couple of years after Derek left, so I've been fortunate enough to know the Carrs really well and have their support.''

David Carr tutored Cody Kessler and his brother Derek Carr when the latter two were in high school.Mary Kay Cabot, cleveland.com 

In Derek's rookie season in Oakland, during which he threw for 21 touchdowns and 12 interceptions, he heard often from his good buddy Kessler.

"I was rooting for him and he's a guy who works so hard and comes from a great family and has a great support system,'' said Kessler. "It's motivation for me too. Someone I used to work with and train with and someone that inspires me.''

For a time, David thought Kessler would follow in his and Derek's footsteps and land at Fresno State.

"But he went to SC and we were so proud and happy,'' said David. "He had to go through a lot at SC. He did such a great job of taking ownership of that team. Every time scouts or anyone would ask me about him, I would say 'this guy had tremendous ability to put a group of guys together and get them going toward a common goal.'

"He had so much coaching changeover and so much drama when he was at SC, and he was always the first guy to stand up there in front of the media and answer questions and put it all on his shoulders.''

The reason Kessler didn't rank as highly as Jared Goff or Carson Wentz, in addition to the all the chaos at USC during his tenure, was concern over his arm strength, David said.

"It's not off the charts,'' he said. "It's not something that's going to blow you away when he's out there in shorts and a t-shirt, but you get this guy in a system, and he will succeed. He definitely belongs in the conversation with those guys.''

David likened Kessler's arm strength to that of nine-time Pro Bowler Drew Brees, who he first witnessed when Carr was a college counselor at an Elite 11 quarterback camp near San Diego.

"Carson Palmer and I took a trip down and saw Drew practicing in San Diego and we were like 'who's the little guy?''' Carr said. "And they were like 'that's the starting quarterback.' And then he ended up being a pretty good quarterback, so Cody's kind of the same way arm strength-wise.  It's not going to jump off the page. You're not going to say 'Oh wow,' but you're going to get to the end of practice and he's going to hit 15 out of 16 passes and you're going to say 'he's a pretty efficient guy.'''

David sees other similarities between the two.

"They have very similar mechanics, both are very accurate,'' he said. "Coming out of school they weren't super-high draft picks, but these guys are winners, they're able to lead football teams, they have similar personalities and it's a win-win for the Browns for sure.''

David pounded the same thing into Kessler's head that he did to his little brother: get in your playbook and be prepared.

"All we've ever told Cody -- and he's gotten great coaching all over the place --is just be ready mentally,'' said David. "That's the biggest thing. Be someone that your coaches trust and that's how you stand out from the pack, not necessarily going out there and making the wild throw. Just be a guy that's an extension of the coaching staff and he's always been that.''

Despite Kessler's competition this summer with Robert Griffin III, Josh McCown and the Browns other quarterbacks, Davis is confident that Kessler can eventually rise to the top -- especially with Hue Jackson coaching him.

"Hue's track record speaks for itself,'' said Davis. "The hard part is there's five guys in that room right now and just getting the reps and making sure you stand out. But he can absolutely be the starting quarterback of the Browns. There'd be no surprise from anyone in Bakersfield or Los Angeles for that matter. He's got a lot of work to do and he knows that, but he can do it.''

And when Kessler and Derek meet up on the field again someday, will they say they owe it all to David?

"They'll say 'we did it despite Dave's help,''' he said with a laugh.

Four-star quarterback Phil Jurkovec of Gibsonia (Pa.) Pine-Richland committed to Notre Dame on Monday evening.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Ohio State is still knee-deep in trying to figure out what it's going to do about its quarterback situation in the 2017 recruiting class, but things just got a little more difficult in 2018 

That's because one of Ohio State's top 2018 targets is now committed to another school. 

Four-star quarterback Phil Jurkovec of Gibsonia (Pa.) Pine-Richland committed to Notre Dame on Monday evening. 

"It's the right fit for me," Jurkovec told 247Sports recruiting analyst Steve Wiltfong. "The whole education of Notre Dame from the books to the spiritually, the whole university and everything that it offers I just fell in love with it."

A 6-foot-5, 190-pound prospect, Jurkovec committed to Notre Dame over offers from programs like Ohio State, Alabama, Clemson, Michigan State, Penn State, Pittsburgh, Tennessee, UCLA and others. 

Jurkovec doesn't yet have a composite ranking on 247Sports because he hasn't been rated by all recruiting services, but 247 rates him the No. 1 dual-threat quarterback in the 2018 class. 

Jurkovec attended Nike's The Opening camp regional in Columbus a few weeks, then took an unofficial visit to Ohio State right after. That was his last unofficial visit before committing to the Irish. 

Four-star prospect Emory Jones of Franklin (Ga.) Heard County is Ohio State's other top 2018 quarterback target. He earned a scholarship offer last Wednesday after receiving a visit from Ohio State quarterbacks coach Tim Beck.

The 6-foot-1, 193-pound Jones is clearly an elite prospect judging by his scholarship offers list, one that already included ones from Clemson, Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, Miami (Fla.), Mississippi State, West Virginia and others. 

The Indians set season highs in runs and hits as they overcame an early deficit to blister the Reds in the opening game of the Battle of Ohio.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - On a night not fit for pitchers, the Reds homered early and the Indians homered late at Progressive Field.

In the end Monday night, the Indians, last in the American League in homers, did more damage as they beat the Reds to open the four-game Battle of Ohio with a 15-6 victory. The light-punching Indians set season highs with 15 runs and 19 hits.

Yan Gomes hit a three-run homer and former Reds' slugger Marlon Byrd followed with a two-run homer in the decisive five-run sixth inning that turned the Tribe's one-run lead into a laugher. Gomes, who entered the game hitting .108 (4-for-37) in May, has homered in three straight games for the first time in his career. The last Indian to do that was Zach Walters in 2014.

The Indians ended a brief two-game losing streak and have won six of their last 11 games. The Reds have lost five of their last eight games.

Francisco Lindor and Byrd led the Indians' offense with three hits each. Gomes had two hits and four RBI.

Cody Anderson and John Lamb (0-1, 5.79) were the starting pitchers. They were not around long, but they definitely left their imprint on the game. In 8 1/3 combined innings, they allowed 13 runs on 19 hits and four walks.

The Indians, down 4-0, scored four times in the third inning to pull even with the Reds. For the offensively challenge Indians, it was their biggest inning since they scored four runs in the third against the Royals on May 6.

The Tribe bunched five of its 10 hits against Lamb in the third. The big hit was Lindor's two-run double that drifted over Jose Peraza's head in center to make it a 4-3 game. Mike Napoli guided a single through the right side of the infield to score Lindor with the tying run. It gave Napoli 17 RBI at home compared to six on the road.

"We did a really good job tonight," said manager Terry Francona. "We fell behind 4-0 and that's not an easy way to win."

The Indians, who scored 10 runs in three games over the weekend against the Twins, added three more runs in the fourth for a 7-4 lead. Jason Kipnis singled home two runs and came around to score on singles by Lindor and Napoli.

Anderson, staked to a three-run lead, could not get through the fifth to qualify for the win. Lefty Kyle Crockett relieved with one out and the bases loaded and allowed a two-run bloop single to Jay Bruce to make it a 7-6 game. Tommy Hunter relieved and ended the inning. Hunter (1-1) pitched 1 2/3 innings and was credited with the victory.

"Tommy Hunter came in and got five outs on 12 pitches," said Francona. "He got a big double play (to end the fifth inning). Then he came back out and had a quiet sixth inning, which allowed us to continue to swing the bats."

The Reds used their power to rock Anderson early. Brandon Phillips doubled off the wall in left for a 1-0 lead in the first. Adam Duvall made it 2-0 in the second as he drove a 0-2 pitch into the left field bleachers for his seventh homer of the season.

Eugenio Suarez made it 4-0 with his eighth homer of the season, a two-run drive in the third. It was the 10^th homer Anderson has allowed in 32 2/3 innings this season. He allowed nine in 91 1/3 innings last season.

Francona and the Indians decision makers are perplexed at Anderson's struggles.

"His velocity is very good," said Francona. "I think sometimes his command is the biggest difference in what is allowing him to succeed or not."

What it means

The Indians improved to 10-8 at Progressive Field this season. They are 2-5 in interleague play.

The pitches

Anderson threw 76 pitches, 49 for strikes. Lamb threw 80 pitches, 49 for strikes.

In 4 1/3 innings Anderson allowed six runs on nine hits. He walked two and struck out two as his ERA jumped from 7.31 to 7.99.

Lamb, in his first start since May 8, allowed seven runs on 10 hits in four innings. He struck out one and walked two.

Replay central

In the fourth inning, Rajai Davis was called out at the plate as he tried to turn Kipnis' one-run single into a two-run single. The Indians challenged the call by plate umpire Paul Emmel, which would have ended the inning.

After review of 1:32 review, Davis was called safe to give the Indians a 6-4 lead. Davis, who scored from first, crossed the plate standing. To the naked eye it appeared catcher Ramon Cabrera nailed him with a sweep tag, but replays showed that he missed him.

"Rajai wanted to slide, but he got his feet mixed up," said Francona. "He actually did a real good job of touching the plate. Because of a heads up play by Sarbie (third base coach Mike Sarbaugh) and Rajai, and his willingness to always run, he made that play happen."

The Indians are 9-for-13 (.692) on replay challenges this year.

Slump buster

Davis opened the game with a single to snap a 0-for-19 skid. In his next three plate appearances, he singled, walked twice and score two runs.

Slapping leather

In the fourth, right after the Indians scored four runs in the third to tie the score, Anderson allowed a leadoff single to Peraza. Jordan Pacheco followed with a liner headed toward second base. Anderson lunged off the mound, caught the ball and threw to first for the double play.

Thanks for coming

The Indians and Reds drew 12,184 fans to Progressive Field on Monday night. They have drawn 262,891 fans in 18 home dates this season

First pitch was at 6:10 p.m. with a temperature of 64 degrees.

What's next?

Salazar struck out 10 and walked six in five innings in his last start. He's 0-1 with an 11.25 ERA in his lone start against the Reds. The opposition is hitting .151 against him for the season.

Simon, coming off a no-decision six-inning effort against Milwaukee, went 4-0 with a 2.64 ERA in five starts last season against the Indians for Detroit. In his career, he's 5-2 with a 3.81 ERA in 12 appearances against the Indians.

Akron right-hander Michael Peoples (3-1, 3.64 ERA) gave up one run and four hits over seven innings, striking out three.

Eric HaaseAkron RubberDucks 

HARTFORD, Connecticut -- Eric Haase's three-run homer in the seventh inning broke open the game as the Akron RubberDucks rolled to their third straight Class AA Eastern League victory Monday with a 9-3 win over the Yard Goats.

Akron right-hander Michael Peoples (3-1, 3.64 ERA) gave up one run and four hits over seven innings, striking out three.

The RubberDucks led, 3-1, and started the seventh inning with two ground-outs. Oufielder Clint Frazier, who went 3-for-5 on the night, singled, and designated hitter Bradley Zimmer kept the inning alive by drawing a walk.

First baseman Nellie Rodriguez singled to left field make it 4-1, with Haase following up with his homer to increase Akron's lead to 7-1.

Taylor Murphy's RBI double and an RBI single from Frazier made it 9-1 in the eighth inning.

The Goats managed to get two runs off Akron reliever Antonio Romero in the eighth, but Robbie Aviles closed out the game with a scoreless ninth.

Go here to see a box score from the game.

Francisco Lindor had a two-run double and two singles as the Cleveland Indians defeated the Cincinnati Reds, 15-6, May 16 in Cleveland.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Cleveland Indians shortstop Francisco Lindor's MLB arrival in June of last season came with considerable hype. He lived up to it -- and then some.

Lindor had an .835 OPS and 4.6 WAR in 99 games. He finished second to Houston Astros shortstop Carlos Correa in AL Rookie of the Year voting.

What will Lindor do next? Here is a week-by-week recap of his 2016 season:

Week 1: 4 G, 17 PA, 5-for-15 (five singles), four runs, two walks, three strikeouts. 10/17 Quality Plate Appearance (subjective).

Summary: Even though he had no extra-base hits, Lindor swung the bat well overall. He took what the pitchers gave him and totaled three hits against two good lefties (David Price, Chris Sale). Issues were with cutter under hands and splitters. Solid defensively.

Week 2: 6 G, 26 PA, 6-for-25 (three singles, two doubles, homer), four RBI, three runs, two steals, seven strikeouts. 9/26 QPA. One error.

Summary: Not one of Lindor's better six-game stretches. Uncomfortable too often against off-speed, particularly changeups. Seven strikeouts/zero walks was noticeable. OK defensively.

Week 3: 6 G, 27 PA, 9-for-22 (eight singles, double), five walks, RBI, five runs, steal, caught stealing. 16/27 QPA.

Summary: Once again, Lindor took what the pitchers gave him and settled for singles en route to a strong six-game block. Finished with one walk in four straight games. Excelled defensively.

Week 4: 6 G, 27 PA, 5-for-23 (four singles, one double), three walks, three RBI, sacrifice fly. 12/27 QPA. Good defensively.

Summary: Lindor did not swing well. Too eager/anxious numerous times. Missed plenty of pitches to hit.

Week 5: 6 G, 25 PA, 10-for-23 (eight singles, double, homer), walk, hit-by-pitch, three RBI, seven runs, steal. 13/25 QPA.

Summary: Good bounce-back from Week 5. Turned decent pitches into hits. Played plus-defense.

Week 6: 6 G, 27 PA, 5-for-26 (five singles), walk, two RBI, three runs, steal. 10/27 QPA.

Summary: Rarely seemed comfortable during rough week, the nadir being 0-for-7 in a 16-inning loss at Houston. Good defense.

Week 7 (ongoing):

SEASON GAME 35: May 16 vs. Cincinnati Reds (W, 15-6)

First inning vs. LHP John Lamb (runner on first, one out) -- 89 fastball called strike; 86 cutter foul; 89 fastball, fielder's choice/4-6.

Quality plate appearance (subjective): No.

Third inning vs. Lamb (runners on second and third, one out) -- 91 fastball called strike; 87 cutter swinging strike; 86 cutter (up), two-run double to center.

Quality plate appearance: Yes. Lindor benefitted when Jose Peraza, a middle infielder subbing in center, misjudged the trajectory. Scored.

Fourth inning vs. Lamb (runner on first, two outs) -- 74 changeup foul; 88 fastball foul; 88 fastball, single to right.

Quality plate appearance: Yes.

Sixth inning vs. RHP Layne Somsen (none on, none out) -- 78 curve called strike; 85 changeup inside; 78 curve, grounder to second.

Quality plate appearance: No.

Seventh inning vs. RHP Caleb Cotham (runner on first, none out) -- 92 fastball inside; 92 fastball, single to center.

Quality plate appearance: Yes. Scored.

Totals: 3-for-5, double, two RBI, two runs. 3/5 QPA.

Marlon Byrd and Francisco Lindor each had three hits, part of the Cleveland Indians' 19 in a 15-6 victory over the Cincinnati Reds on Monday night in Cleveland.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Yan Gomes went 2-for-4 with a three-run homer and Marlon Byrd was 3-for-5 with a two-run homer as the Cleveland Indians defeated the Cincinnati Reds, 15-6, Monday night at Progressive Field.

Here is a capsule look at the game, which was televised by Fox Sports Time Ohio:

Back and forth: Since May 7, the Indians (18-17) have gone L-W-L-W-L-W-L-L-W.

Struggling: The Reds (15-23) have lost four of five overall and are 3-13 on the road.

Quality work: The game turned into a rout, but the Indians needed to rally from a 4-0 deficit through 2 1/2 innings.

The Tribe was coming off back-to-back losses to the terrible Minnesota Twins at home; righty Cody Anderson was in the midst of another problematic start; and Reds lefty John Lamb did not allow the leadoff runner to reach second base in each of the first two innings.

Just when it appeared the Indians might be headed for another bad performance against a team with a bad record, their bats came alive. They scored four runs on five hits in the third inning and three runs on four hits in the fourth. The Reds scored twice in the fifth to pull within 7-6, but the Indians scored five runs on three hits in the sixth to make it 12-6.

Hit dogs: The Indians were 19-for-39 (.487) with three doubles, the two homers, six walks and five strikeouts. They saw 179 pitches.

Every Tribe starting position player notched at least one hit and run, and seven had at least one RBI. Gomes and Byrd were joined by five teammates with multiple hits.

The Indians did a good job of using the entire field against the finesse of Lamb (4 IP, 10 H, 7 R). Then they teed off, as teams are obligated to do, against Cincinnati's woeful bullpen. They finished 6-for-14 with runners in scoring position.

Finding a way: On a number of occasions, Tribe batters rallied from being down in the count. Here are six that stood out:

Third inning

*With runners on second and third in the third, Francisco Lindor zipped Lamb's 0-2 cutter (86 mph) above the belt to center. Jose Peraza misjudged the trajectory and watched the ball go over his head. Credit Lindor with a two-run double to pull Cleveland within 4-3, but it helped that Peraza is a middle infielder who was subbing for Billy Hamilton.

Lindor scored on Mike Napoli's 2-2 single to right.

Fourth inning

*With runners on first and third and two outs, Jason Kipnis was down, 1-2, against a lefty. After a foul (off-speed) and ball (fastball high), Kipnis ripped Lamb's fastball (89) into right-center for what appeared to be an RBI single -- until the runner from first, Rajai Davis, also scored.

The speedy Davis was on the move as Kipnis swung, and third-base coach Mike Sarbaugh never put up the stop sign. The Reds relay was in time and Davis, who did not slide, was called out. However, the Indians challenged and won because the replay showed that catcher Ramon Cabrera had, in fact, missed Davis as Davis bent his back and dragged his toes over the plate.

Tom Emanski -- and Fred McGriff -- would cringe, but it worked for Davis. Kipnis's two-run single gave the Tribe a 6-4 lead.

*The next batter, Lindor, punched an 0-2 fastball to right for a single. Kipnis advanced to third.

Lindor demonstrated excellent bat control as Kipnis took off for second, which pulled Reds second baseman Brandon Phillips toward the bag to cover and left the hole wide-open.

Napoli's single (1-0 fastball) drove in Kipnis to make it 7-4.

Sixth inning

*With Napoli on first and one out, Carlos Santana fell behind righty Layne Somsen, 0-2. Santana fouled twice before hitting a curve (78) to right for a single, Napoli stopping at second.

*The next batter, Yan Gomes, took a curve (78) for a called strike and swung through a curve (77). Somsen did not want to triple-up with breaking stuff, so he threw an 0-2 fastball (89) that was supposed to be outside but backed over the plate at the thighs. Gomes smoked it over the wall in right-center to give the Tribe a 10-6 advantage.

Jose Ramirez drew an eight-pitch walk.

*Marlon Byrd fouled a 1-1 fastball (88) and took a 1-2 fastball (89) inside. Somsen essentially insulted Byrd by throwing a third straight fastball (88), and Byrd parked it over the left-field wall to make it 12-6.

The Cleveland Gladiators defeated the Portland Steel in overtime on Monday, 55-48.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Cleveland Gladiators blew a 20-point lead then rallied in overtime to defeat the Portland Steel, 55-48, in an Arena Football League game on Monday at Quicken Loans Arena.

Arvill Nelson hit Collin Taylor with a 10-yard touchdown pass at 10:51 of overtime, then Marvin Ross intercepted a Portland pass in the end zone to finish the game.

The Gladiators improve to 3-4 on the season and Portland falls to 0-6.

Cleveland had built a 48-28 lead after three quarters, but Portland rallied behind former Gladiators quarterback Shane Austin to score 20 points in the final period and force the overtime.

On the final drive of regulation, the Gladiators Joe Phinisee had an interception, but a penalty gave the ball back to Portland. Austin hit Tyrone Goard for the tying touchdown from 5 yards as the clock expired, but the Steel were penalized for celebating the score and then missed the 27-yard PAT.

Austin, who led the Gladiators to the AFL championship game in 2014, made his first start for Portland after spending time in the Canadian Football League training camp with the Saskatchewan Roughriders.

Austin threw two touchdown passes in the first period, but the Gladiators countered with a 6-yard TD pass from Arvill Nelson to Quentin Sims and a 4-yard TD run by Nelson.

Nelson completed TD passes to Sims and Collin Taylor, and scored another on a run, giving Cleveland a 34-28 lead at the half.

Thyron Lewis caught a 33-yard scoring strike from Nelson in the third period, then Demarcus Robinson intercepted a pass and returned it 45 yards for a score, giving the Gladiators a 48-28 advantage heading into the fourth quarter.

Nelson completed 14 of 27 passes for 222 yards and five touchdowns. He also ran for 32 yards and two touchdowns.

Austin completed 36 of 56 passes for 363 yards and six touchdowns.

A look at how much Cavaliers tickets for Game 1 and 2 cost before Tuesday's Game 1.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Eastern Conference Finals are back in Cleveland as the Cavaliers will host the Toronto Raptors starting on Tuesday at Quicken Loans Arena.

If you're looking to get into either Tuesday's Game 1 or Thursday's Game 2, you'll need to rely on the secondary ticket markets like StubHub and Flash Seats, the Cavaliers' secondary market site, to get seats.

These posts will be done before every home game in the Eastern Conference Finals.

Here is how ticket prices on each site compare for each of the two games as of 8 p.m., on Monday. All prices on Flash Seats are sellers' asking prices.

Game 1

Flash Seats

As of 8 p.m. on Monday, 1,337 listings of at least one seat were available on Flash Seats. The least expensive seats were in the upper deck going for $69.75 each. 59 of the listings have prices of less than $80, all in the upper deck.

For fans trying to sit in the lower bowl, the least expensive seats start at $150. At the other end, the most expensive lower deck seats are going for $2,650 each.

Tickets for Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals were on sale for as little as $69.75 per seat.FlashSeats.com 

The most expensive seats for Game 1 are for a pair of floor seats that are going for $9.500 per seat.

StubHub

855 tickets were available for Tuesday's Game 1. Including fees, the cheapest tickets cost $96.78 each. There are sets of single seats in the upper deck going for either $94.54 or $95.66.

Getting tickets into the lower deck of the arena will start at $192, with the most expensive seats in the lower bowl costing $1,567.15.

StubHub's most expensive seats are a pair of floor seats costing $2,373.69 each. According to their value system on a scale of 1 to 5, 1 being poor value and 5 being great value, those seats got a 1 rating. The best value is for a single seat in the fifth row of section 128 for $243.82.

Game 2

Flash Seats

The first thing to note about Game 2 is the low and high ends of the price range are both higher on Flash Seats than they were for Game 1.

The least expensive seats available start at $78 each, and only 16 listings have prices of less than $80. On the other end of the spectrum, the most expensive set of seats in the upper bowl are going for $1,500 each.

Getting into the lower deck will cost a minimum of $159 per seat, an increase of nine dollars from Game 1. The most expensive lower deck seats are in Section 108, Row 1 for $3,000 each. The highest bid for those seats is for $250.

A pair of floor seats is the game's most expensive seats, going for $8,500 each. The top bid for those seats is at $2,000.

StubHub

706 seats are available on StubHub for Game 2. The least expensive seats, fees including, are a pair of seats in the upper deck costing $112.30 each. That is an increase of more than $15 from Game 1's least expensive pair of seats.

Seats in the lower bowl of the Q start at $235.52, up more than $43 from Game 1.

One of the best values of the game is a pair of seats in Row 16 of Section 117 for $312.37. The seats have a rating of 5 out of 5.

Game 2's most expensive seats are a pair of courtside seats costing $3,073.34 each.

The Mentor quarterback is making the most of his offseason by visiting colleges and participating in camps.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – The Tadas Tatarunas 2016 Offseason Tour might be coming to a college football town near you. 

The Mentor quarterback has already made his way through Northwestern, Purdue, Indiana, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Michigan State and Syracuse with unofficial visits this spring.

Tatarunas competed at the Nike Opening Regional in Chicago last weekend, and the months of June and July will be filled with at least a half dozen college camps, mostly at Big Ten schools.

“If a school shows interest and if I’m not busy that weekend, I’ll try to make it out (to their camp),” said Tatarunas. “Just trying to get my name out there.”

In Northeast Ohio, Tatarunas’ name has been out there since last fall, when he had a fantastic sophomore season as the Cardinals’ starting quarterback.

He passed for 2,963 yards, completing 62 percent of his passes for 24 touchdowns. He was first-team All-Northeast Lakes District, and special mention All-Ohio after helping the Cardinals to the second round of the Division I playoffs.

The high point for Tatarunas came early. In a 63-56 win against St. Ignatius in Week 2, he was 25-of-34 passing for 523 yards and four touchdowns. It’s believed to be Mentor’s first 500-yard passing game, and it was capped by a game-winning touchdown pass with eight seconds left.

After two games, Tatarunas had a 74-percent completion percentage.

“My favorite moment last season was the Ignatius game,” said Tatarunas. “Just a great moment for our team and myself.”

Tatarunas was in rare territory for the Cardinals last season. He’s likely to be just the second three-year starter at quarterback for coach Steve Trivisonno, who will coach his 20^th season at Mentor in 2016. Tatarunas would join former first-team All-Ohioan Thom Abbott as Trivisonno’s only three-year starters.

Even Mr. Football winners Bart Tanski and Mitch Trubisky didn’t start full time until they were juniors.

“(Tatarunas) showed his ability to handle the big situation (last season),” said Trivisonno. “It’s not easy as a sophomore quarterback, but he handled himself extremely well and just kept getting better and better.”

Tatarunas had 13 interceptions last season, including five in Mentor’s three regular-season losses. It’s what he points to first as an area to improve.

“For a sophomore season, it was an A,” said Tatarunas. “I thought I did a really good job. There’s definitely room to improve, like limiting turnovers, and I can be more accurate, of course.”

Tatarunas also wants to work on his speed and agility. Although, the 6-foot-4, 212-pounder understands that he’s not built in the same mold as some previous Mentor quarterbacks who could gain big yards on the ground.

“One of my strong suits is staying in the pocket,” he said. “I’m not a jackrabbit when I see the first pressure coming.”

Said Trivisonno: “He understands the scheme more and knows that he’s 210-215 pounds. You’re going to have to come and get him now. He isn’t 180- or 190-pound kid like he was last year.”

Tatarunas is still waiting for his first college offer. And he’s not yet rated by 247Sports.com. But all that could change quickly due to the amount of exposure this summer’s camps could bring.

“He’s had a great offseason,” said Trivisonno. “His throwing motion has gotten really good. His arm is strong. His body is big and strong. It’s a three-year process, and he’s working hard and learning and doing everything he can.”

This story is part of cleveland.com's spring football series. Here are more details on the Cardinals for the 2016 season. 

MENTOR CARDINALS

Coach: Steve Trivisonno (19 seasons).

2015 record: 7-4.

2015 postseason: Defeated GlenOak, 41-13; Lost to St. Edward, 34-10, in Region 1 second round.

Starters returning: 3-4 on offense, 8 on defense. 

2016 schedule:


Week 1: vs. Massillon Washington

Week 2: at St. Ignatius

Week 3: vs. Cincinnati St. Xavier

Week 4: at Euclid

Week 5: vs. Shaker Heights

Week 6: vs. Solon

Week 7: at Medina

Week 8: vs. Strongsville

Week 9: at Brunswick

Week 10: vs. Elyria

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

Contact sports reporter Scott Patsko on Twitter (@ScottPatsko) by email (spatsko@cleveland.com) or log in and leave a message in the comments section below.

A breakdown of the Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Toronto Raptors for Game 1, from LeBron James to Kyle Lowry, with news and notes from around the NBA.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - The Cavaliers' return to the Eastern Conference finals commences tonight at The Q.

To get you ready, a breakdown of the series and projected Game 1 starters are listed below.

But that's not all.

Find stories from cleveland.com and Toronto media, a recap with fun Tweets from Oklahoma City's 108-102 Game 1 win at Golden State out west, plus news and notes from around the league.

First, let's start with what Cavaliers fans care about.

THE SERIES

Game 1: Toronto at Cleveland, 8:30 p.m. Tuesday (TV: ESPN, Radio: WTAM 1100-AM, LA MEGA 87.7-FM)

Game 2: Toronto at Cleveland, 8:30 p.m. Thursday

Game 3: Cleveland at Toronto, 8:30 p.m. Saturday

Game 4: Cleveland at Toronto, 8:30 p.m. Monday, May 23

Game 5, if necessary: Toronto at Cleveland, 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 25

Game 6, if necessary: Cleveland at Toronto, 8:30 p.m. Friday, May 27

Game 7, if necessary: Toronto at Cleveland, 8:30 p.m. Sunday, May 29

GAME 1 PROJECTED LINEUPS (with playoff averages)

Raptors starters: PG Kyle Lowry (18.6 points, 6.7 assists, 39.5 minutes), SG DeMar DeRozan (20.0 points, 37.3 minutes), SF DeMarre Carroll (9.6 points, 31.1 minutes), PF Patrick Patterson (7.7 points, 29.3 minutes), C Bismack Biyombo (6.1 points, 8.9 rebounds, 1.1 blocks, 22.7 minutes).

Raptors key reserves: PG Cory Joseph (9.1 points, 41.7 percent 3-point shooting, 24.2 minutes), SF Terrence Ross (7.3 points, 17.9 minutes).

Cavaliers starters: PG Kyrie Irving (24.4 points, 5.5 assists, 1.2 steals, 53.8 percent 3-point shooting, 36.4 minutes), SG J.R. Smith (12.3 points, 1.0 steals, 50.8 percent 3-point shooting, 35.0 minutes), SF LeBron James (23.5 points, 8.8 rebounds, 7.3 assists, 2.4 steals, 38.8 minutes), PF Kevin Love (18.9 points, 12.5 rebounds, 44.4 percent 3-point shooting, 34.3 minutes), C Tristan Thompson (5.0 points, 8.3 rebounds, 1.0 blocks, 28.8 minutes).

Cavaliers key reserves: PF Channing Frye (8.3 points, 57.1 percent 3-point shooting, 15.1 minutes), SG Iman Shumpert (4.3 points, 16.3 minutes), PG Matthew Dellavedova (5.9 points, 15.9 minutes), SF Richard Jefferson (4.5 points, 53.3 percent 3-point shooting, 14.3 minutes).

Injuries: Raptors C Jonas Valanciunas (out, sprained right ankle).

LOOKING AHEAD TO GAME 1

Click on any of the enhanced links below to read the described story.

Peek at the Cavs-Raptors preview in Tuesday's Plain Dealer

Pluto: Cavaliers will beat Raptors in six

How the Raptors were built into challengers

Cavs share how they learned to shoot

Dwane Casey: Cavaliers 'probably the best' in the league right now

Valanciunas injury doesn't change approach

Expect Biyombo to get physical again

The forgotten star whose name hangs over series

LeBron heard what Lowry said about him and Curry

Video: What matchup is most important?

Nine things you might not know about the Raptors' history

Livingston: Camaraderie doesn't guarantee title

Ranking Canadians: Where does Thompson fit?

FROM TORONTO

A roundup of what the Toronto media is writing leading up to Game 1.

* Raptors general manager Masai Ujiri has defied the odds. Why not the Raptors? Steve Simmons of the Toronto asks that question. You can also see a video of the Toronto Sun contingent driving to Cleveland, where one of their reporters predicts the Cavaliers will lose a game - maybe two - because they haven't lost yet.

Sound logic?

They promised a more informative video once they arrived in Cleveland.

* The Sun's Mike Ganter, host of the aforementioned car video, also provides numbers that are scary for the Raptors.

* Fans in Cleveland and Toronto share sporting pain, writes Sean Fitz-Gerald.

* Tuesday is a big day for Toronto not just because of Game 1. The Raptors can also pick up a high draft pick in the lottery, thanks to a 2013 trade with New York for Andrea Bargnani. Denver reserves the right to take the higher pick between its own and the Knicks selection, so Toronto will get the lesser of the two.

* The Raptors have no fear of this stage, writes Star columnist Bruce Arthur.

* DeMarre Carroll is ready for a fight in his rematch vs. LeBron James, writes Mike Ganter of the Toronto Sun.

* Without Jonas Valanciunas, the Raptors will be OK, writes the Sun's Ryan Wolstat.

* Stephen Curry might have taken over the NBA, but LeBron James is still king in Cleveland, writes the Star's Chris O'Leary.

HOW THE WEST IS BEING WON

Oklahoma City took a 1-0 series lead with its 108-102 win Monday night at Golden State. Down 13 points at the half, the Thunder rallied with a 38-point third quarter and rode point guard Russell Westbrook's 24 second-half points.

The series continues Wednesday night in Oakland. Here's some postgame analysis from the TNT crew.

#InsideTheNBA crew breaks down the box score from Game 1. https://t.co/gVbF4OLH86

-- NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) May 17, 2016

WHO'S HOT

Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City: The point guard scored 27 points with 12 assists, seven steals and six rebounds. Again, 24 of his points came during the second-half rally.

Here's one of those assists.

.@russwest44 [?] @KDTrey5 https://t.co/3PEsR3Idbl

-- NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) May 17, 2016

WHO'S NOT

* Golden State reserves: Andre Iguodala and Shaun Livingston, in particular, gave the Warriors significant minutes Monday but not much else. Iguodala scored six points, while Livingston shot just 2-of-7 as the two combined for 10 points in 54 minutes as Steve Kerr's most used players off the bench.

The Warriors' depth didn't show despite Oklahoma City using only three players -- Enes Kanter, Randy Foye and Dion Waiters -- off its bench.

* Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City: Can the Thunder repeat their Game 1 success with another 10-of-30 night from Durant? He played all but two minutes, scored 26 points and grabbed 10 rebounds. Those boards were key for the Thunder, who got double-digit rebounds from all three starters on their front line. Steven Adams pulled down 12 rebounds and Serge Ibaka had 11.

In the end Monday, Durant still had this shot to push OKC's one-possession lead to five points.

Big shot by @KDTrey5. https://t.co/hj4nzenHLn

-- NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) May 17, 2016

TWEETS OF THE DAY

Here's my Thunder-Warriors preview. Let's do this. pic.twitter.com/2zphHY0uca

-- Jason Damiano (@JDonsports) May 16, 2016

When you find out that Netflix and Chill is actually just Netflix and Chill pic.twitter.com/wE167wwb5a

-- Amin Elhassan (@AminESPN) May 17, 2016

And It Begins [?] [?] #Thunder #Warriors pic.twitter.com/Y4wPXcUvrg

-- The Real Kiid Chris (@FlyKiidChris) May 17, 2016

wen steph cury tries to flex pic.twitter.com/Y7npRErDcx

-- Mattyu Delly (@MattyuPls) May 17, 2016

A LOOK BACK

Don't forget, the Miami Heat have gone fishing.

.@MiamiHeat are gone fishin'

... @TheRock [?] pic.twitter.com/0CrS6oVV3u

-- NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) May 17, 2016

So have the Spurs.

The official #Spurs Gone Fishin'... pic.twitter.com/7kzRHYCXpN

-- Jabari Young (@JabariJYoung) May 17, 2016

AROUND THE LEAGUE

Here is what other newspapers and websites from around the league are writing about:

* Remember, the NBA Draft Lottery is tonight before the Cavs-Raptors game. SI.com has the odds, teams and pick order. A favorite from ESPN.com is the lottery mock draft. How many of you played this to no end two years ago?

Other stories of note on the lottery include what it means for the Lakers from the Los Angeles Times or the Nets, who gave away all their Ping-Pong balls, as Michael Salfino of The Wall Street Journal writes. The Nets and Knicks can only root against embarrassment, writes Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News.

Also, the 2014 Cavaliers and 1993 Orlando Magic were among the luckiest in the lottery, according to NESN.

* The Philadelphia 76ers are a team with high hopes for the lottery. However, they made news Tuesday for becoming the first team to secure an ad on their jerseys. StubHub will have a place on the Sixers' uniforms, writes Keith Pompey of Philly.com.

Buffett could help Gilbert buy Yahoo!

* Kenny Smith will remain on TNT. He is no longer a candidate to coach the Houston Rockets, where he played on two championship teams, reports Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle.

* Karl-Anthony Towns is the Rookie of the Year. A unanimous vote for Towns puts him in elite company, writes Michael Rand of the Minneapolis Star Tribune.

* Spurned on the NBA Coach of the Year vote, Terry Stotts received a three-year contract extension from the Portland Trail Blazers. Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical first reported the news. Meanwhile, the Blazers can attract free agents with their culture and Damian Lillard, writes Mike Richman of The Oregonian.

* Speaking of coaches, the Indiana Pacers found one. Larry Bird and Co. promoted assistant Nate McMillan. Candace Buckner of the Indianapolis Star writes why they made the move after McMillan interviewed with the Sacramento Kings.

* Jeff Hornacek has crashed the Knicks' coaching search, writes Marc Berman of the New York Post.

* In Miami, the Heat's loss to the Toronto Raptors sends it into an offseason of uncertainty, writes Manny Navarro of the Miami Herald. But the next best thing is at hand for the Heat, writes the Miami Herald's Greg Cote. The South Florida Sun-Sentinel's Dave Hyde lays out the Heat's offseason in 10 hard steps.

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.

Ohio State's 2013 recruiting class has 13 commitments and it's currently ranked No. 1 overall in the 2017 recruiting class. Seven of those pledges are going to The Opening.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Congratulations, you've been Opened. 

Commitments in Ohio State's 2017 recruiting class have been hearing that a lot, and on Monday two more did in four-star athlete Brendon White of Powell (Ohio) Olentangy and four-star offensive lineman Jake Moretti of Arvada (Colo.) Pomona.  

What does it mean to be Opened?

That's the fun way of saying that a prospect has earned a formal invitation to Nike's The Opening main event in Beaverton, Ore., from July 5-10, an instructional camp reserved for only the most elite prospects in the country. 

There are a ton of regionals all across the country that serve as a place for prospects to come perform and compete for the prestigious camp. Some earn the invitations on the spot, some have to wait. 

Moretti flew from Colorado to Ohio a few weeks ago to perform in the Columbus regional, and though everyone who saw him perform said he was outstanding, he didn't earn an invitation the day of the camp. 

Better late than never. 

Congrats to Jake Moretti (@J_Moretti17) of Pomona HS (CO) on being invited to #TheOpening Finals! #GOTOPEN #Buckeyes pic.twitter.com/40DZfL71zx

-- The Opening (@TheOpening) May 16, 2016

A few hours after Moretti earned his invite, White got his. Like Moretti, White competed at the camp's Columbus regional event, but didn't earn an invitation that day. 

Congrats to Brendon White (@therealestbw0) of Oletangy Liberty (OH) on being invited to #TheOpening Finals! #GOTOPEN pic.twitter.com/5Pk6nZ2Esc

-- The Opening (@TheOpening) May 16, 2016

Ohio State's 2013 recruiting class has 13 commitments and it's currently ranked No. 1 overall in the 2017 recruiting class. The recruiting ratings that Ohio State's commitments boast is a good enough explanation as to why that's the case. 

But if you need a backup plan, fall back on who has been invited to The Opening.

Along with White and Moretti, five other Buckeyes commits have been invited: Four-star defensive back Marcus Williamson of Bradenton (Fla.) IMG, five-star defensive back Isaiah Pryor of IMG, four-star linebacker Antjuan Simmons of Ann Arbor (Mich.) Pioneer, four-star running back J.K. Dobbins of La Grange, Texas, and four-star defensive tackle Haskell Garrett of Las Vegas (Nev.) Bishop Gorman. 

Is Brendon White the next Darron Lee?

What's even crazier is that Ohio State has a ton of remaining targets in the 2017 class who are headed to Oregon for the main event. Here are a few: 

* Five-star RB Cam Akers of Clinton, Miss. 

* Five-star WR Donovan Peoples-Jones of Detroit (Mich.) Cass Tech

* Five-star WR Trevon Grimes of Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) St. Thomas Aquinas 

* Five-star WR Tyjon Lindsey of Corona (Calif.) Centennial 

* Five-star WR Tee Higgins of Oak Ridge, Tenn.

* Five-star LB Dylan Moses of IMG  

* Five-star DE Chase Young of Hyattsville (Md.) DeMatha Catholic

* Five-star ATH Darnay Holmes of Calabasas, Calif. 

* Five-star DB Jeffrey Okudah of Grand Prairie (Texas) South 

* Four-star DB Jaylen Kelly-Powell of Cass Tech

* Four-star CB Amir Riep of Cincinnati (Ohio) Colerain 

* Four-star OL Trey Smith of Jackson (Tenn.) University School

* Four-star DB Jamyest Williams of Lawrenceville (Ga.) Grayson 

For a complete list of The Opening invitations, click here. 

Drango is in the running to replace Mitchell Schwartz at right tackle and knows there's a legend there to help him on the other side of the line.

BEREA, Ohio -- Cleveland Browns rookie offensive lineman Spencer Drango doesn't need to be told about the accomplishments of veteran left tackle and now teammate Joe Thomas. In fact, one of his biggest challenges upon arriving in Cleveland was turning off his inner fan of the nine-time Pro Bowler while meeting him during a luncheon prior to the start of the team's rookie minicamp last weekend.

"He goes down as, recently, one of the best tackles out there -- the best tackle in the league," Drango said. "You hear about him and it's kind of like -- I didn't go completely fan."

It was a little more difficult for Drango to control himself around another Browns legend.

"Jim Brown was there and I shook his hand, so I might have fanned out a little bit more on Mr. Brown," Drango said.

Fandom aside, Drango understands what getting drafted onto the same offensive line as Thomas means.

"Hopefully getting to learn from him, watch him, hopefully play beside him or on the same line as him would be an awesome experience," Drango said, "and when he's inducted (into the Hall of Fame) first ballot I can say, 'Hey, I played next to him.'" 

On the field, it didn't take Drango long to find himself in the middle of one of the more intriguing position battles this offseason. Despite head coach Hue Jackson's assertion following the draft that they would start Drango out at tackle, he was told by offensive line coach Hal Hunter prior to the start of camp to study up at right guard and center. That didn't last.

"About four or five plays into walkthrough I moved (from right guard) to right tackle and I'm pretty sure I'm staying there all camp," Drango said on Friday. "I'm up for playing wherever. Wherever it's going to help the team the most. 'Team be successful' is where I want to play and hopefully just get an opportunity to play and whether that's guard, tackle, center, right side, left side, wherever." 

Spencer Drango runs out of the tunnel during rookie minicamp practice at FirstEnergy Stadium on Saturday.Thomas Ondrey, The Plain Dealer 

Drango continued working at right tackle during Saturday's practice at FirstEnergy Stadium. Lest you think this is just a numbers game since the veteran offensive linemen weren't there this weekend, think again. 

"Absolutely, I think he has to have a chance to compete (at right tackle)," Jackson said. "Obviously, the young man that played right tackle for us a year ago (Chiefs OL Mitchell Schwartz) is not here so there's [an opportunity] there. My whole job is putting guys in a position where I think they are going to have an opportunity to compete and maybe have a chance to play. He is a big, long guy who is one of the better pass protectors coming out of college. If he can grow in the area of run blocking and do what he has done as far as pass protection, you never know what could happen." 

The Browns lost Schwartz this offseason to the Kansas City Chiefs in free agency. Schwartz started all 64 games during his four years with the Browns and his departure, along with that of center Alex Mack to the Falcons, served to shake up a rare area of stability. 

On top of that, perhaps no unit in football thrives more from stability than the offensive line. The Browns return three starters to the group: Thomas, third year left guard Joel Bitonio and veteran right guard John Greco. Cameron Erving is expected to start at center in his second season, but he struggled during his rookie season, albeit after being asked to play both guard positions.

"Continuity on the offensive line is huge," Drango said. "Been on teams where we've had the same guys for three years playing with each other, so obviously the more time you get with people the better it is. You're communicating with each other the more you trust each other, so I'd definitely like to be part of that new wave but, like I said, if it's not in the cards right now, hopefully it will be soon. I just don't know when. So hopefully I get in there and start." 

That Drango is vying for the right tackle position already is a bit of a surprise. Most draft analysts had Drango fitting best on the inside and perhaps even then not as a starter. NFL.com wrote that Drango, "has decent pass protection technique, an anchor and the toughness for an interior line spot, but scouts question whether or not he has a 'hang your hat on' play trait that can make him anything more than a backup or a low-end starter." CBSsports.com draft analyst Dane Brugler wrote, "Drango has an impressive NFL skillset as the game appears to come very easily to him, but he projects best inside at the next level." 

Drango, for his part, understands that whatever his job in the NFL, he'll have to earn it. 

"As far as position, I want to try and fight for a spot, obviously -- what rookie doesn't? -- but whatever happens happens," he said. "It's obviously all for the betterment of the team, so if they decide the other guy's there, I'm going to work my butt off to try to beat him out but, like I said, if it's for the team betterment, it's going to help us win, I'll do whatever I need to do." 

Spencer Drango started all but four games during his career at Baylor after redshirting his freshman season.LM Otero, Associated Press 

Drango, who played high school football in Texas before attending Baylor, is still learning about his new home -- he's already received advice that West Side doesn't get nearly as much snow as the East Side -- but Ohio and surrounding areas aren't completely foreign to him. He was born in Indianapolis and his mom's family is in Dayton while his dad spent time in Buffalo and Pittsburgh. He even tries to make it to the Indianapolis 500 every year when football allows. 

He comes to Cleveland with a long list of accolades, including back-to-back All-American honors in 2014 and 2015, Big 12 Offensive Lineman of the year in 2015 and Co-Offensive Lineman of the Year in 2014 and a finalist for the Outland Trophy, awarded to the nation's best interior lineman, in 2015. After redshirting his freshman season, he started all but four games at left tackle in four seasons, missing only the final four games of the 2013 season with a back injury. 

He doesn't believe the adjustment from Baylor's offense to Jackson's offense will be as drastic as some might expect. 

"There's only so many ways you can run zone and power and everything like that," he said. "Learning those isn't the hard part. The passes, the protections are a little bit different. You have to try to translate it into what they want you to know, so the protections have probably been the biggest difference." 

Even the style he expects the team to play might not be that different, which should make Browns fans happy. 

"In college we were no-huddle, on the ball, here we're no-huddle, on the ball, so there are a lot of similarities that I've picked up so far," he said, "but biggest difference for me would probably be protections." 

Drango is also learning that opportunity can come quickly in the NFL. Now he needs to make some fans of his own as he competes at one of the game's emerging positions of vital importance.

After Stipe Miocic won the UFC heavyweight by knockout Saturday night in Brazil, Indians catcher Yan Gomes has been knocking the ball out of the park.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Yan Gomes watched his friend Stipe Moicic win the UFC 198 heavyweight championship Saturday night with a one-round knockout of Fabricio Werdum in Curitiba, Brazil.

"My wife took a video of me celebrating after he won," said Gomes. "I'm not very excited about how I sound when I celebrate."

Gomes was texting Miocic during his training for the fight. On Sunday morning, Miocic sent a return text.

"He said, 'Morning brother what's the word?'" said Gomes. "I was like, 'What's the word, man? I mean what the heck.' I said, 'Dude, you're the champ.'

"That just shows you the kind of guy he is. Watching his fight, it was unbelievable. Seeing one of your best friends do everything he's done to get there. He's battled a lot to get there and accomplish what he's won. I'm excited to see him in the next couple of days."

Gomes said Miocic might come to Progressive Field for Tuesday's game against the Reds. Or he might get together with him during the Indians next homestand.

"I think he's got a lot going on right now," said Gomes with a laugh. "Bringing a championship like that to Cleveland is definitely exciting. We'll let him do his thing."

The two have been friends since meeting at Progressive Field when Miocic visited the ballpark in 2014. Miocic wrestled and played baseball at Eastlake North High School and Cleveland State University.

"He was fighting in the Road to the Octagon in Cleveland," said Gomes, a native of Brazil. "He was fighting a Brazilian guy and when we met (at Progressive Field) I was wearing a Brazil shirt. We took pictures together and talked.

"Then he realized I had a Brazil shirt on and he kind of threatened me, but we became good friends. He's a huge baseball fan. He's actually got a really cool story. His road has been awesome."

Miocic went to Brazil and took the title from Werdum on his home ground. That is akin to fighting an Irishman on St. Patrick's Day in Dublin. But Miocic knocked out Werdum, 38, with a short right hand at 2:47 of the first round.

"It was one of those good things," said Gomes. "I mean, it was like don't put us through all that stress."

The stress level in Gomes' season has been taken down a few notches over the last few games. In Monday's 15-6 win over the Reds, he hit a three-run homer and drove in four runs. Gomes has homered in three straight games for the first time in his career. Zach Walters was the last Indian to do it in 2014.

Tribe rebounds from 4-0 deficit to KO Reds

Gomes' batting average still isn't a thing of beauty. When he goes to the plate and looks at the scoreboard and sees .179 (19-for-106), it hurts. But he does have six homers and 20 RBI.

"It's definitely something that I've been working on with Ty (Van Burkleo) and Matt (Quatraro)," said Gomes, referring to the Tribe's hitting coaches. "I know I can hit. It's just been one of those things that my confidence has definitely go ahold of me. When you look up there (scoreboard) and you're not seeing the numbers you're really want to put up, it's definitely frustrating."

Gomes hit .200 (13-for-65) in April. He's hitting .146 (6-for-41) in May.

"We need him offensively," said manager Terry Francona. "Like we have been saying, he will get hot. Just as cold as he was, he will get hot. The good news for us is even though he's hitting whatever, he's got a lot of RBI. So whatever hits he's getting, they seem to come with people on base."

Zach Werenski scored in overtime as the Lake Erie Monsters defeated the Grand Rapids Griffins in overtime, 4-3, to advance to the Western Conference finals.

GRAND RAPIDS, Michigan -- Zach Werenski scored in overtime as the Lake Erie Monsters defeated the Grand Rapids Griffins, 4-3, to win their American Hockey League Central Division Final series Monday in Van Andel Arena.

The Monsters win the series, 4-2, and will advance to face the defending Calder Cup champion Ontario Reign in the Western Conference final. The series will open in Ontario, Calif. on Saturday and Sunday. It's the Monsters first time in the conference final.

The Toronto Marlies and Hershey Bears will meet in the Eastern Conference final.

Werenski's goal, his fourth of the playoffs, came at 12:32 of overtime off assists from Josh Anderson and Alex Broadhurst.

Anton Forsberg replaced Joonas Korpisalo in goal in the second period with the Monsters trailing 3-1 and stopped all 22 shots he faced to earn the win.

The Griffins came out on the attack against Korpisalo, who had struggled in the past two games, both losses.

Grand Rapids got on the board just 34 seconds in when defenseman Ryan Sproul scored unassisted. Less than two minutes later, the Griffins had a 2-0 lead as center Tomas Nosek scored, assisted by Mitch Callahan and Robbie Russo.

The Monsters bounced back and made it 2-1 at 3:42 when winger Daniel Zaar scored off assists by Michael Chaput and Justin Falk.

Korpisalo's night ended after Xavier Ouellet made it 3-1 when he scored on a power play at 1:48 of second period, with Lukas Sedlak off the ice for a cross check. Forsberg replaced Korpisalo.

Chaput made it 3-2 when he scored at 8:18 of the second off assists from Oliver Bjorkstrand and Alex Broadhurst.

Sedlak then tied it with his fourth goal of the playoffs at 1:43 of the third period, assisted by Zach Werenski and Josh Anderson.

The Monsters' penalty kill unit stopped 6 of 7 power plays in regulation, including three in the final minutes of the third period.

It might be the first time LeBron James has ever been in the 'other' playoff series. If the Cavs and Toronto Raptors play anywhere near the same level, it will be another short and sweep series.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- We the Midwest are the not at the top of the marquee these days.

We the North is the reason why. That polar slogan belongs to the Toronto Raptors, the Cavaliers' opponents in the Eastern Conference finals. It is the Raptors' first time to go so far. The Raptors also face, ahem, 33-1 odds to win the Eastern Conference finals in Las Vegas.

Fans in Toronto (pronounced by We the North folks as "Toronno," as those of us who saw "Argo" know) even have their very own Browns in the Maple Leafs, a historically bad franchise that still can't klutz its way out of the civic embrace.

Where's We South Beach?

It would not have been that lopsided to the odds-makers against We South Beach, which, in the finest tradition of advertisements at the back of boys' magazines 50 years ago, got sand kicked in their players' storied faces in the seventh game of the previous series at Toronto.

As for We South Beach, the buddy movie Dwyane Wade and LeBron James made during those four years of "taking my talents to South Beach" has been over for two seasons.

Cavs fans are not enraptured (or enRaptored, either, for that matter) by the current matchup. The Raptors, by the way, are the second team with a mascot named for a movie ("Jurassic Park") after the NHL's Anaheim Mighty Ducks. No longer mighty, they are now only Ducks.

It might be too soon to dismiss the Raptors for the series, but nothing they tried slowed down the Cavs in a 115-84 rout in the opener at The Q on Monday night.

The game was over by halftime when the Cavs led by 22, shot 66.7 percent, and did whatever they pleased. Their biggest lead was 31 points.

Go West for glitz

Amazingly, for probably the first time in James' playoff career, the series in which he is playing, particularly at this late stage of the tournament, is not at the top of the news or national basketball fans' thoughts. And the undercard is no place for a King.

Right now, the glitz belongs to the team from the football state that is named for the weather (the Oklahoma City Thunder) and the Golden State Warriors, the defending champions.

You know, the team that beat LeBron and four guys called Iman, Swish, Tristan and Delly in last year's Finals, 4-2. Golden State is the national media's precious '92 Bulls/'86 Celtics hybrid, to use reader Del Yates Jr.'s observation.

Still, there is some vibe here, too. The Cavs, as colleague Terry Pluto pointed out, are a regional team. The Raptors are Canada's team, right up there, national pride-wise, with maple syrup, Celine Dion, Seth Rogan (bet that's a surprise to you), Rachel McAdams (ditto), Monty Hall and Ted Cruz. (OK, OK, not Cruz.)

Locking down the Raptors

Teams "lock in" in the playoffs, over a seven-game series, against the same opponent every other night. The last guys locked in more securely than the Cavs were in a cell block.

The Raptors' defensive scheme in the opener seemed to be to run the Cavs off the 3-point line, where they missile siloed both Detroit and Atlanta into submission. The Cavs didn't even need the 3-pointer, shooting only 4-for-8 in the first half and 7-for-20 in the game.

James took whatever he wanted

Toronto seemed willing to live with the twos James got in the paint. He got whatever he wanted, 7-for-7 from the field in the first half and 11-for-13 in the game. The Big Three combined for 65 points. At the start, they were the Really Colossal Three, scoring 22 of the Cavs' first 23 points.

Irving at the rim

The Cavs blitzed point guard Kyle Lowry in pick-and-roll situations. His defenders, including Kyrie Irving, held him to four points on nine shots in the half.

Irving at the rim was a magician, working his top hat. He went flying in, spinning, slithering, scything, scoring in the face of bigger men. Included was a behind-the-back crossover that left Cory Joseph off stride and helpless in his wake.

"With Kyrie's dribbling ability, it's hard to stay in front of him. I'm always on him  to stay aggressive because guys can't guard him one-on-one. Same with LeBron," said coach Tyronn Lue.

Even more highlights

In the third quarter, Love stole the ball from the dazed Lowry and threw a beautiful, blind pass over his shoulder downcourt, and Irving ran it down for a dunk.

James threw down a windmill dunk that brought the sellout crowd, which had waited 13 days for a home game, to their feet, roaring. As James screamed amid the jubilation, Raptor fans probably flinched in Medicine Hat.

On Toronto's final two possessions of the first half, Joseph and Lowry shot airballs on 3-pointers. That summed it up.

All in all, it was a tough night for We the North's quest for directional dignity.

The Cleveland Cavaliers had a 66-44 lead over Toronto with 12 of their 24 field goals being dunks and layups in the first half -- setting the tone for this victory.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- I had a conversation with David Griffin a few months ago, not long after the Cleveland Cavaliers had changed coaches.

The general manager discussed some of the strategic changes being made by new head coach Tyronn Lue. Finally, he said, "If we just play hard, play together and push the ball up the court -- we'll be fine."

He knew it sounded simplistic, but it also was true. When the Cavs concentrate on playing basketball ... they play some very serious basketball.

LeBron James said it another way: "We want to wreak havoc defensively and push the tempo offensively. It's been our mantra all year."

The fans at Quicken Loans Arena saw it in Tuesday's 115-84 victory over Toronto in Game 1 of the best-of-seven Eastern Conference Finals. Toronto is far superior to Detroit and Atlanta, the two teams that were swept in the first two rounds of the playoffs by the Cavs.

But you'd never know it based on this game.

OVER AT THE HALF

The Cavs turned this game into a layup and dunking drill. By halftime, the Cavs were in front, 66-44. The verdict was in long before this game was over.

I love how the Cavaliers came into the game with one thought in mind -- attack the rim. Drive to the basket. Dare Toronto to try and stop them. The Raptors weren't ready for this, as 12 of the Cavs 24 field goals in the first half were either drunks or layups.

James was 7-of-7 from the field. His longest shot was from three feet away. Some teams don't want to double-team the Cavs star because he'll pass to the open man.

But when James is dunking or making layups, he's not going to miss. The same with Kyrie Irving when he's driving to the basket.

You'd think Toronto would decide to pack their defense near the rim and let the Cavs take those 3-pointers. They never really did that. But perhaps, it would not have mattered. Nothing was going to stop the Cavs on this night.

PRAISE FOR IRVING'S DEFENSE

Irving had a monster game, and not because of his 27 points on 11-of-17 shooting. It's because he held All-Star point guard Kyle Lowry to eight ugly points on 4-of-14 shooting.

In their two regular-season matchups when Irving played, Lowry scored 66 points on 22-of-33 shooting. So this was superb performance by Irving.

Lue and his coaching staff developed an excellent approach, helping Irving with extra defenders to frustrate Lowry. But the defense began with Irving committing himself to stay in front of Lowry as often as possible.

Then add in Irving's game-high 27 points, and he showed how he can be one of the NBA's elite point guards.

HELP FROM THE BENCH

Lue has been using James to open the second quarter with four substitutes: Channing Frye, Iman Shumpert, Matthew Dellavedova and Richard Jefferson. They outscored Toronto, 17-4, to start the second quarter. Their defense was relentless. Frye and Dellavedova swished 3-pointers. Frye hit Dellavedova with a no-look pass for a layup.

The ball moved from player to player. The players moved from one side of the court to another. James played with a huge smile, appreciating the fundamental approach of the four bench players joining him on the court.

And defensively, they squeezed the life out of Toronto.

A LITTLE HISTORY, A LITTLE WARNING

The Cavs are so physically talented and so skilled, very few teams can compete with them. That has been the case in the first nine games of the postseason for the only undefeated team in the 2016 playoffs.

If you want to engage Cleveland sports fans' paranoia, the last team to win the first nine games in the playoffs was the 2012 San Antonio Spurs. They ran the streak to 10 -- then lost four in a row to Oklahoma City in the Western Conference Finals.

James won his first NBA title in 2012, knocking off that same Oklahoma City team in The Finals.

James has been to the last five NBA Finals. It's hard to imagine anything stopping him from reaching No. 6 this season.

It was a bad time for Kyle Lowry to score just eight points.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - The Raptors had a lot of problems in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Tuesday.

Stopping the Cavaliers from scoring in the 115-84 defeat was certainly at the top of the list, but finding production of their own was a close second.

With center Jonas Valanciunas (13.6 points, 11.9 rebounds in the first round vs. Indiana) missing his fifth straight game with an ankle injury, the last thing the Raptors needed was for Kyle Lowry to score just eight points.

But that's what happened.

Lowry, who averaged 20 points during the regular season, and 23.4 in the Eastern semifinals against Miami, was 4-of-14 shooting (0-of-7 on 3-pointers).

"(Lowry) missed some good looks and there's no excuse for that," said Raptors coach Dwane Casey. "They were the fresher team and the quicker team tonight."

That left DeMar DeRozan to fend for himself on offense. He was the only Raptor in double figures at halftime and finished with a team-high 18 points.

"They score a lot of points for their team so we wanted to make them take some tough shots," said Cavs guard Kyrie Irving. "Going into the game we wanted to be really aggressive and being in the right spots and doing whatever it took to limit the easy shots they were getting the last series."

Shot chart for Kyle Lowry in Game 1 against the Cavaliers.NBA.com 

Lowry was on fire before Tuesday. He became the first player in team history to score 30-plus points in back-to-back playoff games last week. He was also the first player since Chauncey Billups in 2003 to score 35 or more points in Games 6 and 7 of a playoff series.

Bismack Biyombo scored 12 points Tuesday. James Johnson scored 10 off the bench. And that was it for Raptors in double figures.

"The rotation is off a little bit," said Casey, referring to Valanciunas' injury. "Patrick (Peterson) was a big part of that second unit, and now he's starting. We've got to get some rhythm with that second unit and we've got to get some productivity from those guys."

It was the second unit that saw the game slip away in the second quarter. The Cavaliers led 33-28 after one, but with Lowry and DeRozan on the bench, they started a spurt that led to a 66-44 halftime lead.

"The turnovers in that stretch really hurt us," Casey said. "That was a key part of the game."

Casey didn't want to blame the lackluster performance on his team's short rest coupled with the Cavaliers nine days of rest.

"It's not an excuse. It's what the league is and what the playoffs are about," said Casey. "They were quicker than us tonight and the reasons are not important. It's not an excuse. It's one game." 

Well, the Raptors got them on Tuesday night, getting embarrassed -- the word choice of head coach Dwane Casey during his postgame press conference -- in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- As the Toronto Raptors were closing in on a decisive Game 7 win at home against the Miami Heat on Sunday afternoon, the rowdy crowd inside the Air Canada Centre started chanting.

"WE WANT CLEVE-LAND."

Well, the Raptors got Cleveland on Tuesday night. Then got embarrassed -- the word choice of head coach Dwane Casey after -- in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals.

Things started well for the Raptors, opening up the game on the 7-0 run. But it's an ominous sign when the best surge of any game happens in the first few minutes. The top-seeded Cavaliers responded, got their footing and routed another helpless team from the East, 115-84.  

Here are five observations:

Paint job - The Raptors spoke all week about their pack-the-paint defensive style.

But when the game began, it was clear that wasn't the plan they choose against the hot-shooting Cavaliers. The Raptors saw the tape of the two sweeps, watched as the Cavs buried Detroit and Atlanta from beyond the arc, making 16 triples per game, and wanted to avoid the same fate.

They tried to take away the 3. And executed that portion of the game plan.

"You know, we planned -- we knew the three ball was big, but they did a good job," Kyle Lowry said. "We left the floor and the paint too open tonight, I think, and they took advantage of that. I think they just did an overall good job of picking and choosing their spots. They were 7-for-20 from three, but they attacked the paint, that's something we have to look at and make an adjustment for."

That's the predicament, the thing that makes the Cavs such a challenge and what will keep Casey up late at night trying to figure out a game plan.

"You take away the three, but if you're not careful, you're giving up layups, and that's where we got to get that balance, and I think that's the key for this whole series," Casey admitted after the game. "Different series than last series. We've got to get our minds adjusted and bodies adjusted. The speed of the game is another issue, a quicker pace, a quicker foot speed for this team versus Miami and Indiana, so we've got to make that adjustment."

It's why the Hawks employed the hope-like-crazy-they-miss strategy. That didn't work either. So what now?

Leading up to the series opener, James was repeatedly asked about the Cavs morphing into a group of 3-point bombers. He rejected that label.

James wanted to make it clear that the 3s against Detroit and Atlanta came off dribble penetration, sharp cuts and snappy ball movement. He wanted to drive home the point that the Cavs are a balanced squad, capable of playing any style with a unique and diverse roster.

If his words didn't make that clear then his approach certainly did.

"Our game plan is never dictated," James said. "I think for us, we want to push the tempo. We want to move the ball from side to side, and we want to attack. With myself and Ky, we love to live in the paint. We love to attack, and then when the defense collapses, we're going to spread out to our shooters. Tonight they wanted us to be in the paint, and we just tried to take advantage of that."

The Raptors chose to play James and the Cavs straight up. Irving sliced through the defense with his slick handle, Love backed down smaller defenders and James bullied DeMarre Carroll in the post, making his first nine shots, before finishing with 24 points on an efficient 11-of-13 from the field.

All 11 of his made baskets came inside the paint, as the Cavs scored a postseason-high 56 points in the paint.

"I don't predetermine what is going on or how they're going to defend me," James said. "I read and react. They played me straight up in the post. I just tried to make quick, solid moves to get into the paint. If they brought help, I was still going to be able to find my guys. You know, whatever the defense is doing in that possession, I'm able to read and react and know what's going on. I've seen every coverage, so definitely we have to be better in Game 2 because we know they're going to have some changes, and that's what the series is about, being able to adjust from game to game, and they're going to make adjustments, and we have to be ready for whatever."

While the Cavs' streak of making at least 12 3-pointers in an NBA playoff record eight consecutive games came to an end, a small consolation prize for the Raptors, no one on the Cavs seemed too upset.

How could they be? Their 31-point win was the largest in postseason franchise history.

Irving's growth - For the second straight postseason, Irving has "Whiplash" written on his sneakers, an homage to the Oscar-winning movie about a promising young drummer who enrolls at a cut-throat music conservatory where his dreams of greatness are mentored by a tough instructor.

The message on his signature Kyrie 2s was apropos. It seemed as if Irving was causing whiplash for the Raptors all night, as he blew past defenders with ease.

"He's playing fantastic right now, making shots, getting in transition," Lowry said. "He's doing a good job of picking and choosing his spots, and he's been extremely efficient. It was just throughout the season he's got more comfortable coming back from his injury, so he's playing extremely well right now."

Even Richard Jefferson's comments kept with the musical theme. 

"It's one of those things whenever he's moving it seems like there should be classical music playing," he said. "(With LeBron) it feels like it's rock music. With (Irving) it's so smooth and so slick, we don't know how he's going to finish."

Irving scored a game-high 27 points on 11-of-17 from the field. He also dished out a team-high five assists.

His offense was important. He listened to Lue's message about staying aggressive and took advantage of the Raptors' openings.

But his defense highlights his growth as a player.

"I mean, everybody knows LeBron is a good two-way player but I don't think Kyrie gets enough credit," J.R. Smith said of his locker buddy. "He did an unbelievable job the last three series on two pretty good point guards and now the starting All-Star in the All-Star game."

Irving helped hold Detroit's Reggie Jackson to 14.3 points on 45.5 percent from the field in Round One. Jeff Teague had his struggles, averaging 11.5 points on 34 percent from the field in the semifinals.

Lowry is off to a similar start, scoring eight points, his second-lowest in the postseason, on 4-of-14 from the field, including 0-of-7 from 3-point range in 31 frustrating minutes.

"The Kyrie that I see on a daily basis when you guys are not around is the Kyrie that I envisioned," James said. "He's grown every single day, every single week, month, and over the course of these last two years or year-plus, becoming a leader and becoming a staple of our team. We all knew how talented the kid was and how talented he is still today, but his growth and what he demands out of all of us, you know, as the point guard, as one of the leaders of the team, that's what's the best part about it.

"I mean, you roll out a ball any single day of the week, and he'll play. When you're that age, you can play as long as you want to anyways, but his growth, his mentality, and it's what's great about him right now."

In the regular season, Irving ranked 83rd out of 85 point guards in defensive real plus-minus, a player's estimated on-court impact on team defensive performance, measured in points allowed per 100 defensive possessions.

It's been different in the postseason.

According to ESPN Stats and Info, as a primary defender in Game 1, Irving held the Raptors to 4-12 shooting. Lowry went 4-8 when guarded by Irving. DeRozan was 0-1 and Cory Joseph 0-3.

"I think some of it they did a good job of really stunning, sending another half a man to him on that," Casey said of the Cavs' defense against Lowry. "He missed some good looks. There's no excuse for it, but again, you've got to credit their defense for some of it. I thought they were the fresher team, the quicker team tonight. This series is not over by any means. The score is embarrassing, but again, it's just one game."

New lineup - The Cavs have found a small-ball lineup, one that could help them counter Golden State's "Death Lineup" if the two teams meet in the NBA Finals.

It's not one many would expect. But it dismantled the Raptors during a decisive second quarter that helped turn Game 1 into a laugher.

LeBron James, Matthew Dellavedova, Iman Shumpert, Richard Jefferson and Channing Frye.

That lethal five-man lineup was plus-25 in 37 playoff minutes entering Tuesday night -- a group that wasn't used during the regular season.

"Well, the game ball definitely goes to our bench tonight," James said. "I mean, you look at plus-24, 20, 18, 17, all the way down, those guys gave us a boost in that second quarter, and I was out there with them."

The new group is coming together nicely.

"You just got to work at it," James said. "In practices we do a lot of work together, but we've got some very smart, cerebral players. Coach Lue is able to mix and match some lineups that he feels best fit, and that's one of the lineups that's been working pretty good for us throughout this postseason that we did not -- like you said -- did not use in the regular season. So we've got to continue to work our habits. It's not going to always be as great as it was tonight in the second quarter, where we outscored them 33-16, but we've got to continue to work at it and continue to see ways we can help each other, and if we do that, we'll be fine."

After sitting James for the final 2:27 of the first quarter, Lue opened the second with that lineup. By the time he put Irving and Smith back in, the lead had ballooned to 18 points.

"With that group we just try to push the ball and spread the ball," Jefferson said. "We just try to play team basketball and that's what we've done all playoffs."

The lineup is now a staple. 

"I just think it's been the evolution," Jefferson said. "Obviously, Channing didn't get here until late in the season and that's what you use the whole 82 games for, to try and tinker with lineups and figure out what works. Even in Detroit that's when that lineup came about. Me and Delly pressuring the ball and putting LeBron in that lineup, now you have Bron and you can't double him. He's driving to the basket, we space the floor and he kicks it to me, one more pass to Delly, then another pass to Channing and he knocks it down. (LeBron) has done a great job distributing from that unit and it makes it tough to double."

Poetry in Motion on @ESPNNBA! #NBARapidReplay #CAVSvRAPTORS https://t.co/5IhPqS5Ngq

-- NBA (@NBA) May 18, 2016

Zero free throws - The message has been delivered repeatedly by Lue: Keep the Raptors, mainly Lowry and DeRozan, off the free throw line.

Mission accomplished. The All-Star backcourt combined for zero.

"Great game plan," Lue said. "I thought DeRozan came out and had a great first quarter. He made some shots, some in-between 2s. We wanted to get a late contest on that, we were going to live with those shots. But we did a great job of keeping him and Kyle off the free-throw line like we talked about, and the guys followed the game plan perfectly."

Toronto entered the game fourth in freebie attempts this postseason, averaging 26.3. They were third in regular season, averaging 26.7.

DeRozan and Lowry were third and fourth in the postseason.

"I mean, it's amazing they shot, what, 20 free throws in the first half, we shot two. I've got to watch the film and make sure to see what the reasons were to have that kind of discrepancy, is it something we're not doing right or not adjusting to how the game is being called, and us not being aggressive or they're doing a heck of a job defending without fouling," Casey said. "So I've got to watch and see where the call is. But we've got to make sure we force the issue, force the contact, if we're not, and make sure we get to the free-throw line. Two free throws in a half versus 20, whatever it was, 22, is a big discrepancy."

Rebounding edge - Beyond not having their third-leading scorer, a guy who can alleviate pressure from Lowry and DeRozan, the Raptors missed injured big man Jonas Valanciunas the most on the glass.

"Well, again, we've got to put a body on them," Casey said. "That's one thing we've got to do a better job of rebounding."

The Cavs out-rebounded the Raptors, 45-23.

"We've always been a great rebounding team," Lue said. "I think with Tristan and Kevin, LeBron's rebounding ability, Richard Jefferson had 10 rebounds tonight. Iman Shumpert is a great rebounder. We have always been a good rebounding team, and if we can get stops and get rebounds, we can get out and run in transition."

Valanciunas, averaging 12.1 rebounds in the playoffs, is doubtful for Game 2.