The Cleveland Cavaliers have tried to build a title winner quickly with LeBron James. The Golden State Warriors took a much more patient approach.

OAKLAND, Calif. -- For the Golden State Warriors, there were no shortcuts. That's something to remember while watching these NBA Finals.

The Warriors are within a victory of their second consecutive NBA title. They have a 3-2 series lead after the Cavs impressed with a 112-97 victory in Game 5 Monday in Oakland. Game 6 is Thursday at the Q.

Before Monday's win, the Cavs were down 3-1 and no team has ever come back from that deficit to win in the NBA Finals. The Cavs not only have run into a great team, but are feeling the pressure of falling short for the second year in a row.

"If you're able to stay healthy, there's a level of confidence and relief that comes with having a ring already," said Golden State coach Steve Kerr. "Especially these days, there's such a burden and stigma on players and teams that have not won the big one."

Very few championship teams have been quite like these Warriors. None of their key players were top five draft picks. None were superstar free agents. Golden State built a title team the old-fashioned way -- mostly with smart drafting and shrewd free-agent signings.

Then they gave the team a chance to grow together.

Here's a breakdown:

1. Stephen Curry has developed into a two-time MVP. No one saw that coming when he was the No. 7 selection in the 2009 draft.
2. Klay Thompson is an All-Star guard. Few imagined that would be the case when he was the No. 11 pick in 2011.
3. Starting forward Harrison Barnes was the No. 7 pick in 2012.
4. Starting forward Draymond Green was the No. 35 pick in 2012.
5. Starting center Andrew Bogut was acquired via trade from Milwaukee in 2012.
6. Backup center Festus Ezeli was the No. 30 pick in the 2012 draft.
7. Sixth man Andre Iguodala signed a four-year, $48 million contract as a free agent in 2013.
8. Backup forward Mo Speights signed as a free agent in 2013.
9. Backup guard Shaun Livingston signed as a free agent in 2014.

STICKING TOGETHER

In their first three seasons together, Curry and Thompson won a single playoff series. The Warriors actually thought about trading Thompson to Minnesota in the summer of 2014 for Kevin Love. Instead, they kept Thompson.

Then Love was traded to the Cavs for Andrew Wiggins, Anthony Bennett and a first-round draft pick as part of a three-team deal.

Would Golden State be one victory away from its second title in a row if it had traded Thompson for Love? Probably not. That's not a knock on Love. It's how Curry and Thompson have continued to play better together each season.

Golden State's Big Three of Curry, Thompson and Green are in their fourth season together. It wasn't until 2015 -- their third year -- that they won a title. Continuity and patience is a big part of Golden State's success.

Consider the following:

1. Curry's teams didn't make the playoffs in his first three seasons.
2. The Warriors made the playoffs in 2013, and lost in the second round.
3. The Warriors lost in the first round in 2014.
4. Kerr replaced Mark Jackson as coach in the summer of 2014. He led the Warriors to the 2015 title -- their first championship in 40 years.
5. They had an NBA all-time best 73-9 regular season record in 2015-16. Now a second title in as many years is a win away.

THE CAVS' APPROACH

In some ways, former general manager Chris Grant and his assistant (now current GM) David Griffin tried the Warriors' patient approach after LeBron James left the Cavs for Miami in the summer of 2010. They piled up draft picks. Starters Kyrie Irving and Tristan Thompson are members of the 2011 draft class.

But once James decided to return, everything was about winning right now. First-round picks Wiggins (2014) and Bennett (2013) were dealt for Love. First-round pick Dion Waiters (2012) was used as part of a deal (along with future picks) to bring J.R. Smith, Iman Shumpert and Timofey Mozgov.

The Big Three approach worked for Boston in 2008. The Celtics traded for Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett, adding them to Paul Pierce. The result was a title in their first season together.

The Big Three was successful in Miami. Dwyane Wade recruited Chris Bosh and James to join him for the 2010-11 season. They won titles in 2012 and 2013.

You can argue the Cavs Big Three -- James, Irving and Love -- have not delivered. But they took the Cavs from having the NBA's worst combined record from 2010-2014 to making The Finals in the last two seasons.

But they are not a team as cohesive as Golden State. Nor are they as talented. But they are the best in the Eastern Conference, and must be considered a title contender again next season.

The question will be what moves should the Cavs make -- or not.

Golden State has shown the right kind of patience with the right group of players and coaches can pay off.

Tyronn Lue put LeBron James at the top of the Cavaliers' offense and the result was sensational for Kyrie Irving.

OAKLAND, Calif. - Putting the ball in LeBron James' hands, especially in a game where it's win or go home, is not a novel concept.

Of course Cavs coach Tyronn Lue would turn to James when the season is on the line, as it was Monday in Game 5 of the Finals against the Golden State Warriors. James' history on this stage is well known.

So say what you will about the "genius" of Lue's move to put James atop Cleveland's offense and Kyrie Irving off of the ball for the Cavs' 112-97 win Monday night. Perhaps it was an obvious choice. But who could've envisioned these results?

Forty-one points apiece for James and Irving on 33-of-54 shooting, with 13 of Cleveland's 15 assists between them.

"By a little design," Lue said coyly, explaining why it seemed like James, not Irving, was largely running the offense. Both the Cavs and Warriors were off Tuesday to fly to Cleveland for Game 6, which is Thursday night. Golden State still leads, 3-2.

"He's been here before, he knows what it takes," Lue said. "He's had games where he's scored (25) points in a row or (29) out of (30, against Detroit in the 2007 Eastern finals), he's had 45 points in Boston (in the 2012 Eastern finals) in a hostile environment. So he knows what it takes."

LeBron will cherish Game 5

Lue said the benefit of placing Irving off the ball was that it made it harder for the Warriors to stay in front of him. Defenders had fewer opportunities to limit Irving's space because he was moving more without the ball than with it.

"I think our spacing was pretty good (Monday night) in terms of where guys were positioning and our weakside action, which I've been talking about almost this whole series waiting for it to happen, and it happened," Irving said.

"Now, mind you, to repeat a performance like this would definitely be tough, but whatever it takes to win. I know [what] myself and he over there, as well as echoing to my teammates, are willing to do, and we'll be very well prepared for Game 6."

Kyrie Irving's shot chart from Game 5 of the Finals.NBA.com 

Part of Irving's brilliance - James said it was "probably one of the greatest performances I've ever seen live" - was his ability to convert difficult shots at the rim or over the outstretched hand of Klay Thompson. There's no guarantee those same shots go in when the series returns to Cleveland Thursday night.

James, meanwhile, crushed the Warriors in part by making some of the shots they wanted him to take. Golden State has dared him to shoot jumpers the entire series. In Game 5, James canned four 3-pointers, two jumpers between 15 and 19 feet, and two shorter jumpers from 5-to-9 feet.

He's played and scored more in the paint in this postseason than any other in his career, and on Monday was 6-of-9 at the rim. But James' willingness to shoot and make those mid-range jumpers makes him even more effective off the drive.

"If they're going to go under, he's got to take those shots," Lue said. He works on them every day, he makes them every day so he has to take those shots and be aggressive and he did and he made them (Monday night)."

LeBron James' shot chart from Game 5 of the Finals.NBA.com 

James used 35.5 percent of the Cavs' possessions in Game 5 - which is not only astronomically high but is more than five percentage points higher than his playoff average. He committed just two turnovers - notable because he's averaging five turnovers in the Finals and committed seven in Game 4.

Draymond Green -- who forced several of those turnovers in the previous game -- wasn't out there Monday night, suspended as a result of too many flagrant fouls in the playoffs.

The 2016 postseason has been about James playing through Irving and Kevin Love. Game 5 wasn't about that at all -- Love was a total nonfactor with just two points on five shots.

This time, this last game, and maybe the one or two to come after it, was about the offense running through James and Irving benefiting as a result.

"Well, it's the only time. I mean, obviously it's do or die for us," James said. "Coach Lue said he wanted the ball in my hands a little bit more. I finally did a great job of not turning the ball over and got to my spots, got my teammates involved." 

Cleveland sports fans wonder about Kevin Love's production, LeBron James' title collection and Anderson Varejao's Oscar worthiness -- Bud Shaw's You Said It

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- You Said It is based on the premise that the only thing Cleveland sports fans need more than a championship is a sense of humor...

YOU SAID IT

Bud: Now that LeBron, Kyrie, Kevin, and I combined for 84 points on Monday, should I ask for a max contract? -- Jeff Witmer

Depends. Do you plan on fitting in or fitting out?

Hey Bud: Is it true Draymond Green is taking up hockey after he found out the prize was Stanley's Cup? -- Kevin Kroeger, West Park

As Marv Albert used to say, "A kick save and a beauty."

Bud: Anderson Varajao is such a great actor with all that flopping! How come he never did that stuff when he played for us? -- Vince G

I'm told Andy once got bumped at a wedding reception during the traditional garter toss and was still down on the floor when the couple returned from the honeymoon two weeks later.

Hey Mailer: Who is more depressed about how their career has gone. You having to read hundreds of lame "You Said It" emails or Jon Bon Jovi having to do those brutal Direct TV commercials -- Devin, Concord

I'd have to say Timofey Mozgov's agent.

Bud: Not one, not two... -- O. Bill Stone

If you're counting the minutes it takes NBA refs to determine if a common foul was actually a flagrant, keep going. I'll let you know when you're getting warm.

Bud: Would Steph Curry sitting over a dunk tank in Cleveland raise more money for charity than the Clinton Foundation? -- Michael Sarro

You Said It winners are no longer all wet.

Anderson Varejao was a fan favorite in Cleveland, but do fans still like the way he plays now that he's a Warrior?

CLEVELAND, Ohio - When Anderson Varejao was with the Cavaliers, he was the epitome of a fan favorite. He hustled. He battled. He had hair perfect for fan giveaway wigs.

And yeah, he flopped. But those were Cleveland flops, so fans were cool with it.

Well how do you like him now?

Varejao has been able to give the Cavs fits this series, especially with offensive rebounds. And then there are the flops, which were on full display in Game 5.

Like this one.

So let us know if you're still a fan of Varejao, or if you ever were. The poll is below. You know the drill. Or share your thoughts in the comments section below.

Bryant, now the oldest player on the defensive line, is ready to become a leader after waiting his turn.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Desmond Bryant might find himself feeling a little bit old this season when he looks around the defensive line room. Not that he's going to spend his days reminding the others in his group that, when he was younger, he had to rush the quarterback uphill both ways in three feet of snow or anything, but he does have some years on the rest of the guys in there.

"This is the first time in my career that I am the elder statesman in the D-line room," Bryant said last week. "With that, I get a little more responsibility." 

Bryant isn't exactly reaching the twilight of his career, mind you. The undrafted free agent out of Harvard is entering his eighth season in the league and fourth with the Browns. He won't turn 31 until December. It's also not that he wasn't one of the elder statesman in the room last season. There just wasn't an aggressive youth movement taking place at the time. 

Still, Bryant understands his role as one of the few veterans in the true sense of the word still around and appears ready to embrace it. 

"On and off of the field, I just want to be more vocal with the guys, let them know what I am thinking more, which I haven't really done as much in the past," he said. 

"We're going to lean on him, lean on his leadership," defensive line coach Robert Nunn said last week as the team wrapped up their offseason program. Nunn came to the Browns from the New York Giants and has worked with successful lines throughout his career. He said that the good lines he's been around have always policed themselves. 

"My job was easy when we had good defensive lines," he said, "and I'm counting on (Bryant) and expect him to be in the front and take charge and get these young guys moving in the right direction." 

The journey to becoming a leader -- one that is still taking place -- hasn't been a quick one for Bryant. He signed with the Raiders out of Harvard in 2009. He didn't start during his first two seasons, but by the time he was in line to sign a big free agent deal with the Browns in 2013, he had registered 10.5 career sacks, including eight in his final two seasons with the Raiders. 

Prior to signing with the Browns, Bryant ran into off-field trouble, including an incident in North Miami Beach that resulted in one of the more infamous athlete mug shots. "I apologize for everything that happened," Bryant said after signing with the Browns, "but I feel like I've learned from it and moved on. ... I think I've done enough over the years I've been in the league to exhibit that's really not the kind of person I am." 

Desmond Bryant says the picture doesn't tell the story

Bryant's time in Cleveland has been incident-free and he's been one of the team's most impactful pass rushers, albeit inconsistent at times. He's registered 14.5 sacks in 41 games from the defensive end position including a team-leading six sacks a season ago. 

Desmond Bryant led the Browns with six sacks in 2015.Joshua Gunter, cleveland.com 

"I started off pretty strong (last season) and then I had a pretty early injury," Bryant said, "and that kind of limited me for a little while. When I came back, I didn't do as well, but that's how the NFL is." 

Head coach Hue Jackson knows Bryant well from his season as Oakland's head coach in 2011 and said in May that he sees a player who has really grown. 

"He's more mature than what he was when I had him in Oakland," Jackson said "He was really starting to become a really good football player. Obviously, coming here for him was probably the height of his career where all of a sudden he started making a lot of money and having an opportunity to really be the guy. ... 

" ... On the defensive line he played with (in Oakland), there was a lot of other superstars. He learned from those guys, and now, he's kind of the elder statesman amongst that group with some other guys." 

Bryant credits Richard Seymour, the now-retired former Raider who signed there after eight seasons with New England, with showing him the way early in Bryant's career. 

Bryant, near right, considers Richard Seymour, far left, among the best leaders he's played alongside.Eric Risberg, Associated Press 

"He was captain of the whole team," Bryant said. "He's the first guy that comes to mind. He was, again, a great football player, a consummate pro. He knew exactly where to be and how to do things the right way." 

So what's taken Bryant so long to embrace a leadership role? 

"Being that I was an undrafted free agent, kind of started way down at the bottom of the totem pole so in order to survive, really, I had to keep my head down and keep quiet," he said. "Now I feel as if it's a responsibility for me and something I'm definitely committed to doing and have no problems doing." 

"Everybody, when you're new into the National Football League, you're coming from a really prestigious school and there's a lot to learn," Jackson said. "That's on any player. Not that he handled things wrong, he did exactly what I asked him to do when I was there before." 

In case you wonder if Bryant is simply all talk at this point, his position coach sees the traits of a leader emerging already. Nunn said that, when they break to the ball, Bryant is one of the first guys there, something important for young players to see.

"It bleeds through the team fast," Nunn said. 

Second-year defensive lineman Danny Shelton has certainly taken notice. 

"He's a guy we all look up to," Shelton said. "He's a guy who has the most years. He's also the guy who's busting his butt the most as far as being in the weight room, as far as getting the plays down, he's been a great leader for us." 

Of course, part of leading a young group sometimes means grooming the men that could eventually take your job. 

"It's going to bring a little added level of competition to the team," Bryant said of the young defensive line group around him. "It's going to help make everything more competitive, push us to elevate our games and make the team better in general." 

The Browns coaching staff is counting on Bryant to help lead the team to a better place -- and lead his fellow defenders to opposing quarterbacks.

Michael Reghi, Chris Fedor, Bud Shaw and Dan Labbe discuss whether the Cavaliers can repeat their performance from Game 5. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Game 5 of The NBA Finals featured a pair of legendary performances, pushing the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 112-97 win. 

Kyrie Irving and LeBron James combined to score 82 points against Golden State Warriors, keeping the season alive and turning the series into something other than a formality. 

The two-man show happened with Golden State's best defender, Draymond Green, watching from a nearby suite, as he served a Game 5 suspension. Still, James and Irving delivered the kind of games needed in a hostile environment, in a closeout game where special was required. 

Michael Reghi, Bud Shaw, Dan Labbe and I discuss whether the Cavs' Game 5 performance was sustainable. 

Watch the video above.

The Cavs will face a Warriors team in Game 6 that believes the return of Draymond Green will make the difference. Winning would disavow them of that notion and maybe even give the Cavs a small psychological advantage in a Game 7 at Golden State -- Bud Shaw's Sports Spin

CLEVELAND, Ohio - As counterintuitive as it sounds, Game 6 at the Q could be harder for the Cavs than a Game 7 away from home.

We have been here before where past performance is no guarantee of future results, most often after a Game 3 blowout of Golden State that seemed to serve only to embarrass and refocus the defending champs.

The Warriors made it clear what they think of the Cavaliers and LeBron James before Game 5. Their poor timing in calling out James without Draymond Green in uniform for support was like walking into a dark-alley meeting and leaving Chuck Norris in the car.

But it doesn't mean they think any differently now just because they couldn't back up their words. Green returns for Game 6 in a place where the Warriors have won three times in their past four postseason visits. 

They're no more (or less) worried about the Cavs after the Kyrie Irving and LeBron James two-man show produced 82 points in Game 5.

In fact, what they're thinking is Irving and James can't repeat that for a few good reasons, mostly involving Green.

"Draymond does a little bit of everything," Klay Thompson told reporters after the Game 5 loss to the Cavs. "Obviously, his playmaking, his rebounding, his communication and his heart and soul. So obviously we missed him tonight big time...We still like our chances."

Epic game from James, Irving has the Cavs riding high

The Warriors are betting James won't hit all the same shots he made Monday, that he won't feel so empowered to drive the lane with Green contesting, that he won't grab 16 rebounds, that more of Golden State's uncontested misfires -- and there were many -- in Game 5 will find the bottom of the net.

If the Cavs can disavow that notion with Green on the court in Game 6, they would go into Game 7 with a two-game win streak and with no real reason to believe they can't win once more at the Oracle.

The would go there trusting in James and Irving and hoping J.R. Smith could find more of what he brought in the beginning of Game 5.

Hard to know how much closer they stand to hope than trust where Kevin Love is concerned. Assuming he'd play some meaningful role in a Game 6 win he might give them more than just adequate floor spacing. He could still make a valuable contribution.

All of this is projection and none of it happens if their performance in Game 6 matches their tired work in Game 4 when that same kind of two-man show in the second half failed to sink the Warriors.

Golden State head coach Steve Kerr knows what a tough out the Cavs will become if the ball is in James' hands in a deciding game. He knows what a tough out they were last year when the ball was in James hands and he had so few good options.

"I like our position a lot more than theirs," Kerr told the media Monday night.

He could say the same before a Game 7, being at home. He might even be right about his team heading into a Sunday showdown.

But the Cavs? Get to a Game 7 and they'll have good reason to like their position just fine.

The Indians and Royals meet for the ninth time this season Tuesday night. The Indians own a 6-2 lead in the series.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Here are the lineups for Tuesday night's game between the Indians and Royals at Kauffman Stadium. First pitch is scheduled for 8:15 p.m. ET.

INDIANS

DH Carlos Santana.

2B Jason Kipnis.

SS Francisco Lindor.

1B Mike Napoli.

3B Jose Ramirez.

RF Lonnie Chisenhall.

C Yan Gomes.

CF Tyler Naquin.

LF Rajai Davis.

RHP Josh Tomlin, 8-1, 3.48.

ROYALS

2B Whit Merrifield.

SS Alcides Escobar.

1B Eric Hosmer.

CF Lorenzo Cain.

C Salvador Perez.

DH Kendrys Morales.

RF Paulo Orlando.

3B Cheslor Cuthbert.

LF Jarrod Dyson.

RHP Chris Young, 2-6, 6.37.

UMPIRES

H Jim Wolf.

1B Ramon DeJesus.

2B Gary Cederstrom, chrew chief.

3B Eric Cooper.

Here are five things to ponder from the Indians' 2-1 loss to Kansas City on Monday night at Kauffman Stadium.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Five takeaways from the Indians' 2-1 loss Monday night to Kansas City at Kauffman Stadium.

No. 1. Is Carlos Carrasco all the way back?

Carrasco spent almost six weeks on the disabled list waiting for his left hamstring to heal. He's made three starts since being activated, losing the last two.

He says, with the exception of doing some fine tuning on his slider, that he's as good as new. In reality, Carrasco probably needs a few more starts to complete his game of catch-up.

The giveaway? He keeps throwing homers to rookie leadoff hitters such as Kansas City's Whit Merrifield and bottom-of-the-order dwellers Drew Butera, Cheslor Cuthbert and Chris Iannetta. Merrifield, Cuthbert and Butera play for the Royals, which means Carrasco is going to be seeing a lot more of them for the next 31/2 months. So he needs to be sharper.

Carrasco is close. Don't look at the 10 hits he allowed Monday, look at the eight strikeouts, one walk and eight batters he stranded in the first three innings. No question he can pitch out of a jam, he just needs more innings.

No. 2. What's the deal with catcher Yan Gomes?

These are tough times for Gomes. On the second game of this 10-game trip, he took a foul ball in the groin and missed two games. Monday night he went 0-for-3, hitting into double plays in his final two at-bats, to make him 1-for-13 on the trip.

A slow start is becoming a trend. Gomes hit .200 (13-for-65) in April, .148 (12-for-81) in May and is at .154 (4-for-26) in June. Manager Terry Francona says these are the times we should concentrate on what a player is doing instead of what he isn't doing.

Gomes is still catching well; although Chris Gimenez is seeing more playing time lately. Monday night he threw out a runner trying to steal second base to make him 8-for-26 (31 percent) for the season. Despite hitting .169 (29-for-172) overall, Gomes is tied for fourth on the team with seven homers, fifth with 27 RBI and is hitting .310 (13-for-41) with runners in scoring position.

Still, Gomes strikes out too much (47 in 172 at-bats) and doesn't walk (.208 on base percentage). The rare hitter/catcher combination we saw in 2014 seems to be fading more and more from memory.

No. 3. To bunt or not to bunt?

In the first inning Monday, Kansas City's Edinson Volquez walked Carlos Santana and Jason Kipnis to start the game. Two outs later, Volquez walked Jose Ramirez to load the bases, but the Indians didn't get anything out of the inning except an indication of what was to come for the rest of the night.

Francisco Lindor, hitting behind Kipnis, said he should have advanced the runners with a sacrifice bunt. Instead he lined out to left field.

If this was last season, Lindor's rookie year, he probably would have bunted. This season he has to swing away. Lindor was coming off his 10^th three-hit game of the season Sunday and entered Monday's game hitting .519 (14-for-27) with two homers and seven RBI against the Royals this year.

Lindor is only 2-for-14 against Volquez so that might have prompted his post-game comments, but at that point in the game he has to try and break it open. There were still eight innings left to play.

No. 4. Reality check in right field.

When Lonnie Chisenhall went from third base to right field at midseason last year, he played so well it was stunning. This year the sample size is growing and we're finding out he's human.

He lost sight of a fly ball by Merrifield to start the bottom of the first Monday, turning what is usually an out into a triple. When Alcides Escobar followed with a single, the Royals had a 1-0 lead in a game decided by the same margin.

Against the Angels on Saturday night, Chisenhall bobbled a single by Mike Trout in the fourth inning. Trout went to second on the error and eventually scored for a 1-0 lead in another game the Indians lost by one run.

Chisenhall has made two errors in 92 games in right field since making the move. He's still playing well, but the more he plays, the more we're finding out. For instance, no one is perfect and a misplay in the outfield is almost always going to cost more than one base.

The good news is Chisenhall is hitting. He went 2-for-3 Monday, including a leadoff single against super closer Wade Davis, in the ninth. He's hitting .279 (36-for-129) with two homers and 12 RBI.

No. 5. Pop is a good thing.

Kipnis hit 31 homers in his first two full seasons with the Indians - 14 in 2012 and 17 in 2013. Over the last two years, he combined to hit 15 - six in 2014, nine in 2015.

This year he's hit eight with the latest coming Monday night for the Tribe's only run. If the Indians are going to remain a factor in the AL Central, they're going to need all the pop they can get. So Kipnis' resurgence is a good thing.

Draymond Green did not play well when taunted after his non-suspension for a NBA playoff game in Oklahoma City. He returns to Golden State's lineup Thursday night after a one-game suspension.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Free at last! Free at last! Thank the NBA's discipline policy, after a one-game "timeout," Draymond Green is free at last!

But free to do what?

What incarnation of the Golden State power forward will fans see at The Q Thursday night in Game 6 of the NBA Finals, the second straight elimination game for the Cavaliers?

Green, McMurphy and the Chief

Odds are, even in the muddled mind of Green, he will not again be the serial crotch assailant who was suspended for the Cavaliers' staying-alive victory in  Game 5. That was because Green had exceeded even the NBA's high level of tolerance for his karate kicks, knees and punches to other men's groins.

The specific objection was to an uppercut that landed below LeBron James' belt.

But how can anyone be really sure of anything about Green?

The same emotion that has made Green a far better player than anyone expected when the Warriors picked him fifth in the second round, 35th overall, in the 2012 NBA draft, is also his greatest liability.

"Free Draymond!" the Warriors fans chanted during timeouts of the fifth game. Huge cut-outs of "Crying LeBron" bobbed in the stands after James said, among other things, that he had been offended by Green's indelicate language in their Game 4 incident.

Will Green resume his career as the most gifted and unbalanced basketball trouble-maker since Rick Mahorn and Bill Laimbeer of the Bad Boys Pistons, or maybe even since Randle Patrick McMurphy and the Chief, using tactics of questionable legality, upset the asylum guards in "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest."

But enough crying by the Warriors fans about a player who basically suspended himself by abandoning self-discipline.

Remember last year?

The Cavaliers played the last 16 3/4 games of their 20-game playoff run without Kevin Love, whose shoulder was dislocated by Boston's Kelly Olynyk, a member of the Celtics' motorcycle gang, in the violent fourth game of a first-round sweep.

They lost Kyrie Irving in overtime of the first game of the Finals as a result of Irving's misfortune after he and Golden State's Klay Thompson collided while chasing a loose ball. Irving had been hobbling with tendinitis before that and had been in and out of the Cavs' lineup.

The diff

Green's suspension was because he violated the code of the game with a series of flagrant fouls, making no play on the ball, putting others at risk with his vicious actions. "Emotional" is a description often used for Green. "Dirty" is less frequently used. But he sure can be.

What did LeBron know and when did he know it?

Everyone knows that James is a smart player. The fact that he instigated the incident by stepping over Green after throwing him down was proof to Warriors partisans that James is some Machiavellian figure, ever aware of Green's reputation for misconduct and the penalties for it.

Not so, James said.

"You are aware of what's going on in the game. You know if a guy has one foul, you know if a guy has two fouls. You know if a guy has one technical or if a guy's injured or whatever the case may be. Those things that are happening throughout the course of the game, you notice those things," James said after Green's suspension for the fifth game.

He added: "But you're not -- I've never been aware if a guy gets one more flagrant or if a guy gets, I don't know, one more penalty point -- I'm not quite sure of all that stuff. I'm not aware of that."

The plot within a plot

How will Green react to what is sure to be a stormy night of taunting and abuse?

After the NBA supinely refused to suspend Green for kicking Oklahoma City's Steven Adams in the crotch in the third game of the Western Conference finals, the jeering OKC crowd seemed to affect the normally aggressive Warriors star. He shot only 1-for-7 from the field in the next game in Oklahoma as the Warriors lost to fall behind, 3-1, before beginning their epic comeback.

Well, if it works ...

Would the Cavs, despite James' disavowal, try to "bait" Green into another loss of control? It might not be a high-minded locker room pep talk, but a low blow does not deserve one, anyway.

"Gentlemen," some Cavs official might say, "discard those compression shorts and jock straps, put on your protective cups, and let's see if we can get this talented lunatic to implode again."

TNT sideline reporter Craig Sager will join the ESPN broadcast crew for Game 6 of the NBA Finals. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Veteran sideline reporter Craig Sager will join ESPN for its broadcast of the NBA Finals on Thursday for Game 6 at The Q.

This will be a first for Sager in covering the Finals in his 34-year career after his recurring battle with leukemia the past few years, according to ESPN.

"I'd like to thank Turner and ESPN for approaching me with this tremendous opportunity to be part of The Finals broadcast team," Sager said in a statement. "I've been watching the series very closely and, while I do not want to distract in any way from the event itself, I look forward to being in the building for what will be an incredibly exciting Game 6. The NBA community is a very special one and this is a great honor."

Sager, who is known for his sideline reporting and suits, caught the public's attention after being absent from his duties for 11 months undergoing treatment for leukemia and a bone marrow transplant.

The veteran reported shared in an interview with HBO in April that his cancer was no longer in remission. Sager will be presented the Jimmy V Perseverance Award, named after the late Jimmy Valvano, at The 2016 ESPYS on July 13.

Golden State Warriors starting center Andrew Bogut will miss the remainder of the NBA Finals with a left knee injury.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Golden State Warriors starting center Andrew Bogut will miss the remainder of NBA Finals 2016 with a left knee injury.

After leaving Game 5 with 10:30 remaining in the third quarter following a collision with Cavaliers shooting guard J.R. Smith, Bogut underwent an MRI on Tuesday, which revealed a significant impaction injury to his left knee. The impact resulted in bone bruises to the proximal tibia and distal femur, an injury that is expected to keep him sidelined a minimum of six to eight weeks.

Bogut is with the team in Cleveland, as the Warriors prepare for Game 6 Thursday, their second opportunity to clinch back-to-back championships.

The injury will not require surgery and he is expected to make a full recovery. 

The defensive-minded center is tied for the Finals' lead with 10 blocks, six of which came during Golden State's Game 2 rout. 

The Warriors have been outscored by 25 points in Bogut's 60 minutes on the floor in the series and are 11-1 in games he doesn't play this season.  

Any basketball star can have a sneaker named after him .... but a pierogi? Only in Cleveland.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Any basketball star can have a sneaker named after him .... but a pierogi?

"Only in Cleveland," laughs Rudy's Strudel owner Lidia Trempe as she describes the Polish delight she has created in honor of Cavs superstar LeBron James.

For the third year in a row, Rudy's is selling the LBJ pierogi at their 68-year-old bakery in Parma's Polish Village area. The dumpling is filled with chicken, broccoli and cheddar cheese.

"LeBron's personal chef had stated in an article some of his favorite foods," says Trempe. "So as big fans we thought we would put that together in a pierogi."

That's so much cooler than Steph Curry's shoes. The LeBron pierogi are $7.25 per dozen, available fresh and frozen. They are accepting both call-ahead orders and walk-ins.

Rudy's is at 5580 Ridge Road in Parma's Polish Village area. Call 440-886-4430. They are open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday and Saturday, and 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Fridays.

"All the offers I have right now are still sticking because I still have my junior year left," Simpson said. "At the end of my junior year, I'll decide." Watch video

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Darrell Simpson had a scholarship offer from Ohio State before he showed up in Columbus for the Buckeyes' one-day instructional camp on Saturday. 

It must have been nice for the 6-foot-7, 330-pound offensive tackle of Justin (Texas) Northwest to be able to work out in front of Ohio State's coaching staff without any pressure. 

He had his scholarship offer. He's good. 

"Yeah," Simpson said, "but if you don't perform, you could lose it." 

A 2018 prospect, Simpson's words were wise because at a place like Ohio State, the coaches don't consider you unless you're clearly one of the best prospects in the country. But given his interaction with Urban Meyer during the camp, Simpson probably doesn't have to worry about interest from Ohio State fading. Meyer was blunt with the offensive tackle. 

"Coach Meyer told me it was his job to get me to Ohio State," Simpson said. "And coach (Greg Studrawa) told me how much he loved me and everything. I feel real comfortable with coach Stud and all the other coaches around. It's almost like it's coming back to a family."

Simpson hasn't yet earned a rating in the 247Sports composite rankings because he hasn't been rated by every recruiting service, but his scholarship offers list makes it clear that he's on his way to being an elite prospect. 

In addition to his offer from Ohio State, Simpson has ones from Baylor, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, TCU, Texas A&M, Auburn, Colorado, Georgia, Kansas, Mississippi, Texas Tech, Utah and others. 

Ohio State won an early battle in Simpson's recruitment because it got him on campus for an unofficial visit. After camping on Saturday, Simpson spent some time with family who lives near Columbus, then returned to Ohio State on Monday for a more formal unofficial visit. 

Simpson will become more familiar with the schools in the Texas area -- that's just life in a world were location is key -- but the Buckeyes were able to leave an early impression. 

"All the offers I have right now are still sticking because I still have my junior year left," Simpson said. "At the end of my junior year, I'll decide."

Sibley is the No. 19 running back in the country, and the No. 12 player in Ohio. Watch video

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Once Ohio State asked running back Todd Sibley to grayshirt and put his college career on hold for a year, it became evident that Sibley would look elsewhere.

Now Sibley has found a new home.

Sibley, a four-star running back from Akron Hoban, announced his flip from Ohio State to Pitt on Wednesday. Sibley posted the news on his public Twitter account. 

The No. 19 running back in the country, and the No. 12 player in Ohio in the Class of 2017 had been committed to the Buckeyes since April of 2015.

"I would like to thank Coach (Urban) Meyer, Coach (Tony) Alford, (Mark) Pantoni and the rest of the Ohio State coaching staff for everything they have done for me, and ultimately just giving me a shot," Sibley wrote on Twitter.  

"I've learned through this process that this is probably the most selfish decision you're going to make in your life, and you have to make the right decision. You can't do what everyone else wants you to do, you have to do what's best for you at the end of the day. And I'm finally going to do what's best for me."

Sibley was outspoken and frustrated when Ohio State asked him to grayshirt this season. The Buckeyes are tight on scholarships, have another running back committed for 2017 and are chasing others. 

So he began exploring his options, including a visit to Michigan State in late April. 

When speaking with cleveland.com at the Columbus Regional for Nike's The Opening, Sibley was candid when speaking about his situation with the Buckeyes. Sibley taking a grayshirt with Ohio State never seemed like a real possibility, because he wasn't going to take a year off from football as part of a scholarship numbers crunch. 

"I'm far in my recruitment where I wanna know where I stand on your depth chart, where would I be on your depth chart," Sibley said. "What are the academics like, because I do want to graduate. The trophies and the rings are nice, everyone wants to go to a winning program, but for me now it's what's real. What are your true intentions with me?"

Sibley sifted through all of that. And settled on Pitt. 

The Next Chapter....#H2P pic.twitter.com/7awwVIHAco

-- TSib2[?]3[?] (@ToddSib23) June 15, 2016

Ohio State has four-star Texas running back J.K. Dobbins still committed in its 2017 recruiting class, which is ranked No. 1 in the 247Sports composite ratings. 

The Buckeyes are also recruiting five-star Mississippi running back Cam Akers, and have shown a big interest in five-star running back Najee Harris, the No. 1 player in the country and an Alabama commit. 

The Browns have a crowded outside linebacker room right now. Here's a closer look at each player.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Cleveland Browns are playing the numbers game right now with their outside linebackers. They're hoping that more bodies means more pressure on opposing quarterbacks this season.

"We're treating it like the more the better," outside linebackers coach Ryan Slowik said. "Meaning it's, 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."

"There is an element of that, for sure," Paul Kruger said when asked about the numbers in the room at the start of the offseason program. "The more guys that are excelling at that, the better. Everybody kind of feeds off each other in that way."

Let's start there -- with Kruger -- as we take a peek inside a crowded group with high hopes and plenty to prove. 

The Veteran

Joshua Gunter, cleveland.com 

Here's the good news for Kruger: It's an even-numbered year. He's had seasons of nine sacks (2012) and 11 sacks (2014) in just such years. The odd-numbered years: 5.5 sacks in 2011, 4.5 in 2013 and just 2.5 in 2015. So even from a just-grasping-at-straws standpoint, this season should be better for the now clean-cut Kruger.

"There's so many other things that go into sacking the quarterback nowadays that a lot of it, it's becoming harder and harder to do every year," Slowik said when asked about Kruger's sporadic sack numbers. He also praised the veteran's leadership.

For Kruger's part, he seems headed back to a more familiar role after the previous defensive staff asked him to drop in coverage more often.

"Yeah, it seems like that's the way things are headed is more of a traditional, at least for me, more of a traditional role," he said at the start of the team's offseason program.

The up-and-comer

Joshua Gunter, cleveland.com 

Nate Orchard went almost a full year between sacks. The man who racked up 18.5 of them during his final season at Utah didn't get his first NFL sack until December 13 of last season, one week shy of the first anniversary of his final game with the Utes. He got his money's worth, getting to 49ers quarterback Blaine Gabbert twice. Now it's on to Year Two for the 2015 second-round pick with an eye towards more production.

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

"Last year was definitely a roller coaster," Orchard said last 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. I think I handled it well and as the season went on, towards the end, I started to pick up and started to get in my groove."

The reclamation project

Joshua Gunter, cleveland.com 

You don't get picked sixth overall in the NFL Draft if you aren't some kind of elite athlete. As we've seen with Barkevious Mingo, however, it takes more than that to become an elite NFL player. 

"If you watch him on the field he runs like a gazelle," defensive coordinator Ray Horton said.

Slowik agreed. "You can see it. He's got those pretty white gloves that just keep going and going and going."

Mingo's potential has so far gone untapped due, in part, to ill-timed injuries and due, perhaps, to a lack of ideal size. He's taken care of the latter, thanks to an aggressive diet. The Browns new coaching staff will try to unlock the mystery of Mingo this season by using him in multiple roles.

"We're going to move him around," said Horton. "He's not going to line up at just one position and win that way. We are going to move him around. Sometimes, he is going to drop. Sometimes, he is going to rush, and I have plans for him to be on the field running around."

"How much he moves around is up to him," Slowik said. "As far as how much he embraces the defense and continues to grow in it, but so far that's the plan. Get him active in different ways, doing different things."

Horton didn't mince words, though, in assessing Mingo's drive.

"Now, how much does he play?" Horton asked. "That will be his choice."

Beefed-up Barkevious Mingo is hungry for success

The freak

Joshua Gunter, cleveland.com 

Emmanuel Ogbah is listed at 6-foot-4 and 275 pounds. Oh, and he ran a 4.63 40-yard dash at the combine.

"He's big and he can get off the football and rush the quarterback," Slowik said. "We all know that."

"To be honest, I'm a very athletic dude," Ogbah said with a laugh during the team's OTAs when a reporter asked if he felt he was athletic enough to make the transition to a 3-4 outside linebacker, including dropping into coverage.

That's the challenge for Ogbah, who started playing football in junior high after coming to the United States from Nigeria. It's the same for every player trying to make that transition, including his teammate, Orchard.

"What I'm seeing in him now is a lot what I've seen in myself when I first got here," Orchard said. "Being someone that's been playing in a 4-3 scheme for high school, college. He's never dropped into coverage and so it's something that's going to be new to him but he's adapting quick, he's learning fast, he's getting the playbook down, which is big, and he looks comfortable out there."

"We've seen him rushing and to see him and experience him dropping already," Slowik said, "he has the base to do it. Every day he's gotten better at it and now he just needs to start tying in the techniques with each pass drop coverage and he's going to continue to grow."

"When he figures it out, I don't think he knows how good he can be," Horton said.

Emmanuel Ogbah hopes to get drop on opponents in new role

The underdog

John Kuntz, cleveland.com 

Joe Schobert knows about long odds. So much so that making an NFL roster as a fourth round pick shouldn't seem too intimidating.

Schobert received no FBS scholarship offers out of high school and joined the Badgers as a preferred walk-on, earning a scholarship and now, four years later, a shot at the NFL.

"Fortunately for me at Wisconsin, there is a long list of guys that have done that before me," he said on a conference call after getting selected by the Browns in the fourth round of draft, "so I knew that if I put my head down, worked hard, did what the coaches said that I would have a chance. It worked out. I have always believed in myself, and now, I think that just helps me go into the NFL because I know how to work hard."

Schobert joins a crowded room and, like a lot of players trying to make their way into the league, may find himself doing plenty of special teams work this season.

"I'm excited about him," special teams coordinator Chris Tabor said. "Some things are new for him, with regard to our world and what we do, but he works extremely hard at it. He has a chance to be a good player."

"Just athletic, versatile, tough, good football player at Wisconsin," Executive Vice President of Football Operations Sashi Brown said. "Can rush the passer, can drop, can run. I think he has a very well-rounded skill set."

That's a long ways from no one at the highest level of college football being willing to offer him a chance four years ago.

Joe Schobert beats out Ohio State's Raekwon McMillan for Big Ten Linebacker of the Year

The hopeful

Cam Johnson (57)Joshua Gunter, cleveland.com 

Speaking of guys trying to make it, Cam Johnson is one of a handful of practice squad players from last season getting another shot. The Browns elevated Johnson from their practice squad towards the end of last season. He appeared in one game.

Slowik called Johnson a very pleasant surprise.

"I didn't really have much tape on him," Slowik said, "but he comes out, he works his tail off and he does everything you tell him to do."

The unknown

Tony Dejak, Associated Press 

Jackson Jeffcoat most recently spent time with Washington. He was waived after being placed on injured reserve last season.

Jeffcoat was the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year in 2013 for Texas, so he fits the mold of a decorated college player the Browns emphasized in the draft.

"He's starting to get healthy, he's starting to pick up the defense and kind of flash some pass rush skills, so we're excited about that," Slowik said.

Comments from Cleveland Cavaliers LeBron James, Kyrie Irving and head coach Tyronn Lue after the Cavs practiced Wednesday at Quicken Loans Arena in preparation for Game 6 against the Golden State Warriors in the 2016 NBA Finals. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio - The Cavaliers hope to keep the Golden State Warriors from repeating last year's NBA Finals when they celebrated the championship on the Cavs home court after Game 6.

The numbers are against the Cavs.  Only two teams in NBA history have forced a Game 7 after being down 3-1 in The Finals.  They were the 1951 Knicks and the 1966 Celtics.  Both teams lost the final game.

The Warriors will get a boost from the return of Draymond Green to the starting lineup after serving his one-game suspension for multiple flagrant fouls in the playoffs. 

Golden State will have to do it without their big man as Andrew Bogut, who has been ruled out for the rest of The Finals with a knee injury.

The Warriors lead the series 3-2.

Follow on Twitter: @CLEvideos

LeBron James is one of the greatest players of all time in elimination games. The Cavs need another win in one of those games to force a Finals Game 7. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio - LeBron James once won five in a row in situations where a loss would send his team home from the playoffs.

They're called "elimination" games, and James and the Cavs have already staved it off once in the 2016 Finals. 

During his two championship runs with the Miami Heat, in 2012 and again the following year, the Heat faced expulsion from the playoffs that many times - twice in the 2012 Eastern finals and three during the 2013 postseason, including twice against the Spurs in the Finals.

After what James accomplished in his most recent elimination game, a 41-point, 16-rebound, seven-assist all timer in the Cavs' 112-97 win over Golden State in Game 5 of the Finals, comparisons were immediately drawn to some of the greatest games he's ever played.

One of them, of course, was the 45-point, 15-rebound explosion in Game 6 of the 2012 conference finals against the Celtics. The thing is, the Heat still had to win Game 7 (and did).

To pull this off and win their first-ever championship, the Cavs would still need to win Thursday in Game 6 at home and then Game 7 Sunday back in Oakland. A Finals triumph for Cleveland would be unprecedented - no team has ever recovered from a 3-1 deficit to win an NBA title.

And yet a profound belief in the impossible exists in the Cavs' locker room, in part because their best player is arguably the best to ever play when his team's season is on the line.

"We have a great opportunity to protect home court and go into two of the best words ever, and that's Game 7," James said Wednesday, following practice at The Q.

James is the NBA's all-time leading scorer in elimination games according to ESPN, averaging 32.4 points. That's better than Michael Jordan (31.3), Wilt Chamberlain (31.1), and Kevin Durant (29.8).

Another terrific performance in an elimination game in Game 5 has LeBron James at the top of an impressive list pic.twitter.com/lriF3QL33y

-- ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) June 14, 2016

James' teams are 8-7 in such games. He's averaging 11 rebounds, 6.6 assists, and shooting 46.5 percent in these "do or die" situations.

When asked how, or, why that's true, James was coy. "I don't know. I've just been fortunate enough to, I guess, make some shots, for one," he said.

"Grab some rebounds, find some teammates. Guys put the ball in my face and get some blocks, and guys throw some errant passes and I'm able to get some steals," James continued.

It's that simple?

"It's that simple. It's not easy, but it's that simple," he said. "I just go out and play. I don't know what happens in elimination games. I understand the magnitude of it, but it's not -- it doesn't bother me too much. ... I know how true I am to the game. I know how much work that I put into the game when no cameras are around and things of that nature. So I'm able to try to just bottle that, just bottle that and live with the results.

"I mean, it's not always been great, but I guess the last few games, elimination games it's been pretty good, and hopefully I can continue that (Thursday)."

Before Game 5, Cavs coach Tyronn Lue gave a speech, a portion of which was captured and shared on social media by NBA TV. He (nearly) quoted Mark Twain, telling his Cavs "the two most important days in your life is when you were born and when you discovered the reason why you were born."

"I think we were born to be champions," Lue told the team. "We've got a tough road to conquer but we can do it."

Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Tyronn Lue quoted Mark Twain in his pregame speech for Game 5 of the Finals: pic.twitter.com/WD030XzI9h

-- Dave McMenamin (@mcten) June 15, 2016

Trailing 3-1 at the time, Cleveland's season could've obviously ended that night. And while the only acceptable approach to digging oneself out of such a hole is to worry about the next game (and not the one after), Lue said the Cavs never lost their belief that they could win it all.

"We have confidence we can win the series. I mean, that's why we're playing," Lue said Wednesday.

Lue felt in the immediate aftermath of Game 5 that winning then was a big boost for his players, and not just because they'd forced a Game 6. Beating the Warriors at home, where they had lost just three times this season and had a chance to win another Finals, was like clearing a hurdle beyond simply winning an important game.

"They know what needs to be done," Lue said of his players. "I think they've seen the blueprint of just being physical, being aggressive and attacking the basket."

The Warriors get Draymond Green back for Game 6 after his suspension from the last game, but Andrew Bogut is done for the playoffs with a knee injury. Also, save for a nearly seven-minute stretch in the fourth quarter of Game 4 in which the Cavs went without a field goal, Cleveland has outscored the Warriors by 47 points over the past three games.

The direction of this series heading into Game 6 is much different than a year ago, when the Warriors (a year to the date on Thursday) won Game 6 at The Q to clinch the title. Golden State had taken games 4 and 5 and it was clear Cleveland had run out of bodies to feasibly compete.

The Cavs are still fighting an uphill battle against history - not to mention the greatest regular-season team the NBA has ever known, with the two-time reigning MVP Stephen Curry on its side - but, if there is such a thing, momentum in this series would appear to belong to Cleveland now.

"I feel like we'll be prepared for Game 6," James said.

The Cavaliers' shooting guard will allow his player option deadline of June 16 to pass in order to become a unrestricted free agent this summer.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Cleveland Cavaliers sharpshooter J.R. Smith will allow his player option deadline of June 16 to pass in order to become a unrestricted free agent this summer, league sources informed cleveland.com.

Sources with knowledge of the situation spoke on the condition of anonymity due to sensitive nature of the timing. The Cavaliers are down 3-2 to the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals.

Smith, 30, re-signed with the Cavaliers last off-season for two years at $10.3 million. He will forgo his second-year option salary of $5.4 million to explore the opportunities on the open market with the cap expected to jump to $92 million.

Had he opted in for the 2016-17 season, his deal wouldn't have become fully guaranteed until Sept. 17.

"This is where I want to be," Smith told cleveland.com. The fans love me; I love them and my teammates.

Smith averaged 12.4 points and shot 40 percent from three-point range during the 2015-16 campaign, and developed into one of the team's best perimeter defenders. He's coming off of setting the franchise record for most three-pointers made in a season with 204, placing him seventh in the NBA.

Cleveland.com reported Tuesday night that Mo Williams will exercise his player option for next season.

Will Green be able to keep his composure and minimize his temper if he feels slighted? He better, because the consequences are steep.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Golden State forward Draymond Green said all the right things Wednesday, his first time addressing the media since being suspended for Game 5 of the NBA Finals.

"I have to be better and not put myself in that position to where it is a decision, where there is an investigation," Green said of his Game 5 suspension. "I have to be better for my teammates as a leader of this team."

It's easy to confess that when emotions and adrenaline are under control. It's a totally different situation during an intense on-court moment. Will Green be able to keep his composure if he feels slighted Thursday night?

He better, because the consequences are steep.

Green has accumulated four Flagrant Foul points during the postseason. His fourth came when he punched Cavaliers forward LeBron James in the groin in Game 4. It earned him a one-game suspension, forcing him to sit out the 112-97 home loss on Monday. Thus the Warriors' first chance at a repeat title slipped away.

Chance 2 comes in Game 6 at The Q on Thursday. But the stakes are high for Green's self control. If he receives a Flagrant 1, he would be suspended for Game 7 if the Cavaliers force it. If he's hit with a Flagrant 2, he would be ejected for the rest of Game 6, and banned for the finale as well.

In other words, he has no room for an emotional error. He also has five technical fouls in these playoffs. A double-technical -- which would seem improbable -- would also equate to an ejection and Game 7 ban.

He'll have to be on his best behavior, something that has been an issue the last few months.

"I think I have a strong belief that if I play Game 5, we win," Green said. "But I didn't because I put myself in a situation where I wasn't able to play."