A look at the seven key stats that helped explain the Cavaliers' 38-point win in Game 5.

Dwayne Cohill, the No. 1 player in Ohio for 2018, appeared on ESPN's SportsCenter. The Holy Name standout guard is being recruited by schools such as Ohio State and Northwestern. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Jo Ann Williams hesitated before letting her son, Dwayne Cohill, spend Wednesday morning at a barbershop near downtown.

Final exams at Holy Name High School were coming later this week, but Cohill's 3.5 grade-point average could have eased her worries. After all, his barber invited him to appear on ESPN's SportsCenter.

"The people at my barbershop cut a lot of the Cavs players' hair," Cohill said Wednesday evening while working out at St. Ignatius of Antioch Elementary School.

ESPN filmed a SportsCenter segment last week at the "B Loft" barbershop because of its connection to some Cavaliers players. The original segment with SportsCenter anchor Michael Eaves and Tim Legler produced a prediction of the Cavaliers finishing 16-0 in the postseason.

When Eaves returned before Wednesday's Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals - this time without Legler - the mood changed.

The Cavaliers went on later in the night to take a 3-2 series lead with their 116-78 win against the Raptors. For that morning, a conversation centered around Cleveland's struggles against Toronto guards Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan during Games 3 and 4.

Enter Cohill, the No. 1-rated player in Ohio for the class of 2018 by 247Sports.com.

Maybe Cohill could help, he remembered being told.

"Maybe we'll see him in the league in the next couple of years," he also was told.

There also was a comparison to LeBron James, which brought a smile and shoulder shrug from Cohill.

"I've heard it a few times," he said.

The 6-foot-3 sophomore hadn't seen any of the segments air on TV, but he received messages from family and friends who told him they did. Cohill arrived at his barbershop around 7 a.m. and didn't leave until noon after filming four segments.

The ESPN appearance added to what has been a hectic spring for Cohill. He spent the last week of March in Italy, helping a team to an international championship while winning MVP honors for the event.

Italy provides taste of international competitionCohill already has six college scholarship offers, including Ohio State and Northwestern.

"It's been hectic," he said. "Being from Ohio, getting an Ohio State offer, everybody is at me like, 'Oh you've got to go there,' or 'Oh, is that your favorite school?'"

OSU offer 'means a lot'Cohill said he is a long way off from making a college decision. He has more pressing matters, such as a few final exams and trip to Chicago this weekend with his Ohio Basketball Club AAU team.

He still has two more years of high school, but already received national - and international - exposure.

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.

"You just have to keep him in line and almost be the bumpers in bowling for him," Kipnis said. "You know he's going in the right direction. Just keep him going in the right direction."

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- As the baseball floated over Francisco Lindor's outstretched arm, the shortstop's partner-in-crime slid into the picture to make the save.

Jason Kipnis hauled in the baseball while on his backside, having narrowly avoided a collision with his middle-infield mate. After Kipnis popped up off the ground, Lindor chased him down and wrapped his arms around the second baseman for a friendly embrace.

"I didn't think he was going to get there," Lindor said. "I turned and I was like, 'Oh.' He was right there. I was like, 'Buddy you got there quick.' He was like, 'Yeah, sometimes I surprise myself with my speed.'

"So I gave him a hug. 'You're fast today; I like it.'"

The two shared a laugh as they retreated to their infield positions.

That was a good day.

Lindor and Kipnis have many of those. Occasionally, they have a bad day. So goes the ever-evolving relationship between a two-time All-Star, veteran second baseman and a 22-year-old, budding star shortstop.

Like brothers, they'll argue, they'll joke around and they'll quibble. But they share a common goal: becoming the best middle-infield duo in baseball.

"We have good days and we have bad days," Kipnis said. "We bicker at each other one day, but then we'll be wrestling in the grass the next day. It's all in good fun and it never gets too far from being a good, healthy relationship."

Lindor and Kipnis have played beside each other for nearly a calendar year now. Early on, they had to learn each other's defensive tendencies.

"You don't know how much range he has," Lindor said. "You don't know how he's going to attack the ball. You don't know how he wants to turn double plays. You don't know if he gets to the base really quick or flips the ball really quick as soon as he catches it or is a guy who takes a longer time.

"It takes time. You have to get to know him."

It didn't take long for the two to develop chemistry. Lindor's defensive prowess certainly didn't hurt matters.

Cleveland Indians Jason Kipnis and Francisco Lindor celebrate behind 2nd base after the Indians beat the Kansas City Royals 5-1 on September 16, 2015 at Progressive Field.Chuck Crow/PD 

"The more you play together, the more you understand mannerisms, traits," said Indians manager Terry Francona. "Kipnis was already here. You get a new shortstop that comes in that plays the kind of defense that Frankie does -- it's not going to take long to be grateful that you have [him]."

Kipnis shared the middle of the diamond with Asdrubal Cabrera for much of his first four years in the majors. He cited Cabrera, Jason Giambi, Jack Hannahan and Travis Buck as influential veterans who offered guidance as he established his footing at the big-league level. Now, he's trying to pay it forward with Lindor.

"He's one of the older guys on the team," Lindor said of the 29-year-old. "He's been through it a lot longer than I have. You have to watch and listen and respect."

Each player has a corner locker, but they reside on opposite sides of the Indians' clubhouse. Big brother will yell across the room and order little brother to alter his wardrobe before he heads to the field for batting practice. Teams have something of a pregame dress code. Little brother will attempt to reason. The squabble lasts for a minute or two. Sometimes, Kipnis wins. Other times, Lindor wins.

"You just have to keep him in line and almost be the bumpers in bowling for him," Kipnis said. "You know he's going in the right direction. Just keep him going in the right direction."

It's the same on the infield, too.

"I talk to him a bunch," Kipnis said. "He's learning to have an inner clock that he didn't really have before. He doesn't [always] know how much time he has when guys are running down the line, and sometimes you see it, where guys have been safe on a ball hit straight to him. So, he's working on his inner clock, getting better with that.

"I'll always call him out for stuff. It's to help him. I just don't know if he realizes that yet. He'll be like, 'Oh, Kip is being a [jerk] to me' or something like that. No, I'm just trying to help him.

"Guys helped me before and there's going to come a time when he has guys who are younger than him who are looking up to him. You're not going to listen to some guy who never listened to anybody else. So it's more of just putting in your time and doing the right things that will earn you the respect for guys to come after you."

It requires a certain type of credentials -- whether longevity, statistical production or some form of testimonial -- to command that respect. A month after Lindor made his major-league debut, Kipnis played in his second All-Star Game. Last season, Kipnis batted .303 with 43 doubles and an .823 OPS.

"His work ethic and the way he does things," Lindor said, "you watch and you learn from a guy like that. He's a guy you want to follow around. It's just fun to watch his success."

Kipnis doesn't mind watching Lindor thrive, either. He said the two have a "friendly competition -- we definitely push each other." The result, they hope, is to be listed alongside (or before) such middle-infield tandems as Jose Altuve/Carlos Correa, Dustin Pedroia/Xander Bogaerts, Joe Panik/Brandon Crawford and Ben Zobrist/Addison Russell.

Ranking the top 10 middle infields

"I think we're on our way to doing that," Kipnis said. "But it takes a lot of work."

And some more good days.

"When you say middle infielders," Kipnis said, "you're not just saying who can turn a double play. You're saying hitting, high average, range, double plays, charging, making plays and doing it as a duo, so we pick up slack in one department where the other guy is missing."

So when the baseball is out of reach for one player, the other is there to make a sliding catch -- and to receive a hug.

"We were having a good day that day," Kipnis said, laughing. "If we were having a bad day, I would've said, 'Get the [heck] off of me."

The Cleveland Cavaliers were terrible house guests on Wednesday as they pounced and bounced the Raptors right out of Northeast Ohio, writes Chris Haynes.

CLEVELAND - Whatever momentum, confidence and bravado the Toronto Raptors thought they inherited during their homestretch was misplaced once they crossed that border for Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals.

The Cleveland Cavaliers were terrible houseguests Wednesday as they pounced and bounced the Raptors right out of Northeast Ohio following a massive 116-78 victory at The Q to take a 3-2 series advantage.

It took about 10 minutes of actual game time before it was apparent that this contest would be the equivalent of a boxing sparring match with the visiting side being the fighter without headgear. The Raptors just took blow after blow to the head for a full 48-minute bout.

"They kicked our butts. That's the bottom line," Raptors coach Dwane Casey said. "You get outrebounded by 21, 19 turnovers, the physicality, we didn't meet that standard tonight. For whatever reason we haven't met it here in this building. That's the bottom line. That's the ballgame. That's been all three games."

The talk before the game was that the Raptors had found themselves after securing consecutive wins at Air Canada Centre to even the series. Moving forward, there were whispers that the Cavaliers were in trouble and might be a tad intimidated. Toronto was the first squad in these playoffs to threaten Cleveland with the weapons to back it up.

When it came to using those weapons on Wednesday, the Raptors were out of ammo and threats. The closest remnants to menacing behavior came from a Toronto staff member.

During pregame individual shooting, Jamaal Magloire, Raptors assistant coach/team consultant, started cracking jokes in the direction of the Cavaliers about hitting below the belt. It was supposedly intended as a lighthearted shot at Dahntay Jones' low-blow punch of Bismack Biyombo at the end of Game 3.

However, a few members of the Cavaliers didn't find him to be funny at all. It was viewed by a few who witnessed it as the retired player trying to filled the void of being the Raptors' enforcer from behind the bench.

Magloire, 38, was certainly a tough guy during his 12-year professional career, but he isn't playing. His last NBA game was four years ago. It's on the Raptors players to step up to the moment and perform.

"We've still got another game to play and they come back to Toronto, so we're not really worried about it," Raptors guard Terrence Ross told cleveland.com. "We've got to take care of business [on Friday]."

Biyombo is averaging 20.0 rebounds at home during this series, but an underwhelming 4.3 rebounds on the road. The home team has won every game, but considering the way the Raptors were just handled, that trend could end in Game 6.

And if a Game 7 is in order, the history of the series suggests the Cavaliers move on.

"We're going home. We play great at home," the Raptors' DeMar DeRozan said. "We've got to take it one game at a time. We'll figure that out once we get past Friday."

Toronto's confidence isn't completely shaken it seems. DeRozan said, "once we get past," not "if we get past." The Raptors have defied the odds all postseason long. When their backs are against the wall, they usually come out swinging.

But on Wednesday, there was no fight, just a one-sided demolition. Their season appears to be coming to an end and not on Sunday, but on Friday.

"[Wednesday's game] was just a great test for us, and you can see that we've won three at home and they've won two. Game 6 will definitely be a great atmosphere that I'm looking forward to, and my teammates are as well," Kyrie Irving said.

Last August, as Adriana Aviles was battling children's leukemia, she and her twin sister tossed out ceremonial first pitches at Progressive Field. On Wednesday, with Adriana now cancer-free, the sisters took part in the same tradition at Comerica Park. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Last August, as Adriana Aviles was battling children's leukemia, she and her twin sister tossed out ceremonial first pitches at Progressive Field. For days, the two talked about having their smiling faces displayed on the ballpark scoreboard. 

On Wednesday, with Adriana now cancer-free, the sisters took part in the same tradition at Comerica Park.

Adriana and Maiya stood far in front of the pitcher's mound in Detroit and threw baseballs to their father, Mike Aviles, who now plays for the Tigers after three seasons with the Indians. 

Adriana was originally diagnosed in May 2015. Indians players, coaches and front-office members shaved or buzzed their heads to support the toddler. Players sported bright orange "Team Adriana" shirts during batting practice and for an organization-wide photo orchestrated to spread awareness. When the Indians ventured to Yankee Stadium in August, longtime catcher Jorge Posada shared well wishes for the Aviles family during his Yankees Hall of Fame induction speech. 

Aviles, full of perspective, grateful for Posada

In November, a few weeks before Adriana underwent a bone-marrow transplant, doctors informed the Aviles family that Adriana was cancer-free. Both parents immediately started to cry. Adriana released some confused laughter. 

How the Aviles family learned Adriana was cancer-free

Aviles signed with the Tigers over the offseason. He served as Cleveland's utility man from 2013-15.

Paul Hoynes, Mary Kay Cabot and Joe Vardon will join us to talk about the latest in Cleveland sports.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Indians are making a run to the top of the A.L. Central. The Cavaliers are one win away from a return trip to the NBA Finals. The Browns are holding OTAs.

Our guests -- cleveland.com Indians reporter Paul Hoynes, Browns reporter Mary Kay Cabot and Cavaliers reporter Joe Vardon -- will call in to talk all things Cleveland sports.

Click play on the player above when the red "Live" icon appears on the bottom to watch the show. A complete archive of the show will be made available later today.

The Cleveland Cavaliers should not waste a chance to clinch their second consecutive trip to The NBA Finals with a victory in Toronto. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- For the Cleveland Cavaliers, the time to prepare for the 2016 NBA Finals is right now.

The Cavs lead the best-of-seven Eastern Conference Finals, 3-2, after Wednesday's 116-78 victory over the Toronto Raptors at Quicken Loans Arena. On Friday, they will play Game 6 at 8:30 p.m. in Toronto's Air Canada Center.

For the Cavs, the mission is simple: Win it now.

Win the game in a building where the Cavs are 0-4 this season. They lost twice in Toronto in the playoffs, twice in the regular season.

Win a game against a Toronto team that loves situations like this when playing at home. As Raptors Coach Dwane Casey recently said: "We enjoy it when people count us out. I think it fuels us."

Win in six games so the team can rest and be ready for The Finals that open on June 2.

Toronto has already played 20 postseason games. The Raptors have won twice in Game 7s to reach the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time in the 21-year history of the franchise.

Odds are the Raptors will not end their season Friday by going quietly into the night. If the Cavs really are going to win an NBA title this season, it very likely will mean winning at least one tough road game -- be it at Golden State or Oklahoma City.

Game 6 in Toronto is excellent preparation for that.

"It's a business trip," said Cavs coach Tyronn Lue. "But it's a chance to do something special, the guys know that."

A victory would put LeBron James into The Finals for his sixth consecutive season. The same is true of James Jones, the buddy of James who has been his teammate for the last six years in Miami and Cleveland.

No other NBA player has done that. It will break the record of five in a row held by Boston's Bill Russell and a few of his teammates from the 1960s.

THE PLAYOFF TEST

Not for LeBron James. He has won at least one road game in his last 25 playoff series. A Friday victory would make it 26.

But Kyrie Irving admitted playing in Toronto and losing Games 3 and 4 were "my first legitimate road games of my playoff career."

Irving did play in Game 1 of the 2015 NBA Finals at Golden State. That was where he fractured his kneecap in the Cavs overtime loss. And he played in some other road postseason games the past two years.

But he admitted Toronto "was really loud" and "it was a true road test ... we'll be a little more prepared."

It's easy to forget Kevin Love and Irving have so little playoff experience. Both made the postseason for the first time in 2015 with the Cavs. Love lasted four games and then was injured. Irving played only 13-of-20 playoff games in 2015 because of various injuries.

Love snapped out of his two-game funk in Toronto (scoring only 13 points, shooting 5-of-23). He had 25 points on 8-of-10 shooting, including 12 points in the first quarter.

James has had some poor playoff games and had an idea of what Love was facing earlier in the week.

"You feel like you're by yourself," said James.

Teammates can tell you "hang in there." Coaches can come up with new schemes to help the situation. But in the end, the player has to wait for the next game as the pressure builds and builds.

"It's very difficult," said James. "I've been there before when you're a big part of a puzzle and things don't go the way you dreamed ... or thought it would be."

GROWING AS A TEAM

That's why James was excited to see Love respond so positively.

It's also why James stressed "calmness" heading into Wednesday's Game 5.

"I've been in some really adverse playoff situations," James said. "I didn't believe this (Game 5) was one of them."

And the Cavs followed his lead, wiping out Toronto.

Now, take the next step. Win in Toronto, where the Cavs have yet to win this season. Win it with the kind of determined defense they have been playing at home. Win it with Love and Irving having big games.

That's the kind of performance it will take if the Cavs eventually hope to win an NBA title.

The Browns hope to play faster, find their playmakers and establish their run game. Watch video

BEREA, Ohio - The Cleveland Browns haven't scored many points in recent years. As far as Joe Thomas is concerned, that's a big reason they haven't won many games.

"People want to say defense wins championships but I think maybe that was a quote from the '90s because in today's football you're going to win with offense," the Pro Bowl left tackle said on Wednesday. "You've got to score points to win. You can't expect to win games 10-7 all season long." 

Thomas was talking specifically about his new head coach, Hue Jackson, who is also his new offensive coordinator and has brought his expertise on that side of the ball to Cleveland. Thomas went so far as to say he had been jealous of players in Cincinnati because they got to play in Jackson's offense. 

Here are three ways the Browns coaching staff, based on what we've heard from them and from some players, is hoping to take their team's offense to new heights. 

Pick up the Pace 

There have been hints that the Browns want to play faster this season. 

"In college (at Baylor) we were no-huddle, on the ball, here we're no-huddle, on the ball," rookie offensive lineman Spencer Drango said during rookie minicamp, "so there are a lot of similarities that I've picked up so far." 

"As we play in a no-huddle offense, sometimes we say things and the (defense) knows exactly where the ball is going," Hue Jackson said last week in attempting to explain Robert Griffin III's accuracy issues. 

Flippant remarks, right? Maybe not.

"It is our plan to put pressure on our opponent's defenses and to make sure that, not only we are a unit that can execute at a high level, but ultimately, we want to wear our opponents down," associate head coach Pep Hamilton said Wednesday. "You have to rehearse the things you plan on doing during the season." 

"I think what we're seeing right now is a lot more no-huddle," Thomas said. "Calling the plays on the line of scrimmage and so I think that is probably why it feels a little bit faster right now versus last year where we didn't really play a whole lot of no-huddle on offense. I think you can either press the tempo in no-huddle and try to get the play off like Chip Kelly's offense where you're running a play with 15 seconds left on the play clock. I think our no-huddle's going to be a little bit more slow-it-down, take what the defense gives us but still calling a lot of the stuff at the line of scrimmage when we are in no-huddle." 

Run the ball 

Jackson loves to run the football. It's a key element of his offense. Just ask running backs coach Kirby Wilson. 

"I think when you look at Coach Jackson's background, he is a 'quarterback guru,'" Wilson said. "He has done a tremendous job over the years with that, but if you look at his record, in terms of running the football and the amount that he runs it, you're going to find out that he really, truly does enjoy running the football. We are going to be a run-oriented football team, everything starts with the run game, our offensive line and our backs. As coach told us, we are going to be a physically dominant, running football team." 

Jackson's offenses his last two seasons in Cincinnati and during the 2010 and 2011 seasons in Oakland were all in the top ten in rushing attempts per game. Jackson broke into the league as a running backs coach in 2001 with Washington.

Find your weapons 

Need an example of a guy that causes problems for a defense? Defensive coordinator Ray Horton says to look about two hours to the southeast. 

"I'll go to a guy in our own division, No. 84 over at Pittsburgh (Antonio Brown)," Horton said. "He creates mismatches and you have got to respect it. You have to game plan for that guy. You can't just say, 'Well, he beats everybody, but he's not going to beat us.' We respect guys' talent and ability in this league, and it is easy to talk about him because I was there with him. He's been dominating this league as a small receiver. So there are guys in this league that you have to handle with care and respect. How do you handle them? Sometimes, you keep them to minimal catches. You are not going to shut them out. He averages, I think, nine catches a game." 

Who is that guy for the Browns? They don't have one.

As far as potential playmakers go, though, start with second-year running back Duke Johnson. 

"He is what you would call an ultimate weapon for us," Wilson said. 

Then there's the guy they picked No. 15 overall in April's draft: wide receiver Corey Coleman. 

"He can score the ball," Hamilton said. "That's so important for any offense, but we need guys that can score the football, that can create their own yards, create their own yards after they catch the football, and we need playmakers. We need guys that, without calling the perfect play, if they get the ball in their hands, they can get more than what is prescribed. He is a playmaker." 

There are three other rookie receivers in camp - Rashard Higgins, Jordan Payton and Ricardo Louis -- who will be expected to help form a group alongside Coleman filled with playmakers, much like what Jackson had in Cincinnati. 

"They have a lot of work ahead of them," Hamilton said. "They have to work throughout the summer, between now and training camp, and get with the quarterbacks to find a way to develop better continuity. It takes time and it is a process, but our receivers coaches, (senior offensive assistant) Coach (Al) Saunders and (offensive quality control/assistant wide receivers) Coach (Bob) Saunders, have done a good job of really trying to make sure our guys have the right perspective. We do have a plan in place to accelerate that learning curve for all of the young receivers." 

Leave it to Thomas to sum up what to expect this season. 

"The thing that appeals on offense is we're going to make the defense guard every blade of grass on the whole field," he said, "because we're going to be throwing it from sideline to sideline, we're going to be running it inside, we're going to be putting tackles, guards in different formations all over the field."

The Golden State Warriors forced a Game 6 in the NBA Western Conference finals with their 120-111 win vs. the Oklahoma City Thunder.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - The Golden State Warriors survived to play another game.

Their 120-111 win Thursday night in Oakland, Calif., cut Oklahoma City's Western Conference finals lead to 3-2 and forces Game 6 on Saturday. If the Cavaliers win Friday (or Sunday, if necessary), they will return to The Finals.

Who would you rather see if the Cavaliers get there?

The surging Thunder or another crack at the Warriors?

Vote in the cleveland.com poll to the right. Readers are encouraged to share their opinions on either potential matchup in the comments section.

The Indians start a 10-game homestand Friday night against Baltimore after a successful 6-3 trip through Cincinnati, Boston and Chicago.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Here is the series preview and pitching matchups for the three-game set between the Orioles and Indians in Cleveland.

Where: Progressive Field, Friday through Sunday.

TV/radio: SportsTime Ohio and WMMS/FM 100.7 will carry the series. WTAM/1100 will carry Saturday's.

Pitching probables: RHP Mike Wright (2-3, 4.97) vs. RHP Trevor Bauer (3-2, 4.32) Friday at 7:10 p.m.; RHP Ubaldo Jimenez (2-5, 6.04) vs. RHP Danny Salazar (4-3, 2.32) Saturday at 4:10 p.m. and RHP Chris Tillman (6-1, 2.61) vs. RHP Mike Clevinger (0-1, 8.71) Sunday at 1:10 p.m.

Series: The Orioles went 5-1 against the Indians last year. The Indians lead, 433-400, overall.

Friday: Bauer has lost his last two starts, allowing seven earned runs on 13 hits in 11 2/3 innings. He's 0-2 with a 6.35 ERA against Baltimore. Manny Machado is 2-for-5 with two homers and five RBI against Bauer.

Wright, a 6-6 right-hander, is coming off a no decision against the Angels. Lefties are hitting .342 against him. He's never faced the Indians.

Saturday: Salazar, coming off a star-struck loss to David Ortiz and the Red Sox, is 2-1 in his last four starts. He's 1-1 with a 2.25 ERA against the Orioles. Machado is 2-for-3 against him with a homer.

Jimenez has lost two straight starts, allowing 12 earned runs on 13 hits in 10 innings. He's 1-2 with a 5.04 against the Indians. Mike Napoli is hitting .308 (4-for-13) with two homers and three RBI against Jimenez.

Sunday: Clevinger, making his third big league start, is coming off a loss to the White Sox on Monday. Right-handers are hitting .421 (8-for-19) against him and lefties .167 (4-for-24).

Tillman, coming off a no-decision against Houston, is 5-0 in his last six starts. He's 4-2 with a 3.89 ERA against the Indians. Jason Kipnis is hitting .273 (3-for-11) with one homer and three RBI against Tillman.

Team updates: The Indians just finished a 6-3 trip through Cincinnati, Boston and Chicago, which allowed them to pull within a half-game of first place in the AL Central. The Orioles has lost six of their last nine games headed into Thursday night's meeting with Houston.

Players to watch: Shortstop Francisco Lindor hit .324 (11-for-34) on the Tribe's recent nine-game trip and is hitting .340 (33-for-97) with two homers and 11 RBI in May. Mark Trumbo (13 homers, 31 RBI), Machado (13, 27) and Chris Davis (10, 27) power the Orioles' offense.

Injuries: Orioles - SS J.J. Hardy (broken left foot) and RHP Yovani Gallardo (right shoulder, right biceps tendinitis). Indians - RHP Joba Chamberlain (left intercostal muscle), LF Michael Brantley (right shoulder), RHP Carlos Carrasco (left hamstring) and catcher Roberto Perez (right thumb) are on the disabled list.

Next: Texas visits for a three-game series starting Monday night.

Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors will try to become the 10th NBA team to rally from a 3-1 series deficit. They now trail the Oklahoma City Thunder, 3-2, in the Western Conference finals.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Stephen Curry pounded his chest in the closing moments Thursday night.

Once Golden State beat Oklahoma City, 120-111, to keep the Warriors' season alive after Game 5 of the Western Conference finals, Curry turned stoic as David Aldridge interviewed him for TNT.

Curry told Aldridge that Saturday night's Game 6 in Oklahoma City might be the toughest game of his Warriors' lives. The defending NBA champions took one step in rallying from a 3-1 series deficit.

Only nine teams have successfully completed the comeback.

Question is, can Golden State become No. 10?

Curry scored 31 points Thursday in Oakland, Calif., Klay Thompson added 27 points and the Warriors held off a late Thunder flurry.

Here is a look at the Western Conference finals and roundup of league-wide news in the NBA.

Related: Cavaliers-Raptors Game 6 guide

THE SERIES (Oklahoma City leads, 3-2)

Game 1: Oklahoma City 108, Golden State 102

Game 2: Golden State 118, Oklahoma City 91

Game 3: Oklahoma City 133, Golden State 105

Game 4: Oklahoma City 118, Golden State 94

Game 5: Golden State 120, Oklahoma City 111

Game 6: Golden State at Oklahoma City, 9 p.m. Saturday (TNT)

Game 7, if necessary: Oklahoma City at Golden State, 9 p.m. Monday, May 30 (TNT)

Curry rips Durant and then finishes the play with the crazy lay-up. https://t.co/OUOrnSPS0m

-- NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) May 27, 2016

Poll: If Cavs advance, who do you want in Finals?

.@StephenCurry30 speaks with @DAldridgeTNT after tonight's big Game 5 victory. https://t.co/i1RbW0haJ7

-- NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) May 27, 2016

WHO'S HOT

• Golden State bench: The reserves provided a second-half boost. Former Cavalier Marreese Speights scored 14 points to lead all non-starters. Andre Iguodala, last year's Finals MVP, and Shaun Livingston, another former Cavalier, provided boosts.
• Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City: Despite the loss, the duo combined for 71 points. Durant had 40, while Westbrook added 31. Westbrook's eight assists were his fewest in any game this series.

Curry stripped [?] Durant dunk https://t.co/fFOLmIlemE

-- NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) May 27, 2016

WHO'S NOT

• Dion Waiters, Oklahoma City: Another former Cavalier, Waiters has been productive for the Thunder. He played 27 minutes Thursday night, scored zero points and shot 0-of-4.

TWEETS OF THE NIGHT

#SagerStrong https://t.co/OZUsX892qn pic.twitter.com/LP0YiRGSXe

-- NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) May 27, 2016

Dion Waiters looks like an Ewok. WIcket?

-- Amin Elhassan (@AminESPN) May 27, 2016

Billy Donovan trying to slide into the refs DMs with this opening postgame statement pic.twitter.com/bSb9HWvRaC

-- Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) May 27, 2016

AROUND THE LEAGUE

Here's what else went on around the association during the weekend from other newspapers and websites:

* The All-NBA teams were announced with LeBron James joined by Russell Westbrook, Stephen Curry, Kawhi Leonard and DeAndre Jordan on the first team.

All-NBA breakdown

* Mike D'Antoni agreed to a four-year deal to coach the Houston Rockets. Brian T. Smith of the Houston Chronicle writes the hire is out of tune.

* Khloe Kardashian files for divorce from Lamar Odom. Again. Here's the details from The Los Angeles Times.

* Ben Simmons isn't worthy of the No. 1 pick, according to details from an LSU reporter.

* The Washington Wizards' Markieff Morris was detained at an airport and questioned about marijuana found in his party's luggage.

* If the Boston Celtics can't add a player high on their wishlist this offseason, they might call the Cavaliers again about Kevin Love. ESPN.com's Zach Lowe wrote about this Tuesday in an article about the Cavaliers' defense.

To find the Love nugget, scroll a bit down into the story.

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.

Interim Hudson coach Jeff Gough will take over a team that has reached back-to-back state semifinals.

HUDSON, Ohio — Hudson interim coach Jeff Gough has some tough shoes to fill this season.

Gough, 28, has been the defensive coordinator under Ron Wright for the past five seasons. After Wright decided to step away for the 2016 season for personal and family reasons, the school district hired Gough to fill in for this season.

With 14 returning starters, Gough will try to continue the best two-year run in school history. Hudson reached the state semifinals each of the last two seasons, including last season when the Explorers finished 11-3 and lost to Massillon Perry, 10-7, in the Division II state semifinals.

"It's definitely going to be probably the most experienced group of kids that we've ever had at Hudson because of the back-to-back trips (to the state semifinals)," Gough said.

Wright was Gough's position coach when Gough, who graduated in 2006, was in high school.

One of the keys for Gough taking over this season is that most of the staff from the past few seasons is still intact, providing plenty of continuity on the sidelines.

"We've been coaching together for, this will probably be the sixth year," Gough said. "The kids are familiar with us. They know what we expect and I think we kind of know what effort level they're going to give us."

In 2015, Gough's defense held opponents to an average of 8.5 points per game and only allowed one opponent to score 20 in a game. Eight of those defensive starters are back including senior middle linebacker Joe Sweet.

Working under Gough for the past few years, Sweet feels that Gough's competitive fire and attitude will keep the Explorers going strong.

"I think the past two years, especially, have been anchored by the defense," Sweet said. "The offense is going to be good this year and the defense is always going to be there to back up the offense."

On offense, six starters return including QB Jackson Parker, tight end and Miami (Oh.) commit Adam Mehelic and RB Matt Restifo.

As a junior, Restifo did a little of everything on offense for Hudson. He rushed for 577 yards and three touchdowns, and caught a team-high 37 passes for 373 yards and two touchdowns. He also had a kickoff return and punt return for touchdowns last year.

"I'll just do whatever coach tells me to do. I like to run the ball and I like to catch the ball," Restifo said. "It doesn't matter to me. Whatever benefits the team.

"Coach Gough has a lot of intensity. He's got a better passion at football than I've seen anyone else. So I'm really excited to go into this year with Coach Gough because he's very passionate. He's big on the little things. I think we're going to have a good year. Everything's going to come together."

Although Gough had a hand in special teams as the defensive coordinator, he admitted it will be an adjustment to learn more about the offensive players.

2016 will be Gough's first year as a head coach. But he hopes to lean on what he learned from Wright and current Fairview coach Tom Narducci, who was at Hudson when Gough played, and apply it to this season.

"They each took the program to another step higher," Gough said. "And I think this year, we've got to try as much as we can and everything we tell the kids is just to try to improve. I think that's the ultimate goal is we're going to try to gather as much good and bad as we can from the last couple head coaches and (ask), 'What can we do to improve? How are we going to get better?'"

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

HUDSON EXPLORERS

Coach: Jeff Gough (first season).

2015 record: 11-3.

2015 postseason: Defeated Copley, 45-20, in first round; defeated Nordonia, 35-14, in second round; defeated Mayfield, 31-6, in Division II, Region 3 final; lost to Massillon Perry, 10-7, in Division II state semifinal.

Returning starters: 6 on offense, 8 on defense.

2016 schedule:

Week 1: vs. Austintown-Fitch

Week 2: at Strongsville

Week 3: vs. Canton McKinley

Week 4: at Nordonia

Week 5: vs. North Royalton

Week 6: at Cuyahoga Falls

Week 7: vs. Stow

Week 8: vs. Twinsburg

Week 9: at Wadsworth

Week 10: at Brecksville

A look at how much it will cost to get into Game 6 of the 2016 Eastern Conference Finals in Toronto.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Eastern Conference Finals are back in Toronto as the Cavaliers try to close out the Raptors in Game 6 on Friday at the Air Canada Centre.

Raptors fans hoping to get into the arena for the game will need to rely on secondary markets like NBATickets.com and StubHub to get tickets.

Here is how much it will cost for tickets to Game 6 on each site as of midnight on Friday, and how they compare to Game 4's prices.

NBATickets.com

970 tickets remain for Game 6 with the cheapest costing $167.76 per ticket. Three separate listings have this price, but only one has that price for multiple seats.

To get into the lower bowl, the least it will cost to get seats there will be $253.94 a seat. The next least expensive lower bowl seats cost $290.88 each.

The most expensive lower bowl tickets are going for $1,923.82 each.

Overall, Game 6's costliest seats are a pair of courtside seats selling for $6,908.81 each.

Compared to Game 4

Getting into Friday's Game 6 will cost fans at least $15 more for the cheapest seats compared to Game 4's lowest prices.

But it is actually cheaper to get into the lower bowl on Friday than it was on Monday. Game 6's least expensive lower deck seat will be more than $1 cheaper.

Game 6's most expensive seats are going for roughly $1,259 more than they did for Game 4.

StubHub

StubHub's least expensive seat will cost fans, including fees, $182.50, but it is a listing for a single ticket in a standing room only section. To get more than one seat together, it will cost $194.50 per ticket.

Seats in the lower deck of the Air Canada Centre start at $330.10 each. At the other end of the range is a listing of up to six seats in the lower bowl for $6,680.50 each. Those seats are a value of just 1 out of 5, and there are three separate listings for courtside seats less expensive.

Fans looking for the priciest tickets will need to spend $12,726.25 each for a pair of courtside seats.

But the best value is for a pair of seats in the tenth row in the lower deck on one of the sidelines for $782.50 each.

Compared to Game 4

The trend of prices increasing as the series goes on continues on StubHub. The cheapest tickets for Game 6 compared to Game 4 cost more than $19 for a fan going alone or more than $11 if someone is looking for multiple tickets.

Lower deck ticket prices increased by nearly $21 for multiple seats together from Game 4 to Game 6.

The most expensive tickets for Game 6 is about $6,476.25 more than they were for Game 4.

A user's guide to the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail from Cleveland to New Philadelphia with construction updates, new detours, highlights, and more.

Schedule, lineup, TV and updates for NASCAR's Coca Cola 600 race on Sunday at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Martin Truex Jr. will be on the pole for the Coca Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Sunday night. The race is scheduled for 6 p.m. on FOX. You can follow along live at NASCAR's Race Center.

While qualifying was Thursday night, drivers get a rare break on Friday as the track will be dark until Saturday's practice session. The grid is set and has one mild surprise as Danica Patrick will start 19th.

Patrick has struggled all season both qualifying and on race day, but coming off her best finish to date (13th), Patrick flashed enough qualifying speed at Charlotte to start the race in the top half of the pack.

Off the track, NASCAR is at it again, sticking to a time-worn tradition of changing/installing new rules in the midst of the season. Only upcoming races at Michigan and Kentucky are affected for now, but stay tuned.

As for the 600, this late Sunday night battle should be a solid test for both gas mileage and for speed, due to the distance. Last year, winner Carl Edwards was able to get 62 laps in with his last fill-up, which played a large part in his victory.

Here is the NASCAR schedule for this weekend.

SPRINT CUP
COCA COLA 600
Site: Charlotte, North Carolina
Schedule: Saturday, practice (FS1, 10 a.m.), practice (FS1, 1 p.m.); Sunday, race, 6 p.m., FOX.
Track: Charlotte Motor Speedway (oval, 1.5 miles).
Race distance: 600 miles, 400 laps.
Last year: Carl Edwards managed his fuel wisely, getting 62 laps out of his last tank of gas to post his first win for Joe Gibbs Racing.
Last week: Joey Logano took the lead from Kyle Larson with two laps left to win the All-Star Race and take home the $1 million prize.
Fast facts: Roush Fenway Racing announced Wednesday that had signed a multi-year partnership extension with the Fastenal Company as the anchor partner driver of Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and the No. 17 team. ... Dale Earnhardt Jr. has 12 top-10 finishes in Charlotte but has never won a points-paying race at his home track.
Next week: Axalta "We Paint Winners" 400, June 5, Pocono Raceway, Long Pond, Pennsylvania.

XFINITY
HISENSE 4K TV 300
Site: Charlotte, North Carolina
Schedule: Saturday, qualifying (FS1, 11:15 a.m.), race, 2:30 p.m., FS1.
Track: Charlotte Motor Speedway (oval, 1.5 miles).
Race distance: 300 miles, 200 laps.
Last year: Austin Dillon led 163 of 200 laps to claim his second of four victories in the series in 2015.
Last race: Erik Jones held off Darrell Wallace Jr. to win at Dover on May 14.
Fast facts: Jones has won two of the three Dash 4 Cash races so far this season. But Jones is just fifth in the point standings despite six top-five finishes. ... Elliott Sadler remains in first, three points ahead of Daniel Suarez and 30 ahead of Ty Dillon.
Next week: Pocono Green 250, June 4, Pocono Raceway.

CAMPING WORLD TRUCK
Last week: Matt Crafton beat Kyle Busch at Charlotte for his second straight win, a career first for the 39-year-old driver.
Next race: Rattlesnake 400, June 10, Texas Motor Speedway.

LINKS:

• Paint Scheme Preview: Charlotte
• NASCAR partners with Soderbergh on movie
• NASCAR's 25 most influential people, places and things

(The Associated Press contributed to this report)

The Browns are stressing a more violent run game under head coach Hue Jackson.

BEREA, Ohio -- The performance of the Browns offense since coming back in 1999 has been something akin to a horror movie. The team's new offensive staff under head coach Hue Jackson, though, are hoping their running game can dole out the type of violence this season that would make even Jason Voorhees squeamish. 

"We have got to make sure we can control the line of scrimmage and secure the football, and we have got to be the most violent running team in the National Football League," running backs coach Kirby Wilson said Wednesday following practice. 

That's not the first we've heard of this. Isaiah Crowell, expected to split the running back workload with Duke Johnson, mentioned it last week during the first series of OTA practices last week. 

"I feel like we have a lot of different runs (in this scheme) and I also feel like (Jackson) demanding to run the ball violently and demanding that we're going to run the ball and we're going to capitalize when we do it, so that's what I feel like the main difference is," he said. 

This is the time of year in the NFL's off-season when we start to get a sense for the words and phrases we'll hear ad nauseam from now until December. Jot "violent running" down. It's going to be a theme. 

What does running violently look like, though? It starts with the team's philosophy. 

"We are going to be a run-oriented football team," Wilson said. "Everything starts with the run game, our offensive line and our backs. As coach told us, we are going to be a physically dominant, running football team." 

Those runs will come in all shapes and sizes this season, something that becomes obvious when looking back at Jackson's offense in Cincinnati. The Bengals rushed out of formations ranging from the spread to the I. Only two teams in the AFC ran the ball more times than the Bengals in 2015: Houston and Buffalo. 

As for who might carry the load?  

"We have several guys that not only can run the ball, but we challenge our running backs to play without the ball," associate head coach Pep Hamilton said. "You really won't know until we put the pads on during training camp and during the preseason, you get a better feel for our guys running schemes, in particular with the schemes that we plan to employ. We will have a better feel after the preseason starts up." 

The Browns will also employ a fullback in their running game, most likely Malcolm Johnson, one of their three sixth-round pick from a year ago. 

"We think Malcolm Johnson can develop into a top-flight fullback," Wilson said. "We think that he has the fullback demeanor that we are looking for. We think that he has really good size, excellent football intelligence, he has proven that already, and you can't overload him. He is really, really sharp, and I liked him coming out of college. Cleveland did a really nice job of selecting him, because I had my eyes really set on him when I was at another place, and I am fortunate enough to be working with him now. I think he's got a huge upside." 

What, ultimately did running violently look like in Cincinnati? Here are some examples:

Here's a run that starts with a strong push up-front and the running back putting his head down and pushing forward for yardage.

NFL.com 

Here's an example of the back facing a one-on-one matchup in the hole and taking the defender head on. It's not a big gain, but it's a few extra yards.

NFL.com 

Lastly, here's an example in which the fullback opens a hole and the halfback attacks it. Notice how mobile and aggressive the offensive line is on this play.

NFL.com 

None of these are examples of huge gains, but they represent the core of a successful running game -- the ability to be physical, not shy away from contact and grind out yardage and clock.

Will they have the horses this season? They'll certainly get tested soon enough.

"Arguably, this is probably the most physical division in the National Football League," Wilson said. "We call it 'big boy football.' It is all about attitudes and it starts with the run game. You have got to be able to run it, and you have got to be able to stop the run on defense."

Cleveland sports fans wonder about nightmare finishes, Chuck Kyle's role with the Browns and how we'll remember the latest Browns draft -- Bud Shaw's You Said It

We compare the Toronto and Cleveland metro areas for sports and others things of interest as the NBA playoff series between the Toronto Raptors and the Cleveland Cavaliers moves back to Toronto for Game 6.

Whether Berman, who started at the worldwide leader shortly after ESPN went on the air in 1979, is retiring on his own accord or leaving because his contract is not being renewed is murky.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Chris Berman, whose booming voice has injected excitement into even the most mundane sports highlights for the past 37 years, is leaving ESPN at the end of the 2016 NFL season, The Big Lead reported Thursday.

Whether Berman, who started at the worldwide leader shortly after ESPN went on the air in 1979, is retiring on his own accord or leaving because his contract is not being renewed is murky.

ESPN declined to comment on The Big Lead's story, but New York Times TV columnist Richard Sandomir tweeted quotes from Berman's agent, Lou Oppenheim, who said, "Chris is NOT retiring. Loves what he's doing too much and is too young to hang 'em up."

"Perhaps people with an agenda put it out there."

Sports Illustrated is reporting, though, while Berman would not return to his "Monday Night Countdown," "Sunday NFL Countdown" and NFL Draft hosting duties after the upcoming season, he could have a role in ESPN's postseason or Super Bowl coverage following the 2017 season.

Berman's looming departure is the latest shakeup in ESPN's NFL coverage. "Monday Night Football" play-by-play man Mike Tirico is leaving for NBC, while in-studio analysts Cris Carter and Ray Lewis are also on their way out.

Berman, 61, has hosted "Sunday NFL Countdown" for an astounding 31 straight years. He's been giving even the most marginal players often-but-not-always clever nicknames and uttering catch phrases like "He could go all the way!" and "Back back back back back" for as long as you probably remember.

As part of a new, monthly initiative, Lindor hosted a baseball clinic for 40 kids in the Cleveland Baseball Federation. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The tennis ball sailed over the mountainous, right-field fence and bounced off of the hood of a car parked on Lexington Ave.

Indians shortstop Francisco Lindor was the one with the bat in his hands. He pointed to one of the kids from the Cleveland Baseball Federation.

This isn't the first time Lindor has playfully redirected blame on the baseball field. The kids at his clinic on Thursday at League Park also learned about the initial case of Lindor selecting an innocent person as a culprit.

As part of a new, monthly initiative, Lindor hosted a baseball clinic for 40 kids in the Cleveland Baseball Federation. The 22-year-old conducted drills and games at four stations. The groups played home-run derby, pitcher's mound poison and hot potato. They also practiced relay throws, fielding and hitting.

Lindor then held a question-and-answer session with the kids before he led tours of the Baseball Heritage Museum. One youngster asked Lindor to share the story of his first major-league game. Lindor explained how, on his first career hit -- a single to right field -- he tripped over first base, fell to the ground and pointed at Detroit's Miguel Cabrera to jokingly blame him for his spill.

Lindor told the group that he idolized infielders Roberto Alomar, Omar Vizquel, Elvis Andrus and Barry Larkin when he was a youth. He admitted that he "was terrified" during his first big-league game. He told them how he once got hit by a ball in the nose and he had to wear a mask for two weeks.

After a station on the field with each group, Lindor autographed the players' hats. He took a selfie with one of the teams.

"Post it on Instagram and tag me in it!" one of the kids shouted.

"What do you know about Instagram?" Lindor replied.

"Put me on ESPN!" another kid yelled.

"Their smiles make me want to smile," Lindor said.

In April, Lindor conducted a clinic in Philadelphia, but inclement weather forced the program indoors. On Thursday, the group was treated to sunshine, a strong breeze and a medley of oldies blaring from a car show in a parking lot across the street.

After the kids took their hacks during home-run derby in right field, Lindor grabbed the bat and stepped up to the plate. He smacked a pair of line drives from the right side of the plate. He switched to the other side of the batter's box, but he whiffed on his first attempt.

"He threw a changeup," Lindor quipped. "That changeup can mess anybody up. It happens."

Lindor didn't miss on his next swing. Who was responsible for hitting the car? Well, that depends on whom you ask.

Had a great time today with the kids @leaguepark #History #Blessed #TheFuture

A photo posted by Francisco Lindor (@lindor12bc) on May 26, 2016 at 3:59pm PDT