"As the Selection Committee discussed Ohio State over the last couple of weeks, their body of work we believed was deserving of this No. 3 spot, and believed that they are unequivocally one of the best college football teams in the country this season."

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Throughout the course of the past three weeks College Football Playoff committee chair Kirby Hocutt maintained that Ohio State had a significant lead over Penn State in the rankings. 

That's the reason it became impossible to imagine Penn State could hop Ohio State in the final playoff rankings that actually determine the four teams who play in it.

And ultimately, Penn State, who finished No. 5, didn't make the jump.

But how close did Penn State actually get to pushing Ohio State? Were they ever directly compared? 

"We talked about it," Hocutt said on Sunday after the reveal. "I would tell you that Penn State significantly elevated themselves in our conversation after their performance last night. Having a chance to watch, with the other members of the Selection Committee, that second half performance, incredibly impressed and significantly elevated them into our conversations.

"Again, a lot of discussion and detail on who was deserving of that No. 4 spot. I had said I think a number of weeks earlier that in the eyes of this Selection Committee, Ohio State was a better football team than Penn State. Obviously our rankings continued to reflect that analysis and that decision.

"But I will say that Penn State significantly enhanced their position in our conversations after their victory over Wisconsin and the performance we saw last night as they won the Big Ten Championship." 

By now you know the comparison between Ohio State and Penn State. 

Ohio State: A one-loss, non-confrence champion with three wins over top-10 teams. The Buckeyes arguably ahve the most impressive collection of wins in college football this year. 

Penn State: A two-losses Big Ten champion with a head-to-head win over Ohio State. 

That's a tough spot for the comittee. 

But it did seem like Ohio State had its spot locked up going into the weekend. 

"I would not classify (Ohio State's) position after last week's ranking as solidified in the top four," Hocutt said. "You just never know what can happen on any given weekend in the college football season. That was the case Friday night and Saturday as we watched games.

"Saying that, the Selection Committee believes that Ohio State has put together one of the best resumes of this college football season. Three wins over CFP top-10 teams, including what possibly will be defined as the game of the year, the victory they had over Michigan. They played one of the nation's toughest schedules. Their only loss was by a close margin, three points, to a top-10 team.

"As the Selection Committee discussed Ohio State over the last couple of weeks, their body of work we believed was deserving of this No. 3 spot, and believed that they are unequivocally one of the best college football teams in the country this season."

Cavs coach Tyronn Lue showed his players three games' worth of bad defense to drive home his point amidst this three-game losing streak Sunday.

TORONTO -- In the hours leading up to the Cavs' practice Sunday, coach Tyronn Lue had identified 151 video clips of bad defense from the past three games. All losses.

To move things along and get the team out onto the court at Air Canada Centre, The building in which the Cavs will play the Raptors on Monday, Lue pared the film session down to roughly 80 examples of defensive miscues by his players.

"About eight to 10 per guy," Lue told cleveland.com.

Lue's message to reporters Sunday -- if not to his players, they could plainly see from the film -- is that the entire team has played poor defensively during Cleveland's three-game losing streak.

The Cavs are losing their 1-on-1 matchups, yes, but players aren't bothering to slide over for help, and are doing a poor job keeping opponents hemmed into one side of the floor.

Since the losing streak began last Tuesday, the Cavs are worst in the league in allowing points in the paint, giving up 58.7 points per game. They're 27th in the league in opponent's field-goal percentage during that stretch (49.8), and 17th for the season (45.1).

To further Lue's point about the defense, he remarked that the Cavs lost Friday to the Bulls despite shooting 54.2 percent from the field and 38.5 percent from 3-point range.

"We're an older team, we don't have the best one-on-one defenders," Lue said. "We've got to be better as far as scheme-wise helping our teammates, recovering, making the multiple effort.

"We had kind of gotten away from that so today we showed them so film, for the guys it was good for them to see it. They were pretty embarrassed by it, and then today we went to work on it."

LeBron: Honeymoon is over

The Cavs are of course defending champs, and as LeBron James suggested after Friday's loss, their honeymooning after the title had finally caught up with them. They had followed their June victory over the Warriors with a 13-2 start, mixed with plenty of canceled practices and trips to the pre-eminent sporting events of the season -- like the World Series and Ohio State-Michigan. Fat and happy.

James said called Lue's film session "great" and characterized the Cavs' on-court work as "a hell of a practice."

His summarizing of Cleveland's defensive woes, which are in plain view of anyone watching this team the last three games, is the Cavs aren't "playing hard enough.

"The process is what should drive you," James said. "For me, it's part of my motivation is the process and every day you have to work it. Like I said, last year is last year. We had an unbelievable accomplishment, but that's in the past now. You have to be able to motivate yourself."

Lue said the Cavs worked on individual and help defenses Sunday. After the team workout, J.R. Smith, who had a miserable week, and Iman Shumpert played 1-on-1.

Both Kyrie Irving and Tristan Thompson said the players knew heading into the film session what they were going to see. They know the mistakes are happening in real time, as they stare at each other in disbelief after, say, Chicago's Taj Gibson or Rajon Rondo just worked his way into the lane for another bucket.

"What is the next step," Irving told cleveland.com. "We are holDing ourselves to such a high standard, and it's the little things we're not necessarily doing that you have to have every single night. And to compound on that, we are getting every team's best shot, and then some. When they see us kind of going our little routes, offensively or defensively, they are taking advantage of us."

Thompson added: "It's not about what we see on film, it's what we see on the court. We just got to have each other's back on the defensive end. Once we do that, we'll be fine."

John Carroll will play at University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh and Mount Union is at Mary Hardin-Baylor.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Area powers Mount Union Purple Raiders and John Carroll Blue Streaks advanced to the Division III national semifinals after their respective victories last Saturday.

Mount Union (12-1) defeated Alfred 70-45 in the quarterfinals. The Raiders became the first team in D3 history to win three straight road games to get to a semifinal game. The Raiders will play Mary Hardin-Baylor (12-0) at 4:30 p.m. Saturday at Crusader Stadium in Belton, Texas.

John Carroll (12-1) earned its first trip to the semifinals since 2002 after it defeated Wisconsin-Whitewater 31-14. That means the Blue Streaks will return to a familiar spot when it plays at 1 p.m. Saturday against Wisconsin-Oshkosh at Titan Stadium. The Blue Streaks have not lost since a 33-14 defeat to Wisconsin-Oshkosh in the season opener.

Bud Selig, MLB's commission from 1992 through January of 2015, has been elected to the Hall of Fame. John Schuerholz, former

NATIONAL PARK, Md. - As owner of the Milwaukee Brewers, Bud Selig would often visit the pressbox at old County Stadium during games to needle and joke with local and visiting reporters. One of his favorite complaints was comparing the coverage the Green Bay Packers received in Milwaukee's newspapers compared to his Brewers.

As MLB commission Selig kept his sense of humor - for the most part - and it's a good thing because he needed it in guiding baseball through numerous rough patches and challenges to help it become the prosperous business it is today.

On Sunday, the first day of the winter meetings, it was announced that Selig was elected to the Hall of Fame on the Today's Era Ballot, formerly the Veterans Committee.

John Schuerholz, longtime executive for the Kansas City Royals and Atlanta Braves, was also elected to the Hall of Fame. Selig was named on 15 of the 16 ballots cast. Schuerholz was named on all 16.

Selig was commissioner from 1992 through 2015. He was at the helm when the 1994 World Series was canceled because of a player strike. He also was in charge during the steroid era.

It was just the second time a World Series has been canceled, but it put the game in such a precarious position that labor peace has reigned since and the game is more prosperous than ever.

"1994 was a very tough moment. . .It broke my heart," said Selig, in a conference call. "We had gone through seven work stoppages before that so I was really worried.

"But it served as a good lesson and we took it."

Selig and most of baseball's ruling class at the time of the steroid era was criticized for turning a blind eye to players using performance enhancing drugs.  Selig, along with the players association, worked hard to make up for that period by spearheading one of the strictest drug testing programs in professional spots. The program was made even stricter that week when a new basic agreement was reached.

"We had a problem and we solved it," said Selig. "We now have one of the toughest testing programs in American sports. Baseball is a social institution and we did what a social institution is supposed to do -- we solved the problem."

Selig was asked if he felt his handling of the steroid era might keep him out of the Hall of Fame as it has the many players who have tested positive or been tainted by rumors of steroid use.

"The writers will have to decide about the players," he said. "I didn't know if that would stop me or not."

Under Selig's watch, the American and National Leagues were divided into three divisions instead of two. He introduced one wild card team per league for the postseason and then two despite criticism from the game's traditionalists.

Selig introduced interleague play in 1997, increased revenue sharing to help level the playing field between small and big market teams. In 2008, he introduced a limited use of instant replay, which has been greatly expanded. Selig was a proponent of new ballparks and 20 were built when he was commissioner.

"We made the most changes in baseball history," said Selig.

In 1970, Selig, a Milwaukee native, purchased MLB's Seattle Pilot and moved them to Milwaukee. Suds City had been without big league baseball since the Braves left for Atlanta in 1966.

Besides Selig and Schuerholz, the Today's Game Era ballot included players Harold Baines, Albert Belle, Will Clark, Orel Hershiser and Mark McGwire, manager Davey Johnson and Lou Piniella and executive George Steinbrenner.

A candidate had to receive 75 percent of the vote to be elected. Piniella received seven votes. All other candidates received fewer than five.

Schuerholz helped build the 1985 World Series champion Royals before moving to Atlanta. In Atlanta, Schueholz put together a team made 14 straight postseason appearances and appeared in five World Series. The only World Series the Braves won was in 1995 against the Indians. He is the only general manager to lead teams to World Series titles in each league.

Get the latest updates and analysis from the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 19 against the Toronto Raptors.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Cleveland Cavaliers face the Chicago Bulls on Friday in Game 19 of the 2016 NBA regular season.

Follow along in the comments section as Joe Vardon brings you observations and analysis throughout the game.

Make sure to follow Vardon on Twitter.

Game 19: Cavs (13-5) vs. Raptors (13-6)

Tipoff: 7:30 p.m. at Air Canada Center.

TV/radio: FoxSports Ohio; WTAM 1100 AM; 87.7 FM (ESP)

Cavs probable starting lineup: LeBron James, Kevin Love, Tristan Thompson, J.R. Smith, Kyrie Irving.

Raptors probable starting lineup: Kyle Lowry, DeMar DeRozan, DeMarre Carroll, Pascal Siakam, Jonas Valanciunas.

James soars for a second-half dunk

Smith (left knee) will not return against Toronto

J.R. Smith exits early vs. Toronto with leg injury

FREQUENTLY REFRESH this page to get the latest updates. If you're viewing this on a mobile app, click here

Smith has an official top six that includes Tennessee, Ohio State, Alabama, Notre Dame, Clemson and Mississippi.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Five-star offensive tackle Trey Smith of Jackson (Tenn.) University will announce his college decision on Tuesday at 4:00 p.m. 

Rated the No. 5 offensive tackle in the 2017 recruiting class in the 247Sports composite rankings, Smith officially visited Ohio State on Nov. 26 for the Michigan game and has been one of Urban Meyer's top targets. 

Smith has an official top six that includes Tennessee, Ohio State, Alabama, Notre Dame, Clemson and Mississippi. The two schools that reportedly stand out from the pack, however, are Tennessee and Ohio State. 

Tennessee was an overwhelming favorite to land the 6-foot-6, 310-pound prospect, but Ohio State jumped right back into the thick of things after his official visit. 

Smith followed up his Ohio State official with one to Tennessee this past weekend, so the Volunteers are seemingly in the driver's seat. 

Ohio State already landed one commitment from a five-star prospect who visited for the Michigan game in linebacker Baron Browning of Kennedale, Texas, and the Buckeyes would certainly love to add Smith. 

Urban Meyer's team lost a commitment from four-star Jake Moretti of Arvada (Colo.) Pomona, who flipped from the Buckeyes class to Colorado two weeks ago. 

Meyer visited Smith on Monday. 

Great visit with coach Meyer!![?] [?] [?]H- pic.twitter.com/kxoz3A4Pyb

-- Trey Smith (@smithtrey98) December 5, 2016

Smith also got a visit from Alabama's Nick Saban. 

Great visit with coach Saban!![?] #RTR[?] pic.twitter.com/VZxJENQCRn

-- Trey Smith (@smithtrey98) December 5, 2016

The winner of the Heisman Trophy will be announced on Saturday night at 8 p.m.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Ohio State had to go through the Heisman Trophy winner (and the other two finalists) the last time it won the National Championship. So why change that path now?

Maybe the Buckeyes won't have to face the Heisman winner in the College Football semifinal at the Fiesta Bowl, but they will face a Heisman candidate.

Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson was announced as one of the five Heisman finalists on Monday night, along with Louisville quarterback Lamar Jackson, Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield and receiver Dede Westbrook and Michigan linebacker Jabrill Peppers.

Jackson has long been considered the Heisman favorite. He threw for 3,390 yards, rushed for 1,528 yards and scored 51 total touchdowns. Though some feel he might be vulnerable with Louisville losing its final two games and falling out of the College Football Playoff race.

That five players are being invited to New York suggests the vote may be closer than most thought it would be a few years ago.

This year's Heisman Trophy winner will be announced on Saturday night at 8 p.m.

Watson has thrown for 3,914 yards, rushed for 529 yards and scored 43 total touchdowns in leading the Tigers to the playoff, where they'll play Ohio State on Dec. 31.

Mayfield threw for 3,369 yards and 38 touchdowns for the Sooners, while Westbrook caught 74 passes for 1,465 yards and 16 touchdowns.

Peppers -- the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year -- had 72 tackles, 16 tackles for loss, four sacks and an interception. He was also third on Michigan's roster in all-purpose yards with 167 rushing yards and 570 return yards.

The 2016 #Heisman Trophy Finalists are @Lj_era8, @baker_mayfield6, @JabrillPeppers, @DeshaunWatson4 & @DedeTHEGreat11 pic.twitter.com/bxmvM5k84a

-- The Heisman Trophy (@HeismanTrophy) December 6, 2016

Even if Jackson is the winner, Ohio State will have beaten three of the finalists (Mayfield, Westrbook and Peppers) this season, and look to beat a fourth to get to this year's national title game.

When Ohio State won the national title in 2014, it beat Wisconsin running back Melvin Gordon (No. 2 in the Heisman voting) in the Big Ten Championship, Alabama receiver Amari Cooper (No. 3 in the voting) in the Sugar Bowl semifinal, and Heisman-winning Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota in the National Championship.

Several Cavs players, including LeBron James, will not stay in the rooms booked by the team at Trump SoHo in New York this week.

TORONTO -- A number of Cavs players, including LeBron James, will not stay in the rooms the team booked at a Donald Trump-branded hotel in New York this week.

The Cavs' team hotel for two games against the Knicks this season is Trump SoHo, booked before the 2016 presidential election in which Trump defeated Democrat Hillary Clinton.

The team has made arrangements for players who do not wish to stay at Trump SoHo to sleep in a different hotel this week for the Cavs' game against the Knicks on Wednesday, general manager David Griffin said.

Last month, ESPN reported that at least three teams, the Milwaukee Bucks, Memphis Grizzlies, and Dallas Mavericks, stopped staying there to avoid the appearance of any association with the president-elect.

James is among the players who will not stay at Trump SoHo, even though Trump no longer holds any equity in the hotel. Griffin said upwards of half the team -- the Cavs travel with 14 players -- may not stay there.

James endorsed and campaigned for Clinton. Iman Shumpert and Richard Jefferson have either said or suggested they wouldn't visit a Trump White House to celebrate an NBA championship, and J.R. Smith has been publicly critical of Trump too.

Griffin said Trump SoHo is the only Trump-named hotel where the Cavs are booked this season, and the team is not booked there for games against the Brooklyn Nets. He said the Cavs chose to stay at Trump SoHo because it was the only NBA-caliber hotel in Manhattan in which the team could get guarantees for playoff rooms -- a must for a club such as the Cavs that is the defending champion and a virtual lock to reach the postseason.

Mary Kay Cabot and Dan Labbe talk about the day in Berea as the Browns returned from their bye. Watch video

BEREA, Ohio -- The Cleveland Browns returned from their bye on Monday, hitting the practice field for a little over an hour. They play the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday at FirstEnergy Stadium.

Mary Kay Cabot and I addressed the news of the day and the news that came out of the bye week after. We talked about the reported meeting Jimmy Haslam held to talk about stability and sticking to the plan. We also talked about how it appears likely that Robert Griffin III will start on Sunday, and we even talked about the likely new right guard, Jonathan Cooper, claimed off waivers back in October.

Robert Griffin III appears poised to start Sunday against the Bengals. He'll return to the lineup for the first time since breaking his shoulder in the opener. Watch video

BEREA, Ohio - Browns quarterback Robert Griffin III sounded Monday like a man who knows he's starting Sunday against the Bengals, even though it hasn't been made official yet.

"It's just an opportunity to play in the NFL with a group of guys who don't deserve to be 0-12,'' Griffin said. "So I just want to come in, give the team as much of a spark as I possibly can, have fun and hopefully we can go 4-0, because that's what we've been working for in this last quarter of the season. I think it's real important.''

Coach Hue Jackson, who seems poised to throw Griffin back into the lineup against the 4-7 Bengals, wasn't ready to name him yet after the "bonus'' practice Monday following the bye.

"It's too soon,'' said Jackson. "I'll let you know that. We were out there for an hour so we were just knocking off the rust from being gone. We have to get game preparations this week, and I'll know more then."

Griffin, who hasn't played since fracturing the tiny coracoid bone in his left shoulder in the opener, insisted he doesn't know when he'll get the nod. Designated to return from injured reserve, he must first be activated to the 53-man roster.

"I don't know, coach could wait until Sunday'' he said. "That's why he's got the HC on his hat and we all trust him in this locker room. I trust him, and it's just a matter of do they feel I'm ready to play or do they feel like I need to take some more time. So whatever their decision is, I'll be OK with it because I'm here to be a Cleveland Brown. I'm here to help this team, not just these last four weeks but into the future.''

Griffin is still confident he can be the Browns' QB of the future

Griffin has pondered what a Wonderful Life it might be this Christmas season had he not collided with a defender on the sidelines of that opening day loss to Philadelphia.

"No doubt,'' he said. "I've gotten that from a lot of guys in the locker room and coaches, too, just the possibility of what could have been. But right now we've got four weeks ahead of us with an opportunity to do something about it. Cincinnati is the first team up to bat, and they could be the only team. I don't know. The world could end tomorrow.

"So we've just got to take it one day at a time and try to make sure you do all the things that you can to put your best foot forward."

Jackson acknowledged that he'll have to decide if he wants to put a rusty Griffin behind a shaky protection unit that's allowed a league-high 45 sacks this season. Even Josh McCown, who's traditionally released the ball quickly, has been sacked 11 times in his last five quarters.

"All of that goes into it,'' said Jackson. "Until we practice and start truly working toward the gameplan do I have a sense of that. Everything is open for discussion. We want to protect all of our players as much as we can, and we do not ever want to put a guy in a situation where he is not ready to perform. Hopefully, if it is Robert, he's ready, and if it's Josh, if it is Cody (Kessler), Kevin (Hogan), all of them, they'll be prepared and ready to play.''

Griffin said it's not daunting to play behind an injury-ravaged line, one that will have a new right guard in former first-round pick Jonathan Cooper.

"No, it's not,'' he said. "Because I know those guys up front are fighting their tail off and it's not just on them, it's on all of us. We gotta just execute better, get guys in the right spots, make the right calls. It's a team effort.''

When he first fractured the shoulder, doctors told him he might need surgery if it didn't heal properly. Fortunately for him, he's a fast healer. Remember, he came back from his torn ACL in about eight months.

"They didn't clear cut say that, it (was) just highly unlikely and it's not that they were wrong, it's just the best-case scenario happened,'' he said. "My shoulder is continuing to heal and I'm excited and happy about that."

Griffin knows he'll have to protect himself and not take unnecessary chances. But that's tough to pound into the head of a QB trying to do everything he can to make play. The Bengals are 23rd in the NFL with 22 sacks. But being a bottom-feeder in that category didn't stop the last two teams from pounding Browns QBs with eight and seven sacks, respectively.

"This is a very, very talented defense that we're going to be going against, very physical,'' said Griffin. "But I just have to play smart, protect myself just like I was trying to do in week 1 and just make sure that that doesn't happen again. It was a freak accident, so there's nothing I can really do about that. All I can do moving forward is try to make sure I protect myself when I have the opportunities to and give my team the best chance to win.''

J.R. Smith suffered a left knee injury in the first quarter against the Toronto Raptors Monday night and will not return.

TORONTO -- Cavs guard J.R. Smith suffered a left knee injury in the first quarter against the Toronto Raptors Monday night and will not return.

The Cavs did not specify the type of injury Smith suffered. He's been battling a sore left knee for at least a week.

Smith scored on a floater with 1:52 in the first quarter. He landed awkwardly after the shot, but managed to make it to the other end of the floor before collapsing in pain.

See Smith's injury

Smith stayed down on the court for a few minutes with 1:44 left, and limped off under his own power while biting a towel and clearly favoring the left leg. He'd already missed three games this season with an ankle injury.

"It's something he's been trying to play with," Cavs coach Tyronn Lue said last week, speaking of Smith's knee. "Not for sure how serious it is but it's something that's been nagging him for a little while. ... It's something we've got to look at and be cautious with but for now he's fine."

Smith told cleveland.com last week that "there's nothing I can do about it (knee) right now because I don't want to get an MRI."

Smith signed a four-year, $57 million contract just before the preseason ended. It's been a rough go -- he's averaging just 8.1 points and shooting 31 percent.

Cooper, who could start at right guard this week against Cincinnati, is a former first-round pick. Watch video

BEREA, Ohio -- Jonathan Cooper has followed a convoluted path to his shot with the Browns. The upside is that, to this point, it's happened early in his career and his life.

"Fortunately, I'm not married. I don't have kids," Cooper said on Monday. "I can make the transition. I can't even imagine having family and having to make this transition."

It's been a year of instability for the former first round pick, selected No. 7 overall by the Arizona Cardinals in 2013 out of North Carolina. He broke his leg and was placed on injured reserve before his rookie season even officially began and, from there, his career hasn't exactly followed the arc of a Top 10 pick.

Follow along: He spent his first three seasons with the Cardinals, making just 11 starts, was traded to the Patriots last March, was waived by the Patriots the day before they played the Browns this season and claimed off of waivers by the Browns the day after that game.

Now he's likely the next man up for the Browns this coming Sunday when they take on the Bengals. It appears the 6-foot-2, 302 pound Cooper will fill in at right guard for John Greco, who was placed on injured reserve last week with a foot injury.

"It's a great opportunity," Cooper said. "It's been a while coming and this whole season has been an interesting road in entirety and one I'll never forget, but to be presented with this opportunity is definitely something that I don't take for granted and I'm confident that I'll make the most of it."

Offensive line coach Hal Hunter said on Tuesday that, while Alvin Bailey, who had previously replaced Greco, will get an opportunity, it's going to be Cooper first.

"We have had a chance to work with him, and I am excited," Hunter said. "He is athletic. He is tough. He is smart. Like I talked to him today about, what a great opportunity. You get a four-week window to really build your resume and really prove that this is where you belong to be so I am excited for him because one man's misfortune creates another man's opportunity."

"That is what he is here for to get another opportunity and we will see if he will go out there and do what he is capable of doing," head coach Hue Jackson said on Monday. "That is what this league is about -- opportunity, a chance, and when you get one you have to make the most of it."

Cooper, of course, despite not living up to his first-round billing, has had the opportunity to be a part of some successful teams. His three seasons in Arizona all came with at least ten wins, two of which saw playoff appearances. He appeared in two playoff games. The Patriots were 3-1 before they waived him. Now he's on a winless team.

He said that he's had friends and family ask him about the sense he gets from being around an 0-12 team. He said that he tells them all the same thing.

"This is one of the hardest-working group of guys I've ever been around," Cooper said. "They come in day in, day out, after some losses it gets a little tough, but I know they're going to come in the next day and still put in the work and continue to stick together."

He said a lot of guys would be divided at this point with a winless record, but he hasn't seen it here.

"It's definitely not an atmosphere where everybody's dragging around, sad, puppy-dog faced," he said. "No. We're working hard and we want to win."

Besides, if this last year has taught Cooper anything, it's dealing with being part of unforeseen circumstances.

"I know that this season, as long as it's taken to get to this point, I had no idea how it would work out, so that's mainly why I said I won't take it for granted, because I didn't foresee it."

Nor can he foresee how the rest of this season or his career will play out. Right now, it's about taking advantage of an opportunity.

"Now, I am looking forward, feeling good, healthy and aiming to kind of rewrite the story or let it play out how I end up, let it go."

-----

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The Browns returned to the practice field on Monday. Here are some quick hits from the day in Berea.

BEREA, Ohio -- The Browns punt return game hasn't given the offense much of a spark this season. While running back Duke Johnson has offered some solid returns -- along with some shaky fielding decisions -- there hasn't been much of a field position boost provided to this point.

The offense could certainly use the help and it seems like the topic of rookie wide receiver Corey Coleman returning punts has been on the table for some time. Head coach Hue Jackson revisited that on Monday.

"There is potential that can happen, yes," Jackson said. "Corey is very talented. We would love to see him go out there and catch them, but again, he is such a huge part of what we do on offense. I would like to get him back there before the season is out just so he can do it."

Coleman was asked about it last week.

"I still take reps there," he said. "I can be back there at anytime. We're just playing it by ear. I took a lot of snaps on offense (against the Giants), too. This last game we had 70-some plays on offense, something like that, had a lot, so lot of running."

He sees the potential in it, though.

"Yeah, it is a scoring opportunity," Coleman said. "I'm going to do whatever the coaches want me to do."

The shoes fit: The NFL relaxed its stringent uniform rules this week as part of "My Cause, My Cleats." Players were permitted to wear custom cleats that reflect their commitment to charitable causes during Week 13 games.

That was bad news for the Browns and Titans, the two teams on bye. Pro Football Talk reported that neither team would be allowed to participate by wearing custom cleats this week instead. That is until the NFL's Natalie Ravitz tweeted this:

Actually, players from the two teams on a bye last week can participate in #mycausemycleats https://t.co/A5xXEiWuDp

-- Natalie Ravitz (@NFLNatalie) December 5, 2016

The teams were informed earlier on Monday that they would be allowed.

Expect at least one Browns player to participate:

Since my gram passed away from cancer I'd support that cause. I wish I could still do it. https://t.co/fSsyGlsHuk

-- Terrelle Pryor SR (@TerrellePryor) December 4, 2016

Playing it safe: Rookie safety Derrick Kindred wasn't at practice on Monday. After losing playing time early in the season, Kindred had reestablished himself as a starter in recent weeks.

"He has a foot issue that he is dealing with," Jackson said. "We will know more as we go."

Roster moves: The Browns lost offensive lineman Dan France off their practice squad on Monday. France was signed by the Carolina Panthers. He was replaced on the practice squad by offensive lineman Zach Sterup. Sterup is a 6-foot-9, 318 pound undrafted free agent out of Nebraska originally signed by Kansas City.

The Browns elevated Anthony Fabiano to their active roster, as well. Fabiano is a 6-foot-3, 303 pound rookie out of Harvard originally signed by Baltimore as an undrafted free agent. He has spent 11 weeks on the Browns practice squad after the Ravens waived him in August.

-----

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Chris Antonetti, Indians president of baseball operations, on whether or not Edward Encarnacion is beyond their reach, "You don't have to curb expectations."

NATIONAL PARK, Md. - The Indians are negotiating with free agent slugger Edwin Encarnacion about a multiyear deal.

The deal might not happen. It might fall apart in the days to come, but right now the talks have traction.

Encarnacion reportedly turned down an estimated four-year $80 million offer to stay with the Toronto Blue Jays. The Blue Jays have since added free agents Kendrys Morales on a three-year $33 million contract and Steve Pearce on two-year $12.5 million deal.

So Encarncacion isn't flying back to Toronto.

Last season Encarnacion hit .263 (158-for-702) with 42 homers and an AL-leading 127 RBI. But right now his market is shrinking.

The Yankees have already signed Matt Holliday for one year and $13 million, while Houston signed Carlos Beltran for one year and $16 million. Those were two logical landing spots for Encarnacion. Boston, however, still needs a replacement for DH David Ortiz, who retired after the Indians swept the Red Sox in the ALDS.

Chris Antonetti, Indians' director of baseball operations, said the team is prepared to offer a multiyear deal to a free agent. When asked if Encarnacion might be beyond the Indians' reach, Antonetti said, "You don't have to curb expectations. We are being exhaustive in exploring options to improve our position player club."

If the Indians can't get a deal done with Encarnacion, they could turn to Mike Napoli, who set career highs in homers (34) and RBI (101) for them last season. They have also been linked to Mitch Moreland, Adam Lind and Chris Carter among others.

Tribe casts wide net in search of offense

"We are cognizant of the production Nap brought to our team first and foremost," said Antonetti. "But also the impact he had on our other players. We've been pretty consistent in talking about how much we value and appreciate Nap's contributions.

"If it's not Nap, we're still going to look for ways to improve our team."

Napoli earned a base salary of $7 million last season with $3 million more in incentives. He reached his last incentive in the final game of the regular season.

The Indians are in a win now mode. They won the AL Central and the AL pennant this postseason. They have a young core under control and one of the best managers in the game in Terry Francona.

Tribe still looking for ways to improve

What club has always operated on a tight payroll, but it might not be as tight as it has been the past. They did reach the seventh game of the World Series and owner Paul Dolan finally found a limited partner in John Sherman.

One source said the Indians' postseason run could have brought the club close to $48 million in profits, an estimated of $6 million per home game.

Encarnacion, 33, has played parts of 12 seasons in the big leagues. He started his career with the Reds and spent the last 7 1/2 seasons with the Blue Jays. His average line over a 162 games is .266, 33 homers and 101 RBI.

Napoli and Carlos Santana formed a perfect match at DH and first base last season. Santana, like Napoli, set a career highs with 34 homers, 87 RBI and 89 runs.

Carlos Santana makes prediction come true

If the Indians sign Encarnacion, he could form the same kind of combination with the switch-hitting Santana. Last year Encarnacion played 75 games at first base and 86 at DH.

The Indians would lose their No.1 pick in the June draft if the signed Encarnacion. The Blue Jays made him a qualifying offer worth $17.2 million.

"We place a lot of value on the pick," said Antonetti, concerning the 27th pick in the first round. "It's not something we take lightly."

GM Mike Chernoff, in explaining the value of the draft pick, said "The easy way of thinking about it is that pick is a person we are going to select. A couple of years ago we drafted Justus Sheffield right around there in the first round.

"That player had a lot of value to us once we got him. We have to determine how to value that in terms of future wins and things like that."

In other words, if the Indians forfeit the pick, they'd have to put a value on it. Then they could subtract that value from Encarnacion's contract.

LeBron James has 25 points midway through the third quarter against Toronto.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- LeBron James opened the second-half scoring with a thunderous right-handed dunk Monday against the Toronto Raptors.

Moments later, James took a behind-the-back pass from Kyrie Irving on a fast break and scored on a layup to put the Cavaliers ahead by seven.

James has 25 points, five rebounds and five assists midway through the third quarter after shaking off a potentially serious injury in the first period.

Early in the game, James scored an alley-oop dunk on a pass from Irving, but landed awkwardly before limping to the bench during a timeout.

YESSIR.

[?] @KingJames coming through. #CavsRaptors on @FOXSportsOH pic.twitter.com/KhcYDzj2bG

-- Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) December 6, 2016

It's so beautiful. [?] #CavsRaptors pic.twitter.com/oTbt7n0AYB

-- Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) December 6, 2016

See high school girls basketball scores from Monday, December 5, 2016.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Here are Monday's girls basketball regional scores from around Ohio.

Andover Pymatuning Valley 53, Cortland Maplewood 22

Beallsville 76, Paden City, W.Va. 17

Beavercreek 45, Liberty Twp. Lakota E. 25

Bellefontaine Benjamin Logan 58, N. Lewisburg Triad 33

Belmont Union Local 78, Magnolia, W.Va. 67

Belpre 47, Crown City S. Gallia 23

Bethel-Tate 52, New Richmond 20

Blanchester 53, Hillsboro 35

Bloomdale Elmwood 66, Fostoria St. Wendelin 18

Bristol 52, Newbury 24

Cadiz Harrison Cent. 55, St. Clairsville 38

Can. Cent. Cath. 58, Cle. Hts. Lutheran E. 42

Chesapeake 62, Gallipolis Gallia 37

Cin. Deer Park 62, Cin. Hills Christian Academy 31

Cin. Oak Hills 43, Cin. Winton Woods 31

Cin. Summit Country Day 51, Cin. Madeira 39

Cin. Sycamore 41, Cin. Indian Hill 34

Clarksville Clinton-Massie 41, Mt. Orab Western Brown 30

Cle. St. Joseph 59, Cle. VASJ 26

Cols. Hartley 75, Caledonia River Valley 55

Cols. Horizon Science 39, Gahanna Christian 35

Day. Carroll 70, Miamisburg 39

Day. Chaminade Julienne 64, Wilmington 62

Defiance Tinora 73, W. Unity Hilltop 37

DeGraff Riverside 46, Lewistown Indian Lake 36, OT

Fayetteville-Perry 68, Manchester 51

Findlay 55, Fremont Ross 38

Germantown Valley View 63, Day. Stivers 38

Gnadenhutten Indian Valley 46, W. Lafayette Ridgewood 35

Green 67, Canal Fulton Northwest 31

Greenville 45, Piqua 40

Hagerstown, Ind. 66, Ansonia 61, OT

Hamler Patrick Henry 67, Sherwood Fairview 55

Ironton 49, Portsmouth 36

Jackson 51, Wellston 33

Johnstown-Monroe 48, Granville Christian 29

Kenton 55, Bellefontaine 31

Lakeside Danbury 66, Plymouth 55

Lebanon 76, Cin. Anderson 58

Leesburg Fairfield 44, Mowrystown Whiteoak 21

Leetonia 51, Heartland Christian 15

Lewisburg Tri-County N. 51, Spring. NE 42

Lisbon David Anderson 62, Berlin Center Western Reserve 29

Lynchburg-Clay 78, Georgetown 30

McDonald 37, Salineville Southern 34

Middlefield Cardinal 40, Orwell Grand Valley 31

Middletown Fenwick 43, Middletown 23

Milton-Union 52, Brookville 35

Mineral Ridge 50, Columbiana Crestview 38

Morrow Little Miami 74, Batavia Amelia 36

N. Jackson Jackson-Milton 48, E. Palestine 24

Nelsonville-York 63, Stewart Federal Hocking 36

New Boston Glenwood 68, Willow Wood Symmes Valley 54

New Carlisle Tecumseh 73, Xenia 43

New Concord John Glenn 81, Coshocton 25

New Middletown Spring. 51, Wellsville 47

Newark 75, Canal Winchester 42

Niles McKinley 48, Youngs. Boardman 42

Notre Dame Academy 93, Lima Sr. 36

Oak Hill 65, Lucasville Valley 32

Oregon Stritch 48, Tol. Waite 25

Oxford Talawanda 51, Hamilton Badin 50

Parkersburg South, W.Va. 48, Beverly Ft. Frye 39

Pitsburg Franklin-Monroe 50, New Lebanon Dixie 40

Poland Seminary 75, Youngs. Liberty 31

Portsmouth Clay 65, Franklin Furnace Green 16

Portsmouth Notre Dame 66, Latham Western 38

Portsmouth W. 62, McDermott Scioto NW 59

Proctorville Fairland 68, Ironton Rock Hill 37

Racine Southern 42, Corning Miller 24

Ripley-Union-Lewis-Huntington 37, W. Union 33

Riverside Stebbins 78, Franklin 64

Russia 64, Newton Local 41

S. Point 60, Coal Grove Dawson-Bryant 59

S. Webster 53, Waverly 44

Sardinia Eastern Brown 50, Peebles 39

Shaker Hts. Laurel 39, Gates Mills Hawken 16

Springboro 59, Kettering Alter 58, OT

St. Bernard Roger Bacon 58, Cin. Western Hills 25

Tol. Cent. Cath. 65, Tol. St. Ursula 37

Tol. Whitmer 52, Oregon Clay 35

Troy Christian 56, Yellow Springs 30

W. Alexandria Twin Valley S. 55, Day. Jefferson 45

Warrensville Hts. 59, Akr. Garfield 41

Wheelersburg 55, Minford 54

Williamsburg 56, Batavia 38

Windham 49, Southington Chalker 41

Zoarville Tuscarawas Valley 61, Minerva 42

LeBron James is apparently still upset with Phil Jackson's use of the word "posse" to describe him and his business associates.

TORONTO -- LeBron James is apparently still upset with New York Knicks president Phil Jackson for referring to him and his associates as a "posse" last month and said he would not even entertain a discussion with Jackson if he approached James while the Cavs are in New York over the next two days.

The Cavs play the Knicks Wednesday at 8 p.m. at Madison Square Garden. It will be the first time James and his team sees the team Jackson runs since a controversy erupted last month over comments Jackson made to ESPN in reference to James and his friends/business partners.

Asked Monday night if James would entertain the discussion if Jackson, who won more NBA titles than any coach, approached him, James offered a terse "no."

"For me, I've built my career on and off the floor on the utmost respect and I've always given the utmost respect to everyone -- all my peers, people that's laid the path for me and laid the path for coaches, players, things of that nature," James said after scoring 34 points in a 116-112 win over Toronto. "I've always given respect to them and it's always, like I told you before, it's always shade thrown on me."

How the LeBron-Phil spat began

On Nov. 15, James stopped inches short of calling Jackson a racist for using the word "posse" to describe James and his friends, arguing Jackson would not have used that word if he were discussing the business associates of an NBA team owner who was white.

Maverick Carter, James' long-time friend and business manager, now runs James' SpringHill Entertainment media company, in addition to overseeing all of his marketing deals. Another friend, Rich Paul, is not only his agent, but the owner of Klutch Sports agency with many clients.

"Didn't affect me, just know how much further we still have to go and how far we still have to go as African-Americans, even in the light of today," James said of Jackson's comments. The former Lakers and Bulls coach also used "posse" to describe James and his friends in his 2004 book.

"It means we got a lot more work to do, myself and the team," James said. "We've got to continue to protect each other and continue to just be as great as we can be."

James said his play or how he approaches the Knicks game would not be affected by Jackson. Several NBA players and coaches took issue with Jackson's use of the word, including James' friend and Knicks star Carmelo Anthony.

The James-Jackson cold war isn't the only hot-button issue awaiting James and the Cavs in the Big Apple. Several players, including James, will not stay in the hotel rooms booked by the team at Trump SoHo -- the property bearing the name of the U.S. president-elect, Donald J. Trump.

LeBron, several Cavs not staying at Trump SoHo

Andrew Miller, Carlos Santana, Francisco Lindor are among the Indians' players expected to play in the World Baseball Classic in spring training. Watch video

NATIONAL PARK, Md. - The World Baseball Classic is coming and a lot of Indians players could be playing in it.

Joe Torre, general manager of Team USA, said Tribe reliever Andrew Miller has already committed to pitching in the tournament, which begins March 6 and ends March 22.

Moises Alou, general manager of the Dominican Republic, said first baseman Carlos Santana will play for his native country. Santana helped the Dominican win the WBC in 2013. Alou said he'd like to have third baseman Jose Ramirez and right-hander Danny Salazar play as well.

Manager Edwin Rodriguez said Gold Glove shortstop Francisco Lindor and catcher Roberto Perez will play for Puerto Rico.

Manager Omar Vizquel said he'd like to have Carlos Carrasco pitch for Venezuela, but the Indians haven't cleared him. Carrasco suffered a broken right hand on Sept. 17 and was done for the season and postseason.

"When the Indians were in the World Series, word got back to me that Andrew (Miller) was interested," said Torre, MLB's head baseball officer. "We make sure we get the list from the players association. I've talked to him. I gave him some time after the World Series to settle in, but he was not hesitant to say how excided he was."

The Indians acquired Miller from the Yankees on July 31. He turned an already good bullpen into one that helped the Indians reach Game 7 of the World Series.

Miller was a combined 10-1 with 12 saves and 1.39 ERA in 70 appearances in the regular season. He struck out 123 and walked nine in 74 1/3 innings.

In the postseason, Miller went 2-0 with a 1.40 ERA and one save. He struck out 30, walked five and allowed three earned runs in 19 1/3 innings.

"I know Andrew was on the original list (roster), I think he's still working through what makes sense for him," said Chris Antonetti, Indians president of baseball operations.

Final rosters don't have to be set until February.

Santana caught for the Dominican in 2013, but now he's a first baseman and DH. He also played left field in the World Series.

"Carlos played for us in 2013," said Alou. "We're going to have to be more creative with how we use Carlos now. Carlos no longer catches. He could play left field some, first base and DH.

"Yes, Carlos is on my team. I don't know if I'm supposed to say that, but he's on the team."

WBC: A great idea for everybody but MLB

Alou didn't sound as certain about Ramirez's status, but felt he should be on the team.

Salazar ended the season on the disabled list with a sore right forearm. MLB teams have the right to stop injured players from competing in the WBC.

"We're counting on him, but his forearm injury worries me," said Alou. "MLB has cleared him in the last email I got, but that doesn't mean the Indians have cleared him."

It doesn't sound as if Salazar will be allowed to pitch for the Dominican.

"If you have a chronic condition, meaning you were injured at some point during the season (or) finished the season on the disabled list, you get an exemption," said GM Mike Chernoff. "The WBC club can ask for that player, but the player or the team can deny it."

Salazar made two relief appearances in the World Series. Those were his only appearances after injuring his arm on Sept. 9.

The Puerto Rican infield will feature Lindor, Carlos Correa and Javier Baez, three talented young players. Lindor and Correa are two of the best young shortstops in the game. Rodriguez said a lot of thought will go into how the playing time at short is handled.

"I can see Lindor and Correa both playing shortstop - one DH and the other playing shortstop," said Rodriguez, who managed Class A Mahoning Valley for the Indians this year. "We're going to have to sit down and talk about.

Tribe's Lindor goes from gold to platinum

"We have to talk to the organization. If they're not going to be playing shortstop, they could be DHing or playing another position. We'd have to get the OK from the organization. Playing Carlos Correa or Lindor out of position is dangerous."

Rodriguez said Perez will play behind starting catcher Yadier Molina.

"They're all excited about playing," said Rodriguez. "If I asked them, they'd play anywhere. I say thank you very much, but --- my job is to get you ready for the season. We have to win ballgames, but I also have to get you ready for the season."

But, only December, there's one certainty: if things come down to the wire in the race for the top seed in the Eastern Conference, the Cavaliers have already locked up the tiebreaker against the Toronto Raptors.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Who knows what the future holds for the Cleveland Cavaliers. There are plenty of games remaining on the regular season schedule and things change quickly in the NBA.

But, only December, there's one certainty: if things come down to the wire in the race for the top seed in the Eastern Conference, the Cavaliers have already locked up the tiebreaker against the Toronto Raptors.

That's not the Cavs primary goal, of course. Health is. But head coach Tyronn Lue wants the East's top spot. He's said it a few times, pointing to the Cavs' dominance inside Quicken Loans Arena during last year's title run. Monday was a big step in attaining it. 

Here are five observations:

Still tough to gauge - After showing little resistance in the paint during an unexpected three-game losing skid, Lue held a film session, pointing out the countless errors and lack of physicality against Milwaukee, Los Angeles and Chicago.

Lue holds film session from hell

The Cavs made the necessary corrections and deserve plenty of credit for holding the Raptors to 32 points in the paint on 16-of-34 shooting Monday.

However, it's tough to say the issues are fixed.

Toronto entered Monday's game as the lowest scoring team in the paint this season, averaging just 30.2 points.

They don't have a skilled big man like Taj Gibson or Greg Monroe. They let energetic center Bismack Biyombo -- who was able to gobble offensive rebounds and get some putbacks during the conference finals -- leave in free agency. Their two best players -- Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan -- are more perimeter oriented, as nearly half of Lowry's shots come from 3-point range while DeRozan is a master of the midrange game, something learned by studying idol Kobe Bryant closely.

Truer tests of the Cavs' paint defense will be coming. Monday was a positive first step. But the matchup was certainly favorable in that area. 

Free throws - Every time the two teams play, Lue begs his team to keep Lowry and DeRozan off the free throw line. He wants to force them to earn points by making contested shots or finishing in traffic. 

For the most part, the Cavs were able to do that. DeRozan, who averages 9.0 freebies per game, took just seven from the stripe, including three in the second half.

Lowry made seven trips to the line, with three of those attempts coming in the final seconds when Iman Shumpert bit on a pump fake and committed a silly foul. That's the only time Lowry got to the free throw line.

On the other end, the Cavs attacked the Raptors' defense, earning 27 trips to the stripe. James, one game after not attempting a free throw, took nine attempts.

Taking advantage - During Friday's loss, Lue played just three players off his bench.

Getting little production from the second unit this season, Friday showed his frustration. Against the Raptors, the coach needed someone, anyone to provide a lift, especially after J.R. Smith suffered a knee injury early.

DeAndre Liggins, who had seen 12 total minutes in the four previous games, stepped up, earning the game ball.

He scored five points on 1-of-2 from the field, including 1-of-1 from 3-point range and 2-of-4 from the free throw line. Liggins added five rebounds and one assist in 21 minutes.

His biggest impact came on the defensive end. The two-time D-League Defensive Player of the Year, brought energy and intensity, something the Cavs had lacked during the longest losing streak of the Lue era. In the second quarter, asked to play eight minutes, Liggins helped contain DeRozan by challenging shots and forcing him off his spots. DeRozan went 1-of-4 from the field in the period.

Later in the game, James took the DeRozan assignment while Liggins used his size to pester Lowry, allowing the Cavs to "hide" Kyrie Irving on a lesser offensive threat.

In a malaise for three straight games, the Cavs got the jolt they needed. They hadn't been playing hard enough. The effort had waned. Monday was different.

"I thought we needed that," Lue told reporters after the game. "I thought we needed the toughness he brings. Just him flying around. It may not be the right coverage all the time, but just his activity and the way he plays and how he plays hard, it's big for us. He made a big 3, got a big offensive rebound that we needed. He was great for us defensively and guys kind of fed off that energy."

Liggins' offense is still very much a work in progress. During training camp, they experimented with him at point guard, hoping he could fill some of the minutes behind Irving. But he appears much more comfortable as an off guard, the position he has played most since high school.

The Raptors sagged off him, dared him to shoot, which hurt the team's spacing at times. But he capitalized on that room and even made a triple.

If he can be any kind of threat on the offensive end, force the defense to have to pay attention to him, Liggins could see more action. Given his performance on Monday night, it's fair to say he's earned it. 

Liggins finished with the game's best plus/minus (+12)

Minutes watch - One game after playing a season-high 45 minutes against the Chicago Bulls, James logged 42 during Monday's win.

It was an important game, a needed win. But James' minutes continue to climb and playing four games in six days, it wouldn't be a surprise to see him sit one out soon. He's averaging 36.6 per game, the sixth-most minutes in the NBA.

The Cavs' planned to keep his minutes down this season and there's a red zone that they will be watching closely. But plans change in the heat of competition and the bench struggles haven't helped at all, making it tough for Lue to keep him resting for long stretches.

Minor clean up required - Turnovers continue to be an issue for the Cavs. Once a "low-turnover team," a term James used earlier this season, Cleveland is anything but that at the moment.

"Just too many turnovers," James told reporters Monday morning. "Trying to make too many plays, trying to get my guys opportunities and keep them in rhythm. It costs me sometimes. I take full responsibility of that, but I'm not too much worried about that at all. Just got to be more careful with the ball, but it doesn't matter."

Later that night, James did his part, only committing one. But as a team, it was a problem once again. The Cavs had 16 miscues on Monday, which the Raptors turned into 17 points.

That gives Cleveland 74 turnovers in the last four games, dropping it to 14th in that particular category.

LeBron James scored 34 points and the Cavs overcame a knee injury to J.R. Smith to beat the Toronto Raptors.

TORONTO -- The Cavs stopped their losing streak but probably lost J.R. Smith to a knee injury, at least for a little while.

LeBron James paced Cleveland with a season-high 34 points and Kevin Love added 28 in the Cavs' 116-112 win over the Toronto Raptors. Ahead by as many as 15 in the fourth quarter, Cleveland survived a furious comeback from the Raptors and were helped when DeMar DeRozan's 3-pointer with about 10 seconds left that would've cut the Cavs' lead to two was taken away when a video replay showed he stepped out of bounds.

The Cavs (14-5) put an end to their three-game slide, built on their slim lead over Toronto (14-7) for first in the East, and killed off the Raptors' six-game losing streak. Cleveland has already beaten them three times this year and would win on a tiebreaker should the two teams finish the regular season with the same record.

Dating back to the conference finals, the Cavs have won the last five over the Raptors. The latest was even more impressive because of the loss of Smith.

Smith suffered a left knee injury in the first quarter when he landed awkwardly after converting a floater with 1:52 left. X-rays were negative, but the team will seek further testing (read, MRI) in Cleveland Tuesday on Smith's knee -- which has already been bothering the 31-year-old for at least the last week. The Cavs are headed for New York.

Smith actually made it back to the defensive end before collapsing in pain Monday with 1:44 left. He stayed down on the court for a few minutes, and limped off under his own power while biting a towel and clearly favoring the left leg.

Smith has already missed three games this season with an ankle injury. He signed a four-year, $57 million contract just before the preseason ended, and it's been a rough go since. Entering the Raptors game he was averaging just 8.1 points and shooting 31 percent.

DeAndre Liggins played 21 minutes in Smith's absence and scored five points.

The Cavs' lineup rotations are already out of whack because coach Tyronn Lue needs to compensate for the lack of a true backup point guard. Having to fill Smith's spot among the starters could further complicate the issue and, depending on the severity of Smith's injury, cause general manager David Griffin to contemplate multiple roster moves.

James had already scored more points against the Raptors than any player in NBA history entering play Monday, and has now notched 1,324 points over 48 regular-season games. He was dominant again in this one, contributing eight rebounds, and seven assists on 12-of-26 shooting in 42 minutes. His 26 shots were a season high.

James needed six assists to reach 5,000 assists as a member of the Cavs in this his 10th season with the organization. Mission accomplished.

Kyrie Irving added 24 points and seven assists. DeRozan scored 31 points, while Kyle Lowry added 24.

The Raptors were held under their 48-percent shooting for the year (43.2 Monday night) -- a feat for a Cavs team that had been eviscerated defensively over the past three games.

Cleveland was even good in the third quarter, winning it 28-20 after being crushed 90-55 in their previous three third quarters

NEXT: The Cavs conclude this three-game road trip Wednesday at Madison Square Garden against the New York Knicks. The game is at 8 p.m.