The defensive coaching staff understands that the way to turn around a dismal 2015 season is to start with the basics.

BEREA, Ohio -- On the day that Browns head coach Hue Jackson admitted that training camp would again include a quarterback competition, it was defensive line coach Robert Nunn who stressed the importance of the position in the NFL.  

"It's a quarterback-driven league," Nunn said, "and we get paid to disrupt him and when I've been on good teams we've disrupted the quarterback and our quarterback's played well. Those are the two things that's always been common." 

Nunn knows a little bit about both of those things, of course. He joined the Browns coaching staff after six seasons with the New York Giants. He was let go following the season after Tom Coughlin stepped down and Ben McAdoo took over.

The Giants ranked in the top 5 in sacks during his first two seasons, including tied for third in the 2011 season that ended in a Super Bowl win over the New England Patriots. That playoff run was fueled by a pass rush that made star quarterbacks look uncomfortable and a playoff run from Eli Manning that included over 1,200 passing yards in four games, nine touchdowns and just one interception. 

The pass rush dropped off after that season, ranking in the top 5 in sacks just once in the last four seasons and no higher than 22nd in the other three. Outside of 2010, when they ranked eighth in yards per game, their rush defense ranked no higher than 14th during Nunn's time there and ranked outside of the top 20 in three seasons. 

Nunn said on Thursday that he believes stopping the run and getting to the quarterback, two things the Browns have struggled with recently as well, go hand-in-hand. 

"There's a lot of things that go into those things, stopping the run and hitting the quarterback," he said, "because if you can't do one of them well then it's going to cost you down the road with all of them. This league's too good." 

The Browns' defense ranked 30th in 2015, giving up 128.4 yards per game on the ground. They were 28th in the league in sacks, bringing opposing quarterbacks down just 29 times. Those numbers are a reflection on any number of things, including scheme, and is far from an indictment of just the defensive line. The Browns were a 3-4 team last year and will be a 3-4 team this year, meaning linebackers both inside and out will need to perform at a higher level. One of the solutions this season: adding more players. 

"We're treating it like the more the better," outside linebackers coach Ryan Slowik said. "The thing about the NFL is competition and anytime you can create competition, especially at a position like that, it's going to be successful." 

The team's outside linebacker group is hoping for a revival from Paul Kruger, who followed his 11-sack season from two years ago with just 2.5 last season. Slowik said that Kruger has embraced a bigger leadership role this season.

They're also counting on second-year linebacker Nate Orchard, who last season made the transition from college defensive end and didn't register his first sack until December. 

"Things are starting to slow down a little bit for him in a good way as they do from a rookie to Year Two and he's beginning to see football and his blinders are kind of coming off and his vision is expanding," Slowik said of Orchard. 

"Last year was definitely a roller coaster," Orchard said earlier in the week, "but I grew tons. Mentally, physically and getting used to the playbook was something which was huge, being the first time in the NFL and having a lot thrown at me." 

Orchard is joined this year by another college defensive end making the transition to outside linebacker, second-round pick Emmanuel Ogbah. 

"He's big and he can get off the football and rush the quarterback, we all know that," Slowik said. "He has also impressed us with, just he's very athletic for a guy his size." 

On top of that, add this coaching staff to the list of defensive staffs that have come in hoping to reclaim the career of first-round pick Barkevious Mingo, who bulked up this off-season and still possesses the tantalizing athleticism that made him a top-10 pick. 

"He's obviously very athletic," Slowik said, "and we're trying to move him around, create different roles for him to do things and he's accepted it and he enjoys the challenge of trying to pick up different traits." 

Inside, the emphasis has been on stopping the run. 

"We put a lot of emphasis on that," inside linebackers coach Johnny Holland said, "That's one of the points that we touched early in the off-season is that we're going to be able to stop the run. It's practice. Guys have to know what to do and know how to fit gaps, and that's what we're working on this off-season." 

That emphasis begins with two new starters, Christian Kirksey and Demario Davis. 

"(Davis is) a dynamic worker," Holland said. "He's in the building all the time. He wants to be a good player. He's always working to get better. He's one of those guys that he's going to lead. He's going to show up early and he's going to stay late. We're definitely pleased to have him. We just have to take his play to another level, and I think he's going to be a big time player in this league." 

Perhaps the key to all of this starts in the middle of the defensive line. A relatively slimmed-down Danny Shelton revealed this week that his weight was down to 335 pounds, the goal set for him to reach by training camp. 

"He can do so many more things at the weight he's at right now and the condition he's in," Nunn said. "So he's got to keep that and time will tell. He's the one that controls that. I can help him only so much and the strength coaches can only help him so much and Coach Jackson can only help him so much. He's really in a good place right now. I see him being more than a first and second down player." 

Shelton hopes less weight, more off-season will anchor defense

Nunn also said that he plans to rotate players along his line. 

"I've always rotated quite a bit," he said. "My whole career I've always had guys rolling in there. If you've got a hat on Sundays you're going to be in the game and that's just kind of been a rule and unless somebody's just really hot we'll be rolling quite a bit." 

Stop the run. Hit the quarterback. It's the goal of the Browns defense and, as fans know too well, it's often easier said than done.

Guillermo Quiroz has hit for .316 with 6 HR and 13 RBI in 17 games for the Columbus Clippers: Cleveland Indians Minor League Report.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Mike Clevinger got right back on track for the Columbus Clippers.

The Cleveland Indians sent Clevinger back to Columbus early in the week and he recorded a victory over Indianapolis on Thursday in which he struck out eight, didn't give up a walk and allowed three hits over six complete innings.

Clevinger is 6-0 with 3.18 ERA and 49 strikeouts in 45 innings in Columbus. He was a fourth-round pick of the Los Angeles Angels in 2011 and had Tommy John surgery in 2012. The Tribe acquired him in 2014 and he has continued to impress since 2015. 

Clevinger made three starts for the Indians this season. He allowed 14 earned runs, seven walks and 13 strikeouts in 14.1 innings.

Who's hot: Since Anthony Recker was traded to Atlanta on May 9, Guillermo Quiroz has hit for .316 with 6 HR and 13 RBI in 17 games. Adam Moore has batted .346 with two homers and 10 RBI in 22 games.

Hot and cold: The Clippers just ended their road trip where Erik Gonzalez hit .357 (10-for-28) and Ronny Rodriguez hit .385 (10-for-26). The two players combined for 4-for-27 in their first three games back. For the season, Gonzalez has hit .331 on the road, compared to .225 at home, while Rodriguez is hitting .306 at home and .232 on the road.

Ice cold: Aside from two games in which Rodriguez played right field and hit 7-for-10, the rest of the current outfield has not had a multi-hit game since Collin Cowgill's three-hit effort on May 26. Since May 27, Cowgill has batted .143 (5-for-35). Joey Butler has hit .104 (5-for-48) since his last multi-hit game on May 22. Bryson Myles (2-for-23) and Jordan Smith (2-for-14) each have struggled since being called up from Akron.

Clippers update: Check out the Clippers today vs. Scranton/WB at 7:15 p.m. at home. P Luis Cessa (0-1, 4.18) vs. LHP Ryan Merritt (4-4, 2.64). Listen to the game on clippersbaseball.com. The Clippers defeated Scranton in the first game of this series.

Links:

• Clippers stats
• Clippers schedule

Northeastern right-hander Aaron Civale, the Indians' third-round pick Friday in MLB's draft, went 9-3 with a 1.73 ERA this season.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - The Indians, after taking three position players on the first day of the draft, opened Day 2 by selecting college right-hander Aaron Civale from Northeastern with their third-round pick.

Civale, a junior, went 9-3 with a 1.73 ERA in 114 1/3 innings for Northeastern. He struck out 121 and walked 15.

On Thursday the Indians selected high school outfielder Will Benson with their first-round pick, high school infielder Noah Jones in the second round and college catcher Logan Ice with their Round B lottery pick.

They took Civale with the 92^nd pick in the draft.

Civale, according to Baseball America, put himself on the map as a sophomore in 2015 with a strong showing against the Boston Red Sox during a spring training exhibition game. In that appearance, he struck out David Ortiz, Hanley Ramirez, Xander Bogaerts and Mike Napoli.

He followed that with a good showing as a reliever in the Cape Cod League last summer and moved into the rotation this year for Northeastern.

Civale has an average fastball and good command of his off-speed pitches. The 6-2, 215-pound Civale was named the Continental Athletic Association's Co-Pitcher of the Year.

The slotting bonus for the 92^nd pick in the draft is $655,500. The Indians' bonus pool to sign their players taken in the first 10 rounds of the draft is $7,343,000.

If that's going to happen, it has to start on defense. The Cavs will need the same effort and intensity level on that end -- the real key to the dormant offense erupting.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- In the aftermath of losing back-to-back games to Golden State and having their offense stifled by the Warriors' unique combination of length and athleticism, plenty of the chatter focused on ways the Cavs could regain the offensive efficiency that overwhelmed Eastern Conference foes.

Even when I asked head coach Tyronn Lue to assess the team's defense, his response centered on the other end of the floor.

"I think our offense affects our defense at times," Lue said. "When you're not scoring the basketball or you're turning the basketball over, they're able to get out in transition and get easy baskets or they're always playing in transition. So if we're able to score the basketball, we're able to get back and get our defense set, which would be better for us."

It's the chicken or the egg conversation, really. But it seemed an odd shift for the Cavs, who have talked plenty this season about defense dictating the offense. 

Going into Game 3, the Cavs made some changes. They wanted to use more flat screens and keep the bulk of the offense in the middle of the floor as opposed to near the sidelines. They wanted to take advantage of the Warriors' decision to overplay the 3-point line, beating them with sharp cuts. Those new strategies worked. 

Kyrie Irving was able to use the 1-5 pick-and-roll to create looks he didn't get in the first two losses, finishing with 30 points on 12-of-25 from the field. He had 16 of those points in a dominant first quarter. LeBron James finally appeared comfortable against the swarming defense that had given him fits in 10 straight. He scored a game-high 32 points and even made four jumpers. 

The Cavs finally shook free from the Warriors' stranglehold, scoring 120 points -- second most this postseason -- on 48-of-91 (52.7 percent), including 12-of-25 (48 percent) from beyond the arc. They will be trying to duplicate that success on Friday night, a chance to even the series.

If that's going to happen, it has to start on defense. The Cavs will need the same effort and intensity level on that end -- the real key to the dormant offense erupting.

"We were physical," Tristan Thompson said. "They felt us from the opening tip. We got a lot of stops and we pushed the tempo. Like what Coach Lue said, he wants to push the pace. Like I've been saying all season, the athletes we've got, if we get stops on the defensive end, we're pretty dangerous in transition. It definitely starts on defense for us. I think that's the key. Our defense will create our offense."

The Cavs limited the postseason's best offense to 90 points, their lowest point total in 20 games, on a paltry 32-of-76 (42.1 percent) from the field, including 9-of-33 (27.3 percent) from 3-point range.

With increased speed and athleticism, thanks in part to Richard Jefferson being in the starting lineup, the Cavs had 21 deflections, eight steals and forced 18 turnovers, which they turned into 34 points.

That allowed them to have more fastbreak points (15-8) and more transition opportunities, something Lue has been demanding since he took over, something that is a prerequisite in a series where getting into a battle of halfcourt execution against the most surgical team in the NBA is futile.

The Cavs' defense kept that from happening.

On misses, after the rebound was collected, Cleveland raced up the court, looking for early offense as opposed to grinding out possessions and dribbling incessantly as the shot clock ticked away. On live ball turnovers, they didn't hesitate in the open court. Instead, they forced the action, getting Golden State on its heels and not allowing the defense to get set, returning the favor from the first two games.

"When we play good defense, when we're able to get stops and take the ball off the rim and run, different guys benefit from that," Jefferson said. "I benefit from that. J.R. (Smith) benefits from that -- guys that don't normally get a ton of plays called for them in the halfcourt, that's who benefits from it because Ky's going to get his, 'Bron's going to be aggressive, Kev (Kevin Love) is going to get his opportunities.

"It's the guys -- Channing (Frye), myself, J.R., Delly (Matthew Dellavedova), Tristan -- those are the guys that benefit from getting the ball out and running and just playing."

Unable to shake loose in the halfcourt, unable to get clean looks, the rapid pace, which came as a result of the increased defensive intensity, helped Smith break out of his Finals funk. He scored 20 points on 7-of-13 from the field, including 5-of-10 from beyond the arc, giving the Cavs a third offensive scoring option with Love sidelined because of a concussion. 

Love could return for Game 4, which gives Lue another challenging decision. Putting Love back in the starting lineup could take away some of Cleveland's defensive bite, as the Warriors would have a weaker defender to attack. 

Jefferson allowed the Cavs to help and recover quickly on that end while he limited his player to 5-of-13 from the field and 2-of-8 from beyond the arc. 

The Cavs' finally found their offensive form in Game 3. They ran some quality halfcourt sets and made shots, which always helps. But the foundation of the success came from recapturing their feisty defense, a necessity in Game 4.

Naquin, who delivered the decisive two-run homer in Thursday's victory in Seattle, has four homers in the last week, a span of 16 at-bats.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Last week, a couple of teammates were poking fun at Tyler Naquin in the Indians' clubhouse by saying he wasn't "a real cowboy."

Naquin, a native Texan, told them to join him on horseback to see the truth. The rookie is always having to prove himself. At least on the baseball diamond, he has excelled in doing so this year.

Here are a few quick thoughts on the Tribe.

1. Power hour: Naquin, who delivered the decisive, two-run homer in Thursday's victory in Seattle, has four homers in the last week, a span of 16 at-bats. They are the first four homers of his major-league career. In his minor-league career, he totaled 22 homers in 1,366 at-bats, an average of one every 62 at-bats.

2. Walk this way: Naquin boasts a .325/.371/.554 slash line this season. He only worked two walks in his first 65 plate appearances before he was optioned to Triple-A in mid-May. Since his recall at the start of June, he has tallied four walks in 24 plate appearances.

3. Ripple effect: The 25-year-old has grown quite familiar with I-71, as he has shuttled between Cleveland and Columbus this season. Had the Indians never signed Marlon Byrd, would that have been the case? Byrd gave the Indians two months of production before the league slapped him with a 162-game ban for performance-enhancing drugs.

When the team learned of Byrd's suspension, it summoned Naquin from Triple-A. A few difficult decisions and conversations could have been avoided had Byrd never been signed. Of course, hindsight is crystal clear. It's easy to say now that Naquin unfairly suffered because of Byrd's choice to use the juice to squeeze one more season out of his career.

4. Left, right: With Byrd out of the picture, will Naquin earn more playing time against southpaw pitchers? He owns a .329/.380/.562 clip against righties this season. He has three hits (two doubles) in 10 at-bats against lefties. Naquin did start the series opener in Seattle with left-hander James Paxton on the mound.

5. What a relief: Indians manager Terry Francona turned to righty Dan Otero in a tie game in the seventh inning on Thursday. Otero retired both batters he faced, as he lowered his ERA to 0.73. He has limited the opposition to two earned runs on 19 hits and six walks in 24 2/3 innings. He has struck out 22. He has not allowed an earned run since May 9.

How Dan Otero's family narrowly escaped Cuba

Mary Kay Cabot and Dan Labbe talk Browns receivers. Watch video

BEREA, Ohio -- The Cleveland Browns are remaking their wide receiver room this off-season, adding four in the draft alone, including first-round pick Corey Coleman. With the team's off-season program ending, Mary Kay Cabot and I took a look at who impressed during OTAs and minicamp and who is most intriguing.

Check out the video above as we talk about Coleman and what he's shown early on. We also discuss Terrelle Pryor's potential and what we still need to see from him and more. Get complete minicamp coverage at cleveland.com/browns.

Carlos Munoz is on the pole for the IndyCar Firestone 600 at Texas Motor Speedway.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Back to ovals, back to Honda. Carlos Munoz will be on the pole with Honda power for tonight's Firestone 600 at Texas Motor Speedway.

The green flag is scheduled to drop at 8:50 with coverage on NBCSN starting at 8. You can follow along live at IndyCar's Race Control.

Munoz won his first career pole spot by averaging 217.137 mph for two laps over the 1.455-mile track. Defending race winner Scott Dixon was second in a Chevrolet at 216.901.

Helio Castroneves in a Chevy was third and Takuma Sato in a Honda was fourth. Series points leader Simon Pagenaud (Chevy) qualified sixth and Indianapolis 500 winner Alexander Rossi (Honda) was ninth. Go here for complete qualifying results.

Here are the open-wheel race schedules for this weekend.

VERIZON INDYCAR
FIRESTONE 600

Site: Fort Worth, Texas
Schedule:  Saturday, race, 8 p.m., NBCSN.
Track: Texas Motor Speedway (oval, 1.45 miles).
Race distances: 360.84 miles, 248 laps.
Last year: Scott Dixon beat Tony Kanaan by nearly eight seconds in a race with just two cautions.
Last week: Sebastien Bourdais and Will Power each won a race in Detroit.
Fast facts: There have been six different winners in eight races so far this season. Simon Pagenaud is the only driver with more than one win. He has three and leads the point standings by 80. ... Power has won three consecutive poles in Texas, the third of five oval races in 2016. ... Indianapolis 500 winner Alexander Rossi will make his Texas debut this weekend.
Next race: Kohler Grand Prix, June 26, Road America, Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin.

FORMULA ONE
CANADIAN GRAND PRIX

Site: Montreal
Schedule: Saturday, practice (10 a.m.), qualifying (1 p.m.); Sunday, race, 2 p.m., NBC.
Track: Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve (road, 2.7 miles).
Race distances: 189.7 miles, 70 laps.
Last year: Lewis Hamilton held off Nico Rosberg in a close finish that saw Mercedes cross first and second.
Last race: Hamilton broke his winless drought in Monte Carlo. Daniel Ricciardo and Sergio Perez joined Hamilton on the podium.
Fast facts: Rosberg's lead in the championship, which once seemed nearly insurmountable, is down to 24 points. He has 106, followed by Hamilton (82) and Ricciardo (66). ... The Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve has been reconfigured seven times since its F1 debut in 1978. The last change came in 2002. ... No driver has won in Montreal after starting outside the top 10.
Next race: Grand Prix of Europe, June 19, Baku City Circuit, Baku, Azerbaijan.

NHRA MELLO YELLO DRAG RACING
SUMMERNATIONALS

Site: Englishtown, New Jersey.
Schedule:  Sunday, finals, 3:55 p.m.
Track: Old Bridge Township Raceway.
Last year: Antron Brown (Top Fuel), Matt Hagan (Funny Car) and Greg Anderson (Pro Stock) claimed wins at the track just south of New York City.
Last race: Brown notched his second Top Fuel victory of the season at the New England Nationals.
Fast facts: Brown has won 56 events in his career, but last week's victory was his first in New England. It also helped cut Brown's deficit to series leader Doug Kalitta to just 46 points. ... Courtney Force has a 15-point lead in Funny Car, while Jason Line is up nearly 100 points on the field in Pro Stock.
Next race: Thunder Valley Nationals, June 17-19, Bristol Dragway, Bristol, Tennessee.

(The Associated Press contributed to this report)

Check out front pages after the Warriors' Game 4 win against the Cavaliers.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Check out the photo gallery above featuring newspaper front pages about the 2016 NBA Finals from The Plain Dealer and San Francisco Chronicle.

The gallery contains images of newspaper cover pages from Friday's Game 4, as well as Games 1, 2 and 3.

The Golden State Warriors held off the Cleveland Cavaliers, 108-97, to win Friday's Game 4 at the Q, taking a commanding 3-1 lead in the series.

The best-of-seven series continues in Oakland on Monday at 9 p.m. Game 6, if necessary, will be back in Cleveland on Thursday.

Thanks to The Plain Dealer and San Francisco Chronicle for sharing advance copies of its news and sports front pages.

Exaggerator remains the favorite for today's Belmont Stakes.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Exaggerator remains the 9-5 favorite to win today's 148th running of the Belmont Stakes at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York.

Post time is scheduled as 6:32 p.m. NBC will televise from 5-7 p.m. with pre-race coverage on NBCSN from 3-5 p.m. Live streaming is available NBC Sports Live Extra.

Exaggerator won the Preakness Stakes three weeks ago, out-dueling Kentucky Derby winner Nyquist on a sloppy track at Pimlico. Nyquist will not run the Belmont, so the Triple Crown and rubber match no longer exist.

Rain and storms are in the forecast for today at the track, which could play in Exaggerator's favor.

Bob "Railbird" Roberts, the long-time Plain Dealer writer and race handicapper, picks Destin (6-1) to beat Exaggerator today.

What: 148th running of the Belmont Stakes

Where: Belmont Park, Elmont, N.Y. Distance 1 1/2 miles.

Who: Grade 1 stakes race for 3-year-olds, the third leg of thoroughbred racing's Triple Crown series.

Post time: 6:32 p.m.

TV: NBC, 5-7 p.m.; NBCSN, 3-5 p.m. and 7-7:30 p.m.

1. Governor Malibu, Joel Rosario, 12-1
2. Destin, Javier Castellano, 6-1
3. Cherry Wine, Corey Lanerie, 8-1
4. Suddenbreakingnews, Mike Smith, 10-1
5. Stradivari, John Velazquez, 5-1
6. Gettysburg, Paco Lopez, 30-1
7. Seeking the Soul, Florent Geroux, 30-1
8. Forver d'Oro, Jose Ortiz, 30-1
9. Trojan Nation, Aaron Gryder, 30-1
10. Lani, Yutaka Take, 20-1
11. Exaggerator, Kent Desormeaux, 9-5
12. Brody's Cause, Luis Saez, 20-1
13. Creator, Irad Ortiz Jr., 10-1

Will the NBA help the Cleveland Cavaliers out on an incident that seems complicated and murky? Don't bet on it.

OAKLAND, Calif. -- The Cavaliers head to Must-Win Monday on a wing, actually, two of them on a chartered flight, and a prayer of NBA sanctions against Golden State's power forward Draymond Green.

They trail defending champion Golden State, 3-1, in the best-of-seven NBA Finals. Oddsmakers would not favor a happy result for either a Cavs' comeback or a Green suspension.

Among Cavaliers fans, desperate hope still sputters, like the dying embers of a fire, that the controversial Green will be benched for Monday's fifth game.

Cavs can't count on Kiki

The exhibitionist and political commentator who ran from the stands bare-chested on the court during the Cavs' fourth-game loss with the words  "Trump s---ks" inked on his chest might think even worse of Green. 

But the question is how the NBA's dean of discipline, Kiki Vandeweghe, will view the latest Green controversy.

On the play, James and Green got tangled up. Then James threw out his arm for leverage and Green lost his balance and fell. James then tried to step over Green as he was getting to his feet. The result was James' thighs briefly sandwiched Green's head.

As an affronted Green got to his feet, he clearly struck James in the groin from behind with his right arm.

Was it malicious?

Could Green argue that it was an unintended consequence of using his arm to help keep his balance as he scrambled to his feet?

Or would Vandeweghe even be able to hear such an explanation amid the gales of laughter from around the league?

Second alleged "punch" missed

As for the second "punch" Green threw after getting to his feet, it appeared to be more a gesture, a body-language cry of "Get off me!," rather than an intent to strike James.

Green has a record of borderline/over-the-line play. He is one flagrant foul from a one-game suspension.

Why it probably won't happen

Suspending Green would a allow the NBA to look as if it is actually impartial in judging stars like Green and deep bench players such as the Cavs' Dahntay Jones. The Cavalier was given a one-game suspension for a low blow to Raptors center Bismack Biyombo in the Eastern Conference finals.

But I don't think that is going to happen to Green.

Green deserved to be suspended far more for his Bruce Lee-like jump-kick to the groin of Oklahoma City's Steven Adams in the third game of the Western Conference finals. Although the foul was upgraded on review to a flagrant foul 2, the league did not suspend Green, but fined the volatile player. 

Green makes $14.3 million this season. The fine was for $25,000. It was as ridiculous as it was lame.

The argument is that a suspension could not dramatically alter the course of the series since Golden State has won three of four games. The Warriors trailed, 2-1, in the OKC series at the time of the kick.

To me, the key point might be that James was the instigator when he pushed/threw Green down.

A poll on Cleveland.com, in which most respondents can logically be considered Cavs fans, asked if Green should be suspended for the fifth game. Results were running roughly 56 percent "no" to 44 percent "yes" through the first 2,000 votes.

History of comebacks from 3-1 deficits

Oklahoma City won the fourth game easily against the Warriors on its home floor even though Green did play. It only set the stage for the Warriors' comeback, which, rather than revealing their vulnerabilities, actually reinforced their confidence in their own resiliency.

Only 10 teams have ever rallied from 3-1 deficits to win. Only two have done so without the home-court advantage, meaning they were forced to win both Game 5 and Game 7 on the road.

The first was the 1968 Boston Celtics, who benefited from the wrist injury that sidelined the 76ers' Billy Cunningham for most of the playoff season and from Wilt Chamberlain's seventh-game passivity.

The other was the 1995 NBA champion Houston Rockets. They survived Game 5 in Phoenix when Wesley Person, later a Cavalier, missed an open jump shot at the fourth-quarter buzzer. The Suns lost in overtime.

The Rockets held serve at home and then eked out a one-point seventh-game victory in Phoenix.

I once asked Wes Person, the brother of Chuck "The Rifleman" Person, so named for his sharp-shooting, about that miss. Wes' answer was that the Suns still could have won in overtime, but did not make the shots then, either.

It shows what a slippery slope the playoffs are, though.

It is hard to believe the NBA will throw the Cavs a life-line with its decision on the Green.

The Cavaliers regressed badly in the second half Friday with LeBron James and Kyrie Irving dominating the ball. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio - The Cavs waited a year to show the Warriors they're not the same one-man team they became out of necessity in last year's NBA Finals.

No sir. Get yer popcorn. With this year's NBA Finals on the line in the second half of Game 4, they became a two-man team.

Take ... that?

The Warriors like their chances five-on-five, let alone when LeBron James and Kyrie Irving take 33 of the team's 38 shots in the second half. The fourth-quarter line: 19 of 21 shots for James and Irving. Two assists as a team.

With Irving's and James' needles dipping toward empty thanks to their head coach, the rest of the Cavaliers launched five second-half shots.

Warriors keep the trust in taking a 3-1 lead on Cavs

Tristan Thompson might've collected some of those rebounds but none were long enough to find him on the bench. The dervish most responsible for the Cavs holding a halftime lead missed a quarter's worth of the second half for reasons Lue couldn't make clear.

"I'm not sure," he said when asked about Thompson's absence. Lue allowed that fatigue could've hurt the Cavs late but said he made the decision, down 2-1, one quarter remaining, to go with "my best players."

"In nine days, you can rest all summer," Lue said.

An old-school quote, for sure. And totally beside the point.

Knowing a raft in Cancun awaits doesn't help when Irving and others are hyperventilating in the fourth quarter.

J.R. Smith played all except five seconds in the second half and didn't attempt a shot. Smith smartly glossed over that when someone brought it to his attention. Nobody likes to be that guy who says he wanted more opportunities.

It's not so much that Smith earned more shots - he was 3-10 in the first half. That 0-for-0 stat speaks more to the Cavaliers falling into bad habits under pressure and the ball getting glued to the hands of Irving and James.

Because of it, the Cavs need lots of help to prevent elimination. They sounded desperate in that pursuit Friday.

Cavaliers once again got lost defensively

Their own shortcomings, their own bad habits doomed them. Not the refs missing foul calls against James. The Cavs best player didn't seem to know what he had in mind on half of those drives, leaving his feet with no real intention, looking to dump off to covered teammates or to spots where they could do no real harm.

When the fourth quarter began, Lue opted to keep his stars on the court while Steve Kerr rested Steph Curry. If that was based on being down 2-1, OK, but it just speaks to the biggest difference between the Cavs and Warriors.

Golden State has a system, a plan it's executed with great success for two full seasons now. The Cavs adopted their Share-the-Ball slogan in the final months of the season.

What comes naturally to the Warriors is not ingrained in the Cavaliers. And now, the Cavs simply don't have the discipline or the trust to embrace the philosophy in the three games (at most) remaining in the series.

Are refs letting the Warriors off the hook when James goes to the basket? The refs correctly see the Warriors as a team that consistently protects the rim without a rim protector consistently on the floor. Andrew "The Human Eraser" Bogut played 10 minutes.

Any benefit of the doubt is an earned benefit of the doubt.

The Cavs lost because they played tired and selfishly when it mattered most and because Lue looked like a rookie head coach.

The only thing the Cavs shared in Game 4 was the blame.

Cleveland Browns top pick Corey Coleman looks like a first-round pick, an explosive receiver.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The first time I saw Corey Coleman catch a pass, he snagged a short screen. Then he bolted for what probably would have been a 60-yard touchdown.

It's hard to know exactly how the reception would have played out in real football. This was Thursday at the Browns' minicamp, where players were in shorts and no tackling was allowed.

But this much is certain about the team's first-round pick: He is quick and fast.

Some guys are just fast. They are straight-line sprinters. Coleman has the speed, but also the quick feet and sharp cuts needed to make tacklers miss him. The receiver from Baylor has been impressive. He's a first-round pick who looks like one.

"We need guys who can score the football," said Hue Jackson, using one of his favorite phrases. "We need guys who can create their own yards after they catch the ball. We need playmakers. We need guys who can get more yards than prescribed, without calling a perfect play. He's a playmaker. He's explosive. He can score the football."

Football Outsiders rated Coleman as the top playmaker in their analytics study of the draft. He was the first receiver drafted when the Browns picked him at No. 15.

Football Outsiders wrote: "Corey Coleman has a monster projection. As a junior, Coleman gained 1,363 receiving yards and caught an eye-popping 20 touchdowns. Because Baylor only passed the ball 389 times in 2016, Coleman scored a touchdown on 5.1 percent of Baylor's passes. That's an incredible ratio, which has only been topped by four elite college players: Randy Moss, Demaryius Thomas, Dez Bryant, and Larry Fitzgerald. Coleman also tested out well physically, posting a position-best 40.5-inch vertical jump at the NFL combine.

"Notwithstanding these numbers, there are certainly legitimate concerns regarding Coleman's ability to transition to the NFL level. Coleman played in Art Briles' run-first offense at Baylor, which saw Coleman mostly run simple go, in, and hitch patterns."

That's where Al Saunders comes in. The veteran wide receivers coach is working hard with everyone, especially Coleman.

"Corey is what we thought he was, a talented football player," Saunders said. "He's got great speed. He's got some route running ability. He just has a limited background because of his college days. We're here to make sure he learns and the basics get better and better. ... Cleveland fans are going to be excited to see him when he gets up to speed in every phase of the game."

Some scouts rated him as a low first-round pick because he's only 5-11. The Browns believe his speed and athleticism make up for the lack of height. He can really jump. He was the 2015 Biletnikoff winner as the top receiver in college football.

Coleman caught 20 TD passes last season, and it would have been more if Baylor's quarterbacks had stayed healthy. They used four starters, ending up with a receiver playing the position at the end of the season.

Early reviews on Coleman are exciting, especially for a team that desperately needs receivers. When was the last time the Browns drafted a receiver with his ability? Their last first-round receiver was Braylon Edwards in 2005. He was a gifted athlete with excellent size at 6-3. Edwards caught 80 passes (16 TDs) in 2007 and made the Pro Bowl. But Edwards had lots of dropped passes. He last played in the NFL in 2012.

Coleman dropped 10 passes last season, an above average rate. His hands have been very good in camp.

ABOUT THE QUARTERBACKS

I see no reason to dwell on Jackson's decision not to name a starter at the end of minicamp. Here are some quick thoughts after attending three of the OTAs and minicamp workouts:

1. Josh McCown looked the best. These spring practices are ideal for the veteran. No one is tackled. He is experienced and learns offenses quickly.

2. The Browns didn't bring in Robert Griffin III to be a backup. But he needs a lot of work, learning to pass from the pocket and on the run in Jackson's offense. He has had some nice moments, such as Thursday's 40-yard pass into the corner of the end zone to Terrelle Pryor. Other times, he has missed wide open receivers.

3. Jackson on Griffin in the pocket: "He looks natural to me. He is checking the ball down (short passes), throwing downfield and throwing the ball into tight spaces. He's improved. We all can see that. He's talented, but there's still work to be done."

4. McCown and Griffin both have durability issues. Neither has stayed healthy for a full 16-game season. That's why the Browns might keep McCown. I don't think they want Griffin to suffer an early-season injury, then turn over the team to rookie Cody Kessler. That would be too much, too soon.

5. Kessler definitely is No. 3 on depth chart, at least on how he's being used. I just haven't seen that much of him to form an opinion.

6. As for Connor Shaw and Austin Davis, they have not played much. With five quarterbacks, it does seem the Browns have at least one too many if this stays the same once veterans camp begins in July.

ABOUT THE BROWNS

1. Andrew Hawkins has looked very good. He played for Jackson with the Bengals, and it's obvious the coach loves the veteran receiver. Hawkins had two concussions last season and missed eight games. In practices where there is no tackling, the small, quick receivers often stand out.

2. In the few practices that I watched, it seems there have been more pass plays for Isaiah Crowell than he has in his two years with the Browns. The running back has only 28 catches in 32 games.

3. Crowell definitely has impressed the coaches. Running back Giovanni Bernard caught 49 passes for the Bengals in 2015. Running backs coach Kirby Wilson said: "Isaiah is a complete player in terms of the tools he brings to the game. He's explosive. He has nice size and the natural ability to play the position. He's a bright young man and football comes easy to him in terms of preparation."

4. Wilson also said he believes Malcolm Johnson "can develop into a top-flight fullback. He has the football demeanor we are looking for. ... Cleveland did a nice job selecting him. I had my eyes on him when I was (coaching) at another place. ... He's got a huge upside."

5. Johnson was a sixth-round pick in 2015 by the Ray Farmer front office. He played some special teams along with some fullback last season. He was a fullback/tight end at Mississippi State.

Cleveland Cavaliers have been working on sharing the ball and the shots in the playoffs. All of that was forgotten in the Game 4 loss to Golden State.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Talking about the Cleveland Cavaliers as they trail the Golden State Warriors in the 2016 NBA Finals, 3-1.

1. From the moment Tyronn Lue took over at midseason, he stressed the Cavs needed to play at a fast pace and "trust each other." Lue used that "trust" word often. He meant players need to pass the ball ... and keep passing. They need to trust each other enough to help on defense.

2. For most of the playoffs, that worked. The Cavs were growing together as a team. In many Eastern Conference playoff games, Kyrie Irving, Kevin Love and LeBron James all scored big. J.R. Smith had some productive scoring games in the postseason. So did Channing Frye.

3. But that trust collapsed in Friday's Game 4, a 108-97 loss to Golden State. As the Cavs were being outscored 58-42 in the second half, Irving and James combined to take 33 of the Cavs' 38 shots. It was clear James and Irving had faith in each other, but lost sight of everyone else.

4. It's impossible to imagine Smith playing all 24 minutes of the second half and not taking a shot -- but it happened Friday.

5. It's hard to picture Richard Jefferson, Tristan Thompson, Iman Shumpert, Love and Frye being on the court for a combined 48 minutes, but shooting 2-of-5 for six points. I'm not sure I've ever seen an NBA box score where two guys so dominated the offense in one half.

6. I don't know what Lue said -- if anything -- in the huddles about this during timeouts. I didn't get a chance to ask in the post-game press conference. Based on the transcript handed out, no one else did, either.

7. James was asked about dominating the offense with Irving: "Coach Lue told us to be aggressive. And obviously, we don't like to hear it in that form. We want to get our guys involved and keep our guys in a good rhythm. I think it's just the way the game played out."

8. Not sure what to make of that answer. My guess is James and Irving weren't being selfish. They believed they gave the Cavs the best chance to win. But it is up to Lue to make sure others are involved. Set up some plays for someone else to get some shots.

9. When players stand around on offense, it tends to lead to stagnant defense. That's what happened in the second half. The trust factor broke down on both ends of the court.

10. The Warriors offered a dramatic contrast. They opened the third quarter trailing, 55-50. The Warriors took 44 shots in the second half -- 22 by star guards Klay Thompson and Stephen Curry. They scored 38 points. Five other players were 7-of-22 for 20 points. Not great, but the entire team was involved, and the Warriors did it while coming from behind.

11. Here's another sign of no ball movement. The Cavs had only five assists on their 18 second-half baskets. Four were by James, one by Irving.

12. Golden State went on a 12-1 run in the fourth quarter to take control. James said, "It starts with Harrison Barnes making a 3-pointer at the top of the key." That's right, Harrison Barnes -- not Curry or Thompson.

13. Curry made seven shots from 3-point range. The Cavs made only six. A key to making 3-pointers is ball movement, passing multiple times to find a wide-open man. In many of their early-round playoff games, the Cavs did that effectively. Not Friday.

14. Golden State had 14 assists on 17 field goals in the second half. That's ball movement.

15. James had seven turnovers. He's lost confidence in his jumper -- going 1-of-5 on 3-pointers, 10-of-16 from 2-point range. Most were layups. Defenses are daring him to shoot outside, putting several bodies in front of the rim to slow his drives.

16. I do agree with James about how something is very wrong when he plays 46 minutes, consistently drives to the rim -- and shoots only four free throws. It's not why the Cavs lost, but the officials do allow him to take beating without calling fouls.

17. The Cavs hurt themselves at the foul line. They were only 15-of-26. Tristan Thompson was 0-of-5.

18. Thompson had five rebounds in the first quarter, only two in the remaining 19 minutes that he played. I don't have a good idea why. I kept waiting for Thompson to set a pick and do one of his high pick-and-rolls to the rim for a dunk. It never happened.

19. When Irving or James had the ball, everyone else with the Cavs usually got out of the way. The trust melted under the pressure of the Finals.

20. I keep wondering when the NBA will suspend Draymond Green. He got tangled up with James and seemed to whack him in the groin. He kicked Oklahoma City center Steven Adams in the groin and was fined $25,000. He should have been suspended for that.

21. The Cavs now face a seemingly impossible task. No team has come back from a 3-1 deficit to win The Finals. To be precise, 32 teams have been in that position. All 32 failed. Golden State came back from 3-1 deficit in the Western Conference Finals to beat Oklahoma City -- but played two of the three games at home.

22. In recent years, Oklahoma City (2013) and Miami (2014) faced 3-1 deficits and were eliminated in five games. The Cavs play Monday night in Oakland, where the Warriors are 49-3 this season (counting the playoffs).

ABOUT KEVIN LOVE AND CHRIS BOSH

Kevin Love has a hard time playing against the Golden State Warriors -- especially when he's matched up against Draymond Green. But does this make Love expendable? Or as a fan told me, "I hope they don't clear him (from his concussion) to play in Game 4."

Good reasoning. Everyone would rather have Dontay Jones and Jordan McRae active for a Finals game than Love. Those are the guys who suited up when Love was out with his concussion in Game 3. That's what happens in the emotion of the moment.

When Love was traded to the Cavs, Chris Bosh warned that playing with LeBron James and Kyrie Irving would not easy. The Miami forward knew what it's like to be in The Big Three ... but as the third wheel.

Consider Bosh's stats from his Finals with Miami:

• 2014 vs. Spurs: 14.0 points, 5.2 rebounds, .549 shooting. Heat lost in 5 games.
• 2013 vs. Spurs: 11.9 points, 8.9 rebounds, .462 shooting. Heat won in 7.
• 2012 vs. Thunder: 14.6 points, 9.4 rebounds, .452 shooting. Heat won in 5.
• 2011 vs. Mavericks: 18.5 points, 7.3 rebounds, .413 shooting. Heat lost in 6.

Other than 2011, Bosh's numbers were not eye-popping. In 2011, Miami was upset by Dallas, so Bosh received no credit for playing well.

Bosh shared the court (and the ball) with Dwyane Wade and James. It was not an equal opportunity situation. Wade and James controlled the ball, just as Irving and James do here. The power forward in The Big Three often becomes a stationary long-range shooter, keeping the middle open for the other two stars.

Many of the same discussions heard in Cleveland about Love took place in Miami about Bosh. How do you get him more involved? Why doesn't he produce more? Why isn't he more aggressive? Why is he paid all that money?

In the end, Bosh helped the Heat reach The Finals all four years that he played with James. He helped them win two titles, even if his stats weren't overwhelming. In the two championships, Bosh combined to average 13.3 points and 9.2 rebounds.

Coming off the bench in Game 4, Love had a decent first half -- seven points, three rebounds, 2-of-4 shooting in 14 minutes. But like everyone else not named James or Irving, Love was a non-entity after halftime. He was 1-of-2 for 4 points and two rebounds in 11 minutes.

ABOUT RICHARD JEFFERSON

I received this email from Mary Perkowski:

"I met Richard's family in Tremont at the Fahrenheit Restaurant.  His mother, Meekness LeCato, oozes grace. No one at Fahrenheit knew who they were.

"As I chatted with them, they were unassuming. His adorable wife simply said her husband 'was resting.' I think it was finally his brother who told me who they were. His mother, though, is the story. You may already know it, but I could have talked with her for hours.

"I'm grateful Richard had his support system in town including his parents, wife, brother, aunt and uncle. I can only imagine the pride they must have felt watching their son in Game 3."

Cleveland Indians have to keep juggling outfielders, and they'll get Abraham Almonte back on July 3.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Cleveland Indians will soon be getting some outfield help.

Not from Michael Brantley. The Tribe says he's making progress from his shoulder surgery, but they are being careful. No timetables are being given.

But Abraham Almonte can start playing in minor-league games on June 21. He can return to the Tribe on July 3, when his 80-game suspension for flunking a PED test ends.

Almonte is in Goodyear, Arizona. He has been allowed to play in extended spring training games and to work out with the young players at the Tribe's spring training complex. Almonte should be in good baseball shape when he's eligible to return.

Almonte came to spring training as the incumbent center fielder. Tyler Naquin was ticketed for Class AAA Columbus, although the Indians intended to give him a lot of action with the big league team. They believed Naquin would be ready at some point for the big leagues.

When Almonte's suspension was announced Feb. 28, center field was thrown wide open. The Indians loaded up with marginal players -- Will Venable, Robbie Grossman, Joey Butler, James Ramsey and Collin Cowgill.

Naquin seized the opportunity, batting .397 with 4 HR in 58 at bats. He made the team. Would it have happened if Almonte had not failed the test? Who knows?

Bottom line is Naquin deserves credit for hitting his way onto the roster -- and for staying hot at the plate.

ABOUT THE OUTFIELD

1. Look at these names: Jose Ramirez, Lonnie Chisenhall, Rajai Davis and Naquin. At the start of the season, would you think that group would handle the outfield? It's a credit to them and Terry Francona's ability to juggle lineups that the outfield has been reasonably productive.

2. Marlon Byrd (.270, 5 HR, 19 RBI) helped, but he was suspended on June 1 for 162 games for a failed drug test. Overall, the Tribe outfield ranks fifth in the AL in batting average (.277), sixth in defense, seventh in OPS (.776) and 10th in RBI. Without Brantley, that's decent production.

3. Almonte batted .264 (.776 OPS) with five homers, five triples and nine doubles last season. He drove in 20 runs in 51 games. He was 6-of-6 in stolen bases. He was a solid player after Chris Antonetti's front office traded Marc Rzepczynski to the Padres for him.

4. At the time, Michael Bourn wasn't hitting and his defense was poor. He ranked No. 14 out of 17 AL center fielders who got significant playing time in 2015. Almonte ranked No. 7 defensively in 2015, according to fangraphs.com.

5. The lifesaver has been Ramirez. He entered the weekend hitting .305 (.812 OPS) with 3 HR and 22 RBI. Ramirez leads the Tribe with a .389 batting average with runners in scoring position. Then comes Rajai Davis at .349. Chisenhall is batting .286 in those situations. Naquin is .143 (2-of-14).

6. Davis is putting together a nice season, batting .256 (.728 OPS) with 6 HR, 24 RBI and he's 14-of-17 in stolen bases. An excellent pickup.

7. I had major doubts about Chisenhall, but he's batting .277 (.772 OPS) with 2 HR and 11 RBI. I'd like to see more power, but he has pulled himself together nicely after a poor start. Fangraphs ranks Chisenhall as the league's best defensive right fielder.

8. Almonte is not a game-changer, but adding him to this mix gives Francona another big league option. With no one sure when Brantley will return, that's a help.

ABOUT NAQUIN

1. Just when I wrote how Naquin has little power, he hit three homers in three days last weekend. Thursday, he hit a fourth to give the Tribe a 5-3 victory in Seattle.

2. Naquin hit only 7 HR in 378 at-bats last season between Class AA Akron and Class AAA Columbus. Power is not his game. He is known as a line-drive hitter with a smooth left-handed swing. He was the No. 15 pick in the 2015 draft. Baseball America called him "the best pure hitter" in that draft.

3. The Indians are pleased with the power, but they don't want Naquin to become obsessed with homers. After his three-game streak last weekend, he struck out six times in his next 10 at-bats. Just keep that nice, level swing.

4. Naquin is batting .325 (.925 OPS) with 4 HR and 9 RBI entering the weekend. In 89 at-bats, he has 29 strikeouts -- a high rate. He has only walked six times. But the Indians believe the strikeouts will drop as he becomes more acclimated to the majors.

5. When the Indians have Francisco Lindor (2011), Naquin (2012) and Chisenhall (2008) in the lineup, they have three first-round picks on the field. Their first rounders from 2009 (Alex White) and 2010 (Drew Pomeranz) were traded to Colorado for Ubaldo Jimenez in 2011.

TALKIN' TRIBE

1. I would have sworn the Tribe was near the league lead in strikeouts. But they're eighth. It just shows how hitters in general don't seem to worry about it.

2. Fans know Mike Napoli has been the power bat this team has desperately needed. He entered the weekend batting .236 (.804 OPS) with 14 HR and 44 RBI. He's batting .274 with runners in scoring position.

3. Napoli also leads the American League in strikeouts, fanning 86 times in 235 plate appearances. There have been 11 games where he has struck out at least three times. The Tribe is 5-6 in those games.

4. The Indians believe Danny Salazar's shoulder just became a little tired. In his last start, he threw 113 pitches in eight innings. The 113th pitch was 98 mph. Salazar will start Sunday after skipping a turn, carrying a 6-3 record and is second in the league with a 2.24 ERA.

5. Right behind Salazar is Rich Hill (8-3, 2.25), the same man who was with the Tribe in 2013 and had a 6.28 ERA as a reliever. He has worked in the bullpen for most of his career, but started a few games at the end of last season in Boston. Oakland signed Hill and at 36, he's become an outstanding starter. Go figure.

6. I was wondering if batting leadoff helped Carlos Santana. Not really. He's batting .225 as a leadoff man. Batting fourth, it's .227. Batting fifth, it's .216. Overall, he's hitting .221 (.738 OPS) with 10 HR and 27 RBI. He still walks a lot, but his swing remains big and out-of-control.

7. The Indians picked up Dan Otero from Oakland, where he was 2-4 with a 6.75 ERA last season. Pitching coach Mickey Callaway helped Otero with a few things. Suddenly, he's a quality reliever. Otero is 1-0 with an 0.73 ERA for the Tribe. In 2014, he had a 2.28 ERA for the A's, then fell apart in 2015.

LeBron James said his job will be making sure the Cavaliers believe that they can still do something special.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - The emotional carnage of a wasted opportunity was visible throughout the Cleveland Cavaliers' locker room in the early hours of Saturday morning.

The Golden State Warriors had just displayed a second-half cool that the home team lacked in Friday night's 108-97 Game 4 victory. J.R. Smith sat at his locker stall in a daze, looking at nothing in particular. A herd of media members surrounded him. But they might as well have been ghosts -- Smith just gazed right through them.

LeBron James, a few stalls over, was fidgety.

With his knees swathed in ice bags and feet submerged in a bucket of ice water, James rested back in his chair. He surveyed the room. He was biting the bottom of his lip and focusing on the demeanor of his teammates.

Facing another NBA Finals defeat just one Golden State victory away, his mind seemed to be racing. At one point his body slumped and he began shaking his head in disappointment.

"I was just replaying parts of the game in my head and it was killing me with some of the stuff that we did out there tonight," James told cleveland.com. "The mental lapses, the turnovers, the missed opportunities. It was all spinning vividly in my head."

When Harrison Barnes nailed a deciding 3-pointer with 5:56 left in the fourth quarter to give the Warriors a nine-point advantage, James felt the dagger. At that point, the Warriors had fashioned a 12-1 run over a stretch of 4:25 -- another Golden State surge that Cleveland couldn't answer. The Cavaliers eventually went 6:37 without a basket and never found their poise or points until it didn't matter.

Too much hero-ball from James and Irving down the stretch, with repeated sprints into a defense that had collapsed into the lane without much obvious concern about Cleveland's long-distance options. Fans excited about a potential series deadlock with three games remaining were reduced to staring at the court in disappointment as the minutes ticked away.

During the course of a game, the humongotron usually zeroes in on a "fan" (employed by the team) with a Cavs shirt dancing up and down an aisle out of rhythm. He routinely urges applause as he takes off multiple shirts and flings them into the crowd.

However, his performance was foiled on Friday. A male Warriors fan made his way into the frame and started taunting in the background. Within seconds, the stunt was abandoned by the cameras.

The rest of the game essentially followed suit. The Cavaliers entered the game confident in the final result. Like the scripted fan, they were short-circuited by Golden State.

No team has won the NBA championship after falling behind 3-1 in The Finals. That's 0-for-32. General Manager David Griffin departed The Q trying to boost morale; walking past some arena security officials saying "one more game at home, right?"

"Yes sir," was the response. But it wasn't convincing. All around The Q, arena workers tidied up and prepared for a hockey game on Saturday night that could complete a sweep for the Lake Erie Monsters and a Calder Cup title. Cleveland is that close to a championship in the NHL's developmental American Hockey League. But a major crown once again seems out of reach.

That realization seemed to be everywhere inside the locker room.

"If you don't think we can win, don't get on the plane," head coach Tyronn Lue told the Cavaliers. "I just think we have to come back anyway, so we might as well come back and play [Game 6]."

Does this team truly believe that? History says no. Has dancing man danced his last dance this season? Will there be a game at The Q on Thursday?

The answer comes Monday night in the Bay Area.

"That's going to be my job, getting players to believe that this isn't over," James told cleveland.com. "Me personally, I'm good, but I know what type of challenge we're up against and it's going to be up to me to prepare my teammates for that."

Daniel Berger becomes a new leader after Round 2 of the PGA Tour FedEx St. Jude Classic in Memphis.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - The competition may blame it on the equipment as Daniel Berger shot a season-best 6-under 64 on Friday to take a three-stroke lead in the FedEx St. Jude Classic.

Berger broke in a new driver and 3-wood because his old clubs cracked last week from age. He stands at 9-under entering today's play.

Tom Hoge is second by a shot after a 69 Friday. He was part of a three-way tie for the lead after the first round. Now there's a three-way tie for third. Dustin Johnson, 2012 champion on this course, Phil Mickelson and Brooks Koepka are all tied at 5-under.

Action resumes today and the Golf Channel will begin its programming at 1 p.m. and on CBS at 3 p.m.

You can find today's pairings and tee times here.

TODAY'S LIVE LEADERBOARD

Site: Memphis, Tenn.
Course: TPC Southwind. Yards: 7,244. Par: 70.
Purse: $6.2 million. (First prize: $1.116 million).
Television: CBS Sports (Today-Sunday, 3-6 p.m.); Golf Channel (Today-Sunday, 1-2:30 p.m.).
Defending champion: Fabian Gomez.
Last week: William McGirt won the Memorial for his first PGA Tour victory.
Notes: The top 60 in the world after the FedEx St. Jude Classic will get into the U.S. Open if not already exempt. ... Fabian Gomez has won twice in the last 12 months, at the St. Jude Classic and the Sony Open, and still is not exempt for the U.S. Open. ... Dustin Johnson (No. 6) is the only player from the top 10 in the world ranking in the field. Johnson won in 2012. ... Phil Mickelson and Ernie Els also are in the field. ... Kyle Reifers has not missed a tournament for which he is eligible since the Northern Trust Open at Riviera on Feb. 21. He said workers are trying to remove mold from his house in Charlotte, North Carolina, and he would have to stay in a hotel if he went home. ... Carlos Ortiz of Mexico has missed the cut in eight of his last nine events and has fallen out of the top 60 in the Olympic ranking with one month to go before qualifying ends. He at least qualified for the U.S. Open on Monday ... Lee McCoy, who tied for fourth at the Valspar Championship, makes his pro debut after graduating Georgia. Also playing as a pro for the first time are Robby Shelton of Alabama and Matt NeSmith of South Carolina.
Next week: U.S. Open.
Online: www.pgatour.com

(The Associated Press contributed to this report)

The Browns have pulled Danny Shelton aside and urged to keep off the 30 pounds he lost over the off-season. That and other minicamp observations.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Browns wrapped up mandatory minicamp on Thursday and have scattered until training camp begins at the end of July. But the eight practices during organized team activities and the three minicamps have given Hue Jackson and his staff a good idea of what they have heading into camp.

Here are some observations from the mandatory minicamp and thoughts heading into the six-week break.

Danny Shelton isn't half the man he used to be

Shelton, who ballooned to a hefty 365 pounds by the end of last season, has dropped 30 pounds and moving much better. He's always had a high motor, but now he's getting around more quickly and looks far more powerful. However, he's always had a tendency to pack on the pounds, and the Browns have challenged him to keep the weight off.  

"He can do so many more things at the weight he's at right now and the condition he's in,'' said defensive line coach Robert Nunn. "So he's got to keep that and time will tell. He's the one that controls that. I can help him only so much and the strength coaches can only help him so much and Coach Jackson can only help him so much. I think he sees the difference of where he was and where he can be.''

Nunn, who wants Shelton to play more on passing downs, pulled the tackle into his office and stressed the importance of weight control.

"He's got to battle it every day and he's got a plan throughout the summer,'' said Nunn. "I'll be in constant contact with him throughout the summer and I'm excited about him as much as anybody of coming in here in great shape and getting off to a great start in training camp.''

Joe Haden back to the Pro Bowl?

Haden is still recovering from surgery to repair cartilage and ligament damage in his left ankle, but he can't wait to begin practicing. He's been very vocal on the sidelines, encouraging his fellow defensive backs and chatting up the receivers.

Defensive backs coach Louis Cioffi, who was here in 2013, sees great things in 2016.

"I expect him to be back in the Pro Bowl,'' Cioffi said. "He's that kind of player. We are going to do everything we can to get him back to that status. He's going to help us win a lot of football games. He's been awesome. He's been rehabbing like crazy. He's been great in the meeting rooms, and I think he'll be ready to go when the season starts."

Justin Gilbert coming along

Gilbert made plays on the ball in practice. The true test won't come until the preseason games, but he looks better than at any time since he arrived.

"When I first got here, we sat down,'' Cioffi said. "We mapped out a plan. He has goals and I have goals. We're going to do everything in our power to get him to reach his goals.

"He's been tremendous. He's done everything that we have asked. He's been attentive in meetings. He's been very productive on the field. He's been amenable to the techniques that we have asked him to play, and he's been successful in that area. Hopefully, that will continue. I don't see any reason why he can't be a very good corner in this league."

Barkevious Mingo moving around

Mingo has the opposite problem of Shelton. He worked hard to put on 25 pounds and will struggle to maintain it during the dog days of training camp. But he's looked fast and powerful coming off the edge, and he'll have a chance to prove in camp that he can get to the quarterback.

"He's been great for us so far,'' said outside linebackers coach Ryan Slowik. "He's obviously very athletic and we're trying to move him around, create different roles for him to do things and he's accepted it and he enjoys the challenge of trying to pick up different traits. How much he moves around is up to him.''

Robert Griffin III in open competition for QB job

Corey Coleman coming up the learning curve

Fans coming to training camp will immediately see why the Browns selected Coleman. His first-round ability is evident on every rep. But Coleman focused primarily on one side of the field at Baylor and a handful of routes. Here, his head is still spinning with a much more complicated scheme, and Jackson is riding him hard.

"Corey is what we thought he was,'' said Saunders. "He's a talented football player, he's got great speed, he's got some great route-running ability. He just had a very limited background in his college days and that's what we're here for is to make sure that he learns on a progressive basis. I've been really pleased with his attitude and effort. Cleveland fans are going to be excited to see him when he gets up to speed in every phase of the game.''

Terrelle Pryor learning on the fly

Pryor (6-4, 218) closed out minicamp by catching a deep ball from Robert Griffin on a go-route and streaking into the end zone so fast that he ran into a fence bordering the field. So he's got the fly part down. Now, the Browns need him work on getting open in other ways.

"When you've got a guy that size and you've got a guy that can run vertically with that speed, it's something to work with,'' said receivers coach Al Saunders. "What we've got to get Terrelle to be able to do  -- and he's doing a better job of it  -- is the ability to change direction at full speed. And that's always harder for someone who is so much higher cut.''

In the meantime, they'll keep letting him whiz by defenders and leap to grab the ball.

"He's a big target in the red zone,'' said Saunders. "Tall and strong and fast are good qualities to have. Every day he gets better, and does something that really gives me optimism that he has a future at that position. We're really excited about him.''

Center Cam Erving can run

Erving came up limping after one play on the last day of minicamp and took some time to walk off the pain before going back in. It was a minor scare for the Browns, who are counting on Erving -- and his athleticism -- at center.

"He's a physical guy, but I'm going to tell you what now, he can run like heck,'' said offensive line coach Hal Hunter. "He may be one of the most athletic centers (I've seen).''

In fact, if there was a 40-yard competition for NFL centers, "I'd put my money on Cam Erving to win that one," Hunter said. "He can really run and change direction for a big, tall, high-cut guy. That's what everybody was so interested in with him. They felt he was athletic enough. We were looking at him in Indianapolis as a left tackle. that's how well we thought about his athleticism.''

 

Ohio State is hosting a one-day instructional camp at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center on Saturday, and though top talents don't usually work out, it's makes for a nice unofficial visit atmosphere.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- These are the camps that really help Ohio State pull talent. 

Though Urban Meyer and a handful of assistants spent time in New Jersey earlier this week for a satellite camp hosted by Rutgers, it's the camps on Ohio State's campus that really give it a chance to land commitments. 

Ohio State is hosting a one-day instructional camp at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center on Saturday, and though top talents don't usually work out, it's makes for a nice unofficial visit atmosphere. Those prospects get to tour Ohio State's facilities and get a closer look at how assistants approach coaching. 

Let's take a look at a few of the top prospects on campus: 

* Four-star linebacker Anthony Hines of Plano (Texas) East (2017): Rated the No. 1 inside linebacker in the 2017 recruiting class in the 247Sports composite rankings, the 6-foot-3, 222-pound Hines was riding around in a golf cart with star Buckeyes linebacker Raekwon McMillan. 

Hines has 90 offers -- 90! -- but the Buckeyes are clearly one of the schools directly in the mix. He did pay out of his own pocket to come to Columbus, after all. 

* Defensive tackle Darrell Simpson of Justin (Texas) Northwest (2018): Though Simpson doesn't have a rating yet, he's clearly one of the best prospects in the country. He has 14 offers, including Ohio State, Baylor, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, TCU and Texas A&M. 

Simpson earned his Ohio State offer on May 12. 

* Four-star quarterback Tate Martell of Las Vegas (Nev.) Bishop Gorman (2017): Rated the No. 1 dual-threat quarterback in the 2017 recruiting class, Martell has been put on "commitment watch" this weekend. The 5-foot-11, 203-pound quarterback doesn't arrive on campus until Sunday, though.

Martell released a top five last week that consisted of Ohio State, UCLA, USC, Colorado and California.

* Five-star cornerback Shaun Wade of Jacksonville (Fla.) Trinity (2017): Wade has been committed to Ohio State since January of 2015 and he's one of the most valuable commits in the 2017 class. However, the Buckeyes know that his recruitment is far from over, so if he makes it to campus on Saturday, it'll be a huge boost in Meyer's continued recruitment of the No. 2 cornerback in the country. 

Matthew Cubbage, 25, was charged with selling fake tickets to Game 4 of the NBA Finals.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A Georgia man is accused of selling fake tickets to Friday's Game 4 of the NBA Finals.

Matthew Cubbage, 25, of Cubbage, Georgia is charged with fifth-degree felony trademark counterfeiting. He is scheduled to appear in court on Monday.

Cubbage is accused of standing at outside Quicken Loans Arena on Friday before the Cleveland Cavaliers-Golden State Warriors game and selling counterfeit tickets.

He sold someone three fake tickets for $2,100, according to police. He was later arrested in downtown Cleveland with six more fake tickets with a total face value of $1,134, according to police.

The arrest came after a warning from the Ohio Attorney General about ticket scams and the arrest of three others who who were accused of selling fake tickets to Game 3 of the Finals, also at the Q.

Melissa Martin, 25, of Troy, New York, Harvey Nelson, 22, and Mason Wein, 21, both of Cleveland were arrested and charged in separate incidents.

All three are being held on $25,000 bond on felony counterfeiting charges.

Wein sold two tickets to the game to a Concord Township man for $240 on East 4th Street at Prospect Avenue, according to a police report. Wein also gave the men receipts for each of their tickets.

When the man and his friend went to use the tickets near the food court, employees at Quicken Loans Arena told them the tickets were fake. 

The men called police and gave them a description of the seller. Officers arrested the man at East 9th Street and Bolivar Avenue, and found four more counterfeit tickets that matched those sold to the Concord Township man, according to a police report.

Nelson and Martin were arrested by officers investigating a separate complaint of someone selling counterfeit tickets, police said.

Nelson sold fake tickets for $500 each to a man, according to court records.

Police arrested Nelson as he was getting into a car with Martin, police said.

Martin had 28 counterfeited tickets in the car, which were marked at face value of $14,000, according to court records.

Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine early Friday issued a warning to fans to watch out for counterfeited tickets and merchandise.

If you want to comment on this story, please visit our crime and courts comments section.

Ali picked the site himself. He toured the cemetery's twisting paths and towering trees and decided on this spot just across from a flower patch and a lake, with a fountain that babbles day and night.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) -- He carried a dozen roses into Cave Hill Cemetery and headed for a patch of grass in the back corner that seemed too ordinary for the man buried beneath it.

Farzam Farrokhi had worried there would be a horde of people Saturday morning elbowing for a place among the first to see Muhammad Ali's grave.

Instead he found a quiet and reverent stream of visitors. There was not yet a headstone marking the spot. No rope cordoned off those wishing to kneel, pray or kiss the grave.

It would have looked like any unremarkable rectangle of fresh sod had people not been snapping photos. A few brought flowers, one left a tiny set of boxing gloves. A man unfurled an Islamic flag and laid it alongside the grave.

Farrokhi, a native of Iran, drove 12 hours from his home in Queens, New York, for Ali's funeral. He was grateful for no massive crowds so he could sit and reflect on the life and the death of The Greatest, who suffered for years with Parkinson's disease.

"I can't imagine a heart like Ali's being stuck in a body where he can't do what he wants to do. Now he can be free," he said. "Maybe he's shaking up the next world already."

Ali was buried Friday in a corner of his hometown's historic Cave Hill Cemetery, 300 acres famous for its beauty and wildlife.

Ali picked the site himself. He toured the cemetery's twisting paths and towering trees and decided on this spot just across from a flower patch and a lake, with a fountain that babbles day and night. Four geese moseyed across the road nearby Saturday morning.

His headstone will be simple when it's installed, in keeping with Muslim tradition. It will be inscribed with just one word: Ali.

Jake and Janell Bessler drove from Evansville to see it Saturday. On the way, they told their 4-week-old daughter, Violet, sleeping in her car seat, about the boxing great and what he meant to the world.

"We told her 'this is history, you get to be a part of it," Janell said. They sat her in front of the grave and snapped a photo, so she'll be able to see it one day.

Visitors trickled in from near and far. James Terry, a Louisville native, carried a map of the cemetery, marking the family plot on the other side where he will one day be buried. He delighted at the idea he will share the same dirt as The Champ.

Roy Johnson, a long-haul truck driver from Colton, California, was delivering a load a paper to New Jersey when he heard about Ali's death. It broke his heart, he said. Ali made him believe, as a little black boy, that greatness was possible if he fought for it hard enough and never wavered.

Johnson was planning to visit his son, stationed at Fort Campbell on the Kentucky-Tennessee border during his trip. He drove about 100 miles out of his way to be among the first to see Ali's grave.

"My heart is beating really fast right now, I'm in awe of this moment," he said. "I never got a chance to meet him when he was alive. Now he's just a few feet away. It's just beautiful to be standing here."

Farrokhi stopped at a florist on the way and surveyed the bouquets of roses. They had bunches in red and yellow and white. Then he found one that mixed all the colors.

"When you think of Ali's fans, they're every color," he said. "It seemed right, that's how he wanted the world to be."

He pulled the flowers off the stems one by one, crushed the petals between his fingers and sprinkled them on top of Ali's grave, rows of magenta yellow, red and white. He repeated it 11 times until he got to the last flower, a pale pink one.

He kneeled and laid it whole at Ali's feet.