Dan Le Batard's listeners raise the funds for the parade in about 10 minutes.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The people attempting to organize a parade to mark what looks like will be an 0-16 Browns season have more than doubled their fundraising goal, and they have one guy to thank:

Tony Rizzo.

Not that it was Rizzo's intent. Rizzo, who hosts a radio show at WKNR AM/850, really, really hates the idea of the Browns Perfect Season parade, so much so that he went on a rant last week challenging its planners to a fight.

"If you're one of the people out there that is planning a parade for 0-16, I will fight you," Rizzo said. "Come down and see me right now. ... You're going to celebrate my misery for four months? That is the loserest of all loser moves I have ever heard in my life. How dumb is that? Who thinks that's a good idea? ... I don't want you on my team. I want winners and I want people that want to win. I don't want people who celebrate losing.

"If you're one of them people that are planning this parade, you better stay the hell away from me, my show and my family, because I will fight you!"

Rizzo also claimed he would work to sabotage efforts to organize the parade.

"It ain't gonna happen on my watch, folks. I promise you that." (Rizzo's segment can be heard here.)

On Friday, Rizzo's rant drew the attention of Dan Le Batard, a host for ESPN Radio out of Miami whose show is syndicated nationally on more than 400 stations. Le Batard, to put it mildly, thought Rizzo was a bit over the top, calling him a "pretty indignant, ridiculous, strident loser."

So on Monday morning, Le Batard decided to take up the cause to raise funds for the parade.

He asked listeners to go to the parade's GoFundMe page and donate. When he started, about $500 had been donated toward the $1,999 goal after four days. About 10 minutes later, the goal had been surpassed. Le Batard told listeners to stop donating, but it topped $4,000 before slowing down. (That segment can be heard here.)

As of early Tuesday morning, the GoFundMe page had $4,930. Parade organizers say all money above the $1,999 goal will be donated to the Greater Cleveland Food Bank.

Le Batard's effort was not lost on the parade planners, who thanked him on the event's Facebook page. According to the page, more than 5,000 people are interested in attending the parade planned for 1 p.m. on Jan. 7 beginning at FirstEnergy Stadium.

This is not the first time Le Batard has turned his focus toward Cleveland sports fans. In August 2014, after LeBron James returned to the Cavaliers, Le Batard was suspended by ESPN after he put up billboards in Akron showing two NBA championship rings and reading, "You're welcome, LeBron: Love, Miami."

Le Batard tried to buy a full-page ad with the same theme in The Plain Dealer, but the ad was rejected.

Five of Ohio State's defensive starters come from Northeast Ohio high schools.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- They posed around the Larry O'Brien Trophy on the outdoor turf fields of Ohio State's football facility, champions from Cleveland and another group of players from Northeast Ohio with dreams of getting their own hardware.

When the Cavs visited Ohio State earlier this season to play an exhibition game at Value City Arena and show off their shiny new NBA championship trophy to the football team, that was a thrill for every Buckeye, not just the guys from Cleveland.

But it meant something extra to the Buckeyes from Northeast Ohio, the 15 scholarship players and handful of walk-ons who came to Columbus from Cleveland's corner of the state.

"When the Cavs came we made sure to let everybody know it's Cleveland vs. everybody else," said linebacker Jerome Baker, a sophomore from Benedictine.

Cleveland vs. everybody. When Ohio State's defense lines up on Saturdays, there's a modicum of truth to that.

The Buckeyes have five defensive starters from Northeast Ohio high schools, some who grew up together and continued their collective journey in Columbus, others who had simply heard of one another coming up through the different levels of football around Cleveland.

They come from different walks of life, but together those five starters bring a Cleveland identity to Ohio State's defense and give the Buckeyes a Northeast Ohio flavor they haven't had in 10 years.

"I guess Cleveland is an all work, no play city," said defensive tackle Dre'Mont Jones, a redshirt freshman from St. Ignatius. "We play with a chip on our shoulder. I can vouch for all of the Cleveland guys and say they play the same way as me. We play hard."

The defensive starters from the Cleveland area are Baker and Jones, as well as linebacker Chris Worley (Glenville), cornerback Marshon Lattimore (Glenville) and cornerback Denzel Ward (Nordonia). This week we'll look at each player's path to Ohio State, who's next, and how these players bring a certain kind of Cleveland toughness to the Buckeyes' defense.

Shoutout to Coach Tyronn Lue, GM David Griffin & the WORLD CHAMPION @cavs for stopping by practice today! [?] pic.twitter.com/IaTyJOijHU

-- Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) October 17, 2016

Ohio State's 2006 team might be the best comparison when it comes to having this kind of Cleveland presence on one side of the ball. That year the Buckeyes entered the National Championship with six offensive starters from Northeast Ohio: QB Troy Smith (Glenville), RB Antonio Pittman (Akron Buchtel), WR Ted Ginn Jr. (Glenville), WR Anthony Gonzalez (St. Ignatius), WR Brian Robiskie (Chagrin Falls) and OT Alex Boone (St. Edward).

That group ended up losing to Florida in the BCS National Champioship. This new Cleveland group will try to put its own stamp on a run that ends with a national championship, beginning on Dec. 31 in a College Football Playoff semifinal against Clemson.

This isn't to say Ohio State can only win with Cleveland players. The Buckeyes won a national title two years ago with few Cleveland guys in key roles.

But when it is like this, particularly with so many guys from the same area on the same side of the ball, there's something extra that comes with that for the players from that area.

"Where you're from is important," Worley said. "It's really easier with guys being on the same, you know, sort of unit, as far as the defense. It's hard when guys are playing offense, because you don't get to see them as much as you get to see a guy like Jerome Baker. I get to see him every day. He's in my unit. He's my roommate in the hotel, things like that. It's really easier on defense and there are five Cleveland guys on defense I'm really close to."

Ohio State linebacker Chris Worley has 60 tackles and 4.5 tackles for loss this season. Marvin Fong, The Plain Dealer 

It's about relationships, and it's also about tangible production.

Ohio State has built a defense not just on Ohio talent, but on players from all over the country: A captain at middle linebacker from Georgia, a sack leader from North Carolina and ball-hawking safety from Western Pennsylvania.

But when you take into account not just the five defensive starters from Cleveland, but also the others who have key roles as special teamers and reserve players, here's what Northeast Ohio has contributed to Ohio State's defense this year:

* 277 tackles (35 percent of the team total)

* 17 tackles for loss (21.2 percent of the team total)

* 7 interceptions (36 percent of the team total)

* 3.5 sacks (13.4 percent of the team total)

And when you think about it, Cleveland's presence on this defense could be even greater.

Consider that Baker is starting because of an injury to linebacker Dante Booker (St. Vincent-St. Mary), and Jones is starting because of an injury to defensive tackle Tracy Sprinkle (Elyria).

There's defensive end Rashod Berry (Lorain), and safety Erick Smith (Glenville) playing as key backups and special teamers. And you can even flip to the other side of the ball to find two other important Northeast Ohioans in receivers Parris Campbell (St. Vincent-St. Mary) and Corey Smith (Buchtel).

That's 10 Northeast Ohioans from eight different high schools either playing key roles, or who were supposed to have key roles before suffering season-ending injuries.

And five defensive starters from Cleveland who might bring the edge that puts the Buckeyes over the top and gets Ohio State another national championship.

"It's just we're just born ... the toughness you have to be from Cleveland, that hunger you have," Baker said. "Coming from Cleveland, you understand ... if you're from there."

Initial tests on J.R. Smith's injured thumb were inconclusive, and more exams are ordered for the Cavs' starting shooting guard.

MILWAUKEE -- J.R. Smith underwent tests on his injured right thumb that were "inconclusive," according to the Cavs, and their starting shooting guard will undergo further evaluation when he returns to Cleveland Wednesday.

So things don't sound particularly good, nor did they look it, for Smith after he apparently suffered the injury late in the second quarter of Cleveland's 114-108 overtime win over the Milwaukee Bucks.

Smith's status for Wednesday's home game against the Bucks is uncertain, but he sat on a training table in the back of Cleveland's locker room following the game with his right hand tucked inside his jacket.

Per the team's media relations department, the team took "images" of Smith's thumb and the results were not conclusive. Smith was called for two fouls on Giannis Antetokounmpo late in the second quarter; the injury likely occurred on one of them when he swiped at the ball on Antetokounmpo's way to the hoop.

Cavs beat Bucks in OT

Coach Tyronn Lue said before Tuesday's game that he had no update on Kevin Love, who wasn't with the team in Milwaukee because of a bruised left knee. And the Cavs lost reserve big man Chris "Bird Man" Andersen for the season to a torn ACL on Friday.

"A gutsy performance," Lue said of the Cavs' win, minus two starters. "J.R. being out, and Kevin out, just continue to keep fighting. They made a shot to send it into overtime and just to have the composure to come back and win that game was a good thing for us."

Smith has missed five games this season with minor ankle and knee injuries. He's averaging 8.6 points and shooting 36.2 percent from 3-point range this season -- year 1 of a four-year, $57 million deal.

The Cavs play the Golden State Warriors on Christmas. Heading into that game without Smith to guard Klay Thompson would not be ideal.

Cavs coach Tyronn Lue said he isn't sure whether LeBron James or Kyrie Irving will play Wednesday after logging a combined 92 minutes Tuesday.

MILWAUKEE -- Maybe all of the Cavs' Big 3 will play Wednesday against the Milwaukee Bucks.

Or maybe none. Or somewhere in between.

Tyronn Lue said he didn't know what he was going to do about LeBron James and Kyrie Irving following Cleveland's 114-108 overtime victory against the Bucks in Milwaukee.

James played more than 47 minutes and scored 34 points; Irving logged 45 minutes and scored 28 points.

Kevin Love has a bruised left knee and didn't play Tuesday. No one seemed to know his status for Wednesday.

"Is everybody going to play tomorrow? We don't know yet. We don't know yet," Lue said.

The Cavs already don't like games on consecutive nights for their stars. They're committed to resting players now and keeping them healthy for the playoffs. So any time there are games on consecutive nights, the statuses of several players come into question.

A new spin on Cavs' rest patterns

Lue left home from Memphis James, Love, and Irving last week on the second night of a back-to-back. Irving hadn't even played the night before, and the workload James and Love had put in paled in comparison to what James and Irving had to do Tuesday.

The Cavs could've saved themselves a little work had they held onto the 100-93 lead they'd built with 2:33 to go in regulation, but Milwaukee closed with seven straight points to force overtime.

LeBron's dagger 3 wins it

"Yeah, I mean at that point, those guys they weren't coming out," Lue said. "And so it put us in a tough situation. Going into that overtime really hurt us but we were here, it was a game we could win, we felt good and Kyrie and LeBron did a good job of bringing us home."

Milwaukee is in the same situation, in that the Bucks will also be at The Q Wednesday and their two best players -- Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jabari Parker -- logged 44 and 46 minutes. But there's an age difference, and, don't forget, the Cavs' aversion to back-to-backs for stars, especially after heavy workloads on the first night.

Antetokounmpo is 22-years old. He scored 25 on Tuesday. Parker is 21 and scored 30 points.

Richard Jefferson, by contrast, is 36. He started for Kevin Love and spent time guarding both of them.

"A lot of those guys was in grade school when RJ was playing in the Finals," James quipped, mentioning Jefferson's first Finals appearance with the then-New Jersey Nets in 2002. "You guys (are) laughing, but it's true."

"When you're 36 years old and chasing around guys that might not even remember ... shoot, I played with their coach," Jefferson added, speaking of Nets point guard and Bucks coach, Jason Kidd. "I was a rookie with their coach. You just start putting those type of things in perspective, it's pretty funny."

As for James and Irving (who isn't exactly old at 24), James said "that's the plan" when asked if he thought he would play Wednesday. "It's coach's decision. That's up to coach. He hasn't told me I'm not playing, so, as of right now I'll be ready, be ready to go."

Irving said "playing 46, or what me and Bron did tonight, as professionals it's our job to come out and play another game tomorrow. Get ready for another tough game."

The following scores from around the OHSAA in boys basketball are courtesy of The Associated Press.

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Here are Tuesday's boys basketball scores from around the OHSAA, courtesy of The Associated Press.

Akr. Buchtel 68, Akr. Firestone 56

Akr. Ellet 90, Akr. East 65

Akr. Hoban 63, Massillon Washington 48

Akr. Kenmore 71, Akr. Garfield 59

Akr. Springfield 49, Lodi Cloverleaf 36

Alliance Marlington 53, Louisville 51

Anna 61, New Bremen 34

Ashtabula Edgewood 69, Cortland Lakeview 53

Ashtabula Lakeside 60, Warren Howland 44

Athens 39, Albany Alexander 26

Bainbridge Paint Valley 61, Hillsboro 55

Batavia 54, Mt. Orab Western Brown 50

Batavia Amelia 60, Goshen 49

Bay Village Bay 59, Westlake 37

Beaver Eastern 79, Portsmouth Sciotoville 64

Bellaire 94, Barnesville 60

Bellefontaine Benjamin Logan 46, Mechanicsburg 32

Beloit W. Branch 72, Akr. North 62

Belpre 74, Reedsville Eastern 58

Berlin Center Western Reserve 94, E. Palestine 48

Bethel-Tate 70, Batavia Clermont NE 35

Brecksville-Broadview Hts. 52, Macedonia Nordonia 43

Bristol 78, Vienna Mathews 52

Brookfield 58, Campbell Memorial 35

Bryan 59, Sherwood Fairview 43

Bucyrus 49, Sycamore Mohawk 46

Burton Berkshire 62, Fairport Harbor Harding 17

Byesville Meadowbrook 73, Cambridge 65

Can. Glenoak 51, Green 36

Can. South 43, Salem 39

Canfield 55, Youngs. Boardman 45

Canfield S. Range 78, Columbiana 60

Cardington-Lincoln 63, Danville 50

Carey 64, Bucyrus Wynford 52

Carrollton 61, Brooke, W.Va. 60, OT

Chagrin Falls 62, Perry 38

Chillicothe Unioto 66, Greenfield McClain 41

Cin. Christian 58, St. Bernard-Elmwood Place 54

Cin. Deer Park 71, Cin. Shroder 68

Cin. Indian Hill 62, Cin. Anderson 49

Cin. La Salle 71, W. Chester Lakota W. 36

Cin. Princeton 45, Wilmington 44

Cin. Purcell Marian 60, Cin. Woodward 57, OT

Cin. Summit Country Day 71, Cin. Seven Hills 35

Cin. Sycamore 54, Cin. Turpin 51

Cin. Walnut Hills 58, Cin. Glen Este 43

Circleville Logan Elm 60, Washington C.H. 48

Clayton Northmont 62, Kettering Fairmont 61

Cle. Benedictine 61, Parma Hts. Holy Name 51

Cle. E. Tech 62, Cle. JFK 42

Cle. Glenville 83, Cle. John Adams 72

Cle. Hay 92, Cle. Collinwood 73

Cle. John Marshall 62, Cle. Max Hayes 50

Cle. Rhodes 79, Cle. Whitney Young 47

Cols. Africentric 68, Cols. Marion-Franklin 63

Cols. Beechcroft 65, Cols. Mifflin 62

Cols. Centennial 58, Cols. Northland 52

Cols. East 56, Cols. Whetstone 48

Cols. Eastmoor 68, Cols. Independence 49

Cols. Linden McKinley 89, Cols. International 27

Cols. South 74, Cols. Briggs 57

Cols. Watterson 56, Delaware Buckeye Valley 32

Cols. Wellington 51, Cols. Ready 48

Columbia Station Columbia 72, W. Salem NW 66

Convoy Crestview 77, Ft. Jennings 45

Copley 82, Tallmadge 68

Cortland Maplewood 69, Windham 45

Covington 43, Arcanum 41

Creston Norwayne 80, Loudonville 41

Day. Chaminade Julienne 58, Beavercreek 50

Day. Oakwood 72, New Lebanon Dixie 39

Delaware Christian 51, Granville Christian 45

Delaware Hayes 47, Thomas Worthington 44

Dresden Tri-Valley 71, Philo 41

E. Cle. Shaw 50, Berea-Midpark 45

Edgerton 57, Swanton 36

Elida 61, Coldwater 48

Elyria 76, Grafton Midview 55

Fairfield 54, Kings Mills Kings 48

Fayetteville-Perry 47, Mowrystown Whiteoak 45

Findlay 61, Fremont Ross 39

Frankfort Adena 60, Lees Creek E. Clinton 50

Franklin 55, Day. Belmont 52

Ft. Loramie 51, St. Henry 48

Ft. Recovery 92, S. Adams, Ind. 59

Gahanna Christian 66, Groveport Madison Christian 41

Gahanna Cols. Academy 63, Cols. Horizon Science 39

Gates Mills Gilmour 64, Garfield Hts. Trinity 45

Gates Mills Hawken 51, Cuyahoga Hts. 39

Genoa Area 68, Fostoria 40

Greenville 72, Piqua 53

Grove City 57, Cols. Franklin Hts. 25

Grove City Cent. Crossing 60, Canal Winchester 53

Grove City Christian 65, Zanesville Rosecrans 50

Hamilton Badin 60, Cin. St. Xavier 59

Hartville Lake Center Christian 43, Rootstown 42

Haviland Wayne Trace 65, Van Wert 56

Hilliard Bradley 69, Worthington Kilbourne 57

Hilliard Darby 74, Dublin Scioto 63

Hilliard Davidson 56, Lancaster 49

Hubbard 59, Niles McKinley 55

Huber Hts. Wayne 72, Miamisburg 57

Hunting Valley University 62, Cuyahoga Falls CVCA 55, OT

Independence 63, Middlefield Cardinal 42

Jackson 60, Gallipolis Gallia 57

Jefferson Area 68, Poland Seminary 63

Jeromesville Hillsdale 61, New London 59

Kettering Alter 51, Urbana 40

Kinsman Badger 44, Warren Lordstown 39

Lakewood 68, N. Olmsted 60

Leavittsburg LaBrae 66, Girard 52

Leesburg Fairfield 60, Seaman N. Adams 37

Legacy Christian 68, Newton Local 54

Liberty Twp. Lakota E. 57, The Potomac School, Va. 37

Lima Shawnee 80, Lima Perry 64

Lima Sr. 75, Tol. Cent. Cath. 45

Lisbon David Anderson 54, Lowellville 45

Lockland 63, Cin. Hills Christian Academy 58

Lore City Buckeye Trail 72, Gnadenhutten Indian Valley 66

Lyndhurst Brush 81, Chardon 56

Madison 66, Chagrin Falls Kenston 50

Malvern 55, Magnolia Sandy Valley 47

Mansfield Christian 62, Ashland Crestview 54

Mantua Crestwood 77, Atwater Waterloo 61

Marion Pleasant 62, Morral Ridgedale 34

Martins Ferry 60, Cadiz Harrison Cent. 32

Massillon Tuslaw 47, E. Can. 42

McArthur Vinton County 87, Bidwell River Valley 68

Medina 72, Maple Hts. 70

Medina Highland 67, Aurora 51

Millbury Lake 56, Tontogany Otsego 48

Mogadore 75, Ravenna SE 62

Montpelier 60, Gorham Fayette 46

Morrow Little Miami 49, Harrison 45

Mt. Vernon 53, Marion Harding 47

N. Bend (Cleves) Taylor 46, Lawrenceburg, Ind. 45

N. Can. Hoover 71, Massillon Perry 48

N. Jackson Jackson-Milton 50, Leetonia 44

N. Ridgeville 66, Parma 41

N. Robinson Col. Crawford 65, Attica Seneca E. 44

New Concord John Glenn 57, New Lexington 41

New Paris National Trail 53, Lewisburg Tri-County N. 31

New Richmond 54, Norwood 51

Newark 64, Reynoldsburg 60

Norton 77, Ravenna 38

Oak Glen, W.Va. 69, E. Liverpool 49

Oak Hill 60, Lucasville Valley 38

Oberlin 82, Fairview 54

Orange 74, Geneva 54

Orwell Grand Valley 85, Southington Chalker 37

Ottawa-Glandorf 86, Bowling Green 63

Ottoville 50, Delphos Jefferson 40

Oxford Talawanda 52, Eaton 27

Parma Padua 58, Parma Normandy 12

Patriot Preparatory Academy 56, Fairfield Christian 51

Peebles 85, W. Union 76, OT

Pemberville Eastwood 63, Elmore Woodmore 32

Peninsula Woodridge 68, Mogadore Field 41

Pickerington Cent. 72, Groveport-Madison 49

Pickerington N. 97, Galloway Westland 44

Pitsburg Franklin-Monroe 63, Ansonia 50

Pomeroy Meigs 69, Nelsonville-York 30

Portsmouth Clay 74, Franklin Furnace Green 45

Portsmouth Notre Dame 66, Latham Western 54

Portsmouth W. 63, McDermott Scioto NW 61

Racine Southern 53, Crown City S. Gallia 31

Rayland Buckeye 52, Lisbon Beaver 38

Richfield Revere 48, Kent Roosevelt 30

Richmond Hts. 82, Kirtland 58

Ripley-Union-Lewis-Huntington 63, Manchester 48

Rittman 57, Kidron Cent. Christian 45

Rocky River Lutheran W. 74, Brooklyn 71

Rossford 60, Bloomdale Elmwood 58

S. Charleston SE 77, Spring. Kenton Ridge 53

Sandusky Perkins 59, Collins Western Reserve 37

Sardinia Eastern Brown 66, Lynchburg-Clay 64

Sheffield Brookside 66, Elyria Open Door 52

Shekinah Christian 65, Northside Christian 51

Sidney 43, Vandalia Butler 42, OT

Southeastern 56, Wellston 36

Sparta Highland 48, Caledonia River Valley 40

Spring. Greenon 47, Spring. Emmanuel Christian 35

Springboro 52, Lebanon 42

Springfield 77, Fairborn 57

St. Bernard Roger Bacon 73, Cin. NW 53

St. Clairsville 74, Belmont Union Local 58

Steubenville Cath. Cent. 56, Toronto 52

Stow-Munroe Falls 83, Twinsburg 47

Strasburg-Franklin 49, Tuscarawas Cent. Cath. 40

Streetsboro 68, Akr. Coventry 62

Strongsville 68, Avon Lake 37

Struthers 60, Newton Falls 43

Stryker 55, Pioneer N. Central 40

Sugarcreek Garaway 76, Newcomerstown 35

Tiffin Calvert 46, Gibsonburg 45

Tipp City Bethel 90, Bradford 42

Tipp City Tippecanoe 70, Troy 56

Titusville, Pa. 70, Conneaut 64

Tol. Christian 60, Tol. Maumee Valley 56

Tol. St. Francis 68, Oregon Clay 58

Tol. St. John's 76, Tol. Whitmer 50

Trenton Edgewood 58, Monroe 52

Trotwood-Madison 93, Riverside Stebbins 42

Troy Christian 74, Houston 64

Union City Mississinawa Valley 61, Union City, Ind. 51

Upper Sandusky 71, New Washington Buckeye Cent. 37

Vermilion 58, Oberlin Firelands 41

Vincent Warren 85, Marietta 82

W. Jefferson 55, Cedarville 45

W. Liberty-Salem 40, Lewistown Indian Lake 36

W. Unity Hilltop 51, Pettisville 41

Wadsworth 54, N. Royalton 50

Wahama, W.Va. 79, Stewart Federal Hocking 41

Warren Harding 100, Austintown Fitch 57

Warren JFK 70, Youngs. Ursuline 59

Waterford 91, Corning Miller 54

Waverly 56, S. Webster 47

Wellington 51, Cols. Ready 48

Westerville N. 76, New Albany 67

Wheelersburg 52, Minford 34

Wheeling Central, W.Va. 77, Shadyside 55

Wickliffe 80, Chesterland W. Geauga 49

Willard 62, Bascom Hopewell-Loudon 49

Williamsburg 64, Blanchester 57

Willoughby S. 74, Mayfield 47

Wintersville Indian Creek 64, Richmond Edison 53

Wooster 81, Can. Cent. Cath. 39

Xenia 83, W. Carrollton 46

Youngs. Liberty 80, Warren Champion 78

Zanesville 44, Uhrichsville Claymont 41

Zanesville W. Muskingum 69, Crooksville 58

Massillon Jackson 82, Peters Township, Pa. 35

Willow Wood Symmes Valley vs. New Boston Glenwood, ppd.

LeBron James was getting crazy with those 3-pointers Tuesday night, and they were finding their way to the hoops.

MILWAUKEE -- You know that little line on the side of an NBA basketball quarter, several feet behind the 3-point stripe?

That's where LeBron James was standing when he launched and splashed a 33-foot 3-pointer with 24 seconds left in overtime to help the Cavs beat the Milwaukee Bucks 114-108 in overtime.

Thirty-three feet is about nine feet behind the deepest part of the three-point arc. It's roughly five LeBron Jameses (he's 6'8) -- if the king were laid out from where he shot the ball over and over again until he reached the hoop.

That's almost halfway between a pitcher's mound and home plate (OK, that doesn't seem as far).

Trust us, it's a deep ball.

"I mean, he can make that shot and the last one is pretty far out," Cavs coach Tyronn Lue said. "I didn't know he was going to take that one but it was a big shot that we needed and that's why he's the best player in the world."

James was 5-of-9 from 3-point range Tuesday night and finished with 34 points. The last three 3-pointers he nailed covered 92 feet.

That's three really, really deep balls in a row. All in a tight game. All right through the hoop.

"Something I practiced before the game, something I do on practice days," James said. "I was shooting the ball extremely well tonight from the perimeter, so, just trust it. I'm trusting what I've been doing and the work I'm putting into it and knocked it down."

Lue and James both said the Bucks were going under screens all night -- which means shooters have more room. Lue said he told the Cavs to hoist those shots when defenders went under screens.

James is the Cavs' franchise leader in 3-pointers, though he often says he's not a 3-point shooter. Except this year, they've been going in more (42-of-114, 36.8 percent) than they were last season, when he struggled to shoot 30 percent from deep.

James has compiled a career of big shots, in games far more important than a Tuesday in December in Milwaukee. But, still, when James is hoisting 3s from way, way downtown, doesn't it give his teammates at least a brief pause? Like, what's he doing?

"Hell no. Welcome it. The deeper it is, the more silenced the crowd is," said Kyrie Irving, who knows something about dagger 3s. "That was exciting man. It was a big-time shot. I'm telling my teammates there's a big-time bucket coming soon. He stepped up and he nailed it."

Cleveland.com sports columnists Bud Shaw and Doug Lesmerises discuss the best possible Super Bowl matchup in the video debate series, Prepare for List Off, Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio - So apparently the Super Bowl will not be Browns-49ers.

Or a repeat of a year ago when the Denver Broncos beat the Carolina Panthers.

Assuming your preference isn't a wave of Terrible Towels flying in NRG Stadium in Houston, what matchup would you like to see?

If any city should know the extent to which the NFL has become a quarterbacks league it's a city that has been looking for a quarterback since 1999.

If you're tired of Tom Brady and Bill Belichick, my apologies. I never get tired of seeing the best team with the best quarterback in the NFL's ultimate game.

Cleveland.com sports columnist Doug Lesmerises would prefer to see new faces in the Super Bowl. We discuss his wrong opinion as part of our video debate series, Prepare For List Off.

By the way, Hue Jackson promises he'll take the Browns to the Super Bowl some day. But I think we may have a few years yet before we debate that matchup.

Hear us out and tell us whether you want to see greatness (Brady and the Pats) or novelty.

The Chic Harley-era uniforms Ohio State wore against Nebraska and Michigan were rated among the best in college football this year.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Take the fact that Ohio State wore its Chic Harley-era throwback jerseys against Michigan out of the equation, because that's too much bucking tradition for some people to handle, and it could cloud your judgement.

Remember those scarlet jerseys with the gray stripes down the front, the solid gray pants, red-and-white-striped socks and charcoal helmets as they were worn against Nebraska.

Did you like those uniforms?

Is it possible they were the best alternate uniforms worn by any team this college football season? Maybe.

NCAA.com broke down its best uniforms of the 2016 college football season on Tuesday, and the Buckeyes' throwback look against Nebraska made the cut. You can look through all the uniforms, which include the all-red getup that Maryland wore against Ohio State this season, here.

Based on helmet alone, the vote here is for the uniforms Arizona wore this season to honor the crew of the U.S.S. Arizona, which was bombed in the attack on Pearl Harbor 75 years ago.

#WeRemember [?] [?]

We will recognize, remember and honor the memory of the U.S.S. Arizona and its crew.#BearDown pic.twitter.com/ahkKMfkLKg

-- Arizona Football (@ArizonaFBall) September 15, 2016

Ohio State has unveiled minor tweaks and some major overhauls to its uniforms over the last few years, including the all-black look against Penn State in 2015. Some people love them, some people hate them.

They aren't going away.

VOTE: Did you like Ohio State's throwbacks this year?

Ohio State coverage from Tuesday

* We began a series of stories on Tuesday looking at the five defensive starters from the Cleveland area, and how they're impacting the Buckeyes. It will continue all week, with individual looks at the players and a rundown of which Northeast Ohio products are waiting their turn.

How Ohio State built a defense on Cleveland talent

* Doug wrote about Buckeyes' guard Billy Price, who has grown into an All-American and a captain, and is always aware of what people are saying about Ohio State.

Billy Price is the Twitter Santa Claus

* Ohio State basketball beat Youngstown State on Tuesday night, but might have also lost freshman center Micah Potter for a stretch after a fluky injury on the game's opening tip.

The kind of win Ohio State needed

Clemson coverage from Tuesday

* Ohio State isn't the only team that had to rebuild from the loss of NFL talent. Here's a story on how Clemson made up for the production of two NFL defensive ends. -- From the Anderson (S.C.) Independent Mail.

* Speaking of Clemson's defensive line: Christian Wilkins, who leads the team in tackles for loss, might be dealing with a wrist injury that could impact his Fiesta Bowl -- From the Charleston (S.C.) Post and Courier.

* Lastly, Clemson doesn't feel like it needs validation via a national championship to be considered one of the elite college football programs. That said, Tigers coach Dabo Swinney thinks the Tigers will "win multiple championships." -- From the Charleston (S.C.) Post and Courier.

Doug, Ari and Bill break down Ohio State vs. Clemson in the College Football Playoff semifinals.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- This is last time you'll hear our voices before Ohio State and Clemson are in Phoenix preparing for the Fiesta Bowl. This is our full Buckeye Talk College Football Playoff semifinal preview podcast.

Doug Lesmerises, Bill Landis and Ari Wasserman break down Ohio State in the playoff, talk about some matchups and get some insight on the Tigers from Clemson beat writer Dan Hope of the Anderson (S.C.) Independent Mail.

You can listen to the podcast below:

The cleveland.com coverage team will arrive in Phoenix on Monday morning. The Buckeyes and Tigers are expected to land in Phoenix on Monday evening. We'll have coverage from the team arrival, and shorter versions of the Buckeye Talk podcast every day from Phoenix.

Our Buckeye Talk Podcast is available for you to listen on iTunes, Soundcloud and Stitcher.

Vintage photos of the Cleveland Arena, Richfield Coliseum, Cleveland Stadium and League Park. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Quicken Loans Arena, home to the Cleveland Cavaliers, is about to undergo a $140 million renovation designed to extend the life of the 22-year-old stadium.

The project, announced last week, will include a new glass-paneled addition and provide The Q with more space for dining, bars and public gatherings. The Cavs and taxpayers will split the costs without any increase in taxes.

As The Q invests in the future, check out these other Cleveland sports arenas from the past: Richfield Coliseum, Cleveland Stadium, League Park and the Cleveland Arena.

League Park

6601 Lexington Ave. Cleveland

1891-present

Capacity: 9,000 originally; 21,000 after 1910 upgrade

Cy Young pitched the opening game at the stadium in Cleveland's historic Hough neighborhood. Baseball pioneers Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth, Addie Joss, Tris Speaker, Bob Feller, Hank Greenberg and Bob Fell all played at League Park.

The city of Cleveland spent $6.3 million to refurbish the park in 2014. The original ticket booth is still standing, and home plate is in the same spot as it was when the Indians won the World Series there in 1920.

Cleveland Arena

3717 Euclid Ave., Cleveland

1937-1977

Capacity: About 11,000

Built by Al Sutphin for his Cleveland Barons hockey team. The Cavs played there in the early 1970s. The arena hosted boxing, wrestling and racing events, circuses and rodeos.

Richfield Coliseum

2923 Streetsboro Road, Richfield

1974-1999

Capacity: About 20,000

Known as the "palace on the prairie," the coliseum was part of Cavs and Indians owner Nick Mileti's grandiose plan to lead the way for what he believed was the imminent merging of the Cleveland and Akron areas into one media market.

The Coliseum hosted dozens of concerts: Elvis Presley, Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton, Fleetwood Mac, Pink Floyd, Kiss, Stevie Wonder, Led Zeppelin, Frank Zappa, The Grateful Dead, David Bowie, Queen, Bruce Springsteen, Michael Jackson, Prince, Madonna, The Police, U2, Metallica and Guns N' Roses. Frank Sinatra performed on the opening night. 

The Cavs, the Cleveland Barons and Cleveland Lumberjacks hockey teams, the Cleveland Force and Cleveland Crunch soccer teams, and the Cleveland Thunderbolts, an indoor football team, all played at Richfield Coliseum.

The Coliseum also was the site of the 1975 world boxing championship between Muhammad Ali and Chuck Wepner.

Cleveland Stadium

1085 W. 3rd St., Cleveland

1931-1996

Capacity: About 80,000

Cleveland voters approved a $2.5 million bond, the equivalent to $39.7 million today, to help build the stadium, which was the world's largest when it opened in 1931.

The Indians split games between the municipal stadium and League Park until 1947, when the team moved downtown. The Browns began playing there in 1946. When the Browns left for Baltimore in 1995, team owner Art Modell cited the stadium's poor condition. The Indians moved to Jacobs Field in 1994, and Cleveland Stadium was demolished in 1996.

Cleveland Browns losing streak creates a snowball effect that the Browns hope to stop Saturday against the San Diego Chargers.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Cleveland Browns (0-14) have two more chances to win their first game of the year and stop their losing streak from snowballing into next year.

Cleveland's last best chance at a win is probably this Saturday at home against the San Diego Chargers (5-9), because the last game of the year is in Pittsburgh against the Steelers.

San Diego is the Browns' best chance for a victory for two reasons. First, their record isn't that good. Although, one could say that because they play in arguably the best division in football (AFC West), San Diego is better than their record indicates. Second, and the best reason, is the Chargers are a warm-weather, west-coast team coming three time zones east to face winter temperatures and wind.

Crowquill, by Plain Dealer artist Ted Crow, appears three times a week on cleveland.com.

The Mustangs entered the week No. 15 in the cleveland.com Top 25. They suffered their first loss Tuesday, 72-70 at Medina, but are off to their best start that Schmidt has seen.

MEDINA, Ohio – Staying at Maple Heights didn’t seem to happen a few years ago.

Eric Schmidt said that’s the difference with this team. The second year coach, who has worked at the school for 12 years, said he remembers when boys basketball players transferred out for opportunities elsewhere.

That didn’t happen with Fonse Hale, a 5-foot-10 junior guard who has started since entering the school as a ninth grader.

Hale used a productive spring on the AAU circuit to springboard his game, and the Mustangs are better for it.

“He wants to put Maple back on the map,” Schmidt said. “That’s his goal, and he’s doing it.”

The Mustangs entered the week No. 15 in the cleveland.com Top 25. They suffered their first loss Tuesday, 72-70 at Medina, but are off to their best start that Schmidt has seen in his dozen years at Maple Heights.

It took a undefeated Medina team, ranked ninth, to hand Maple Heights its first loss. See how seniors Luke Schaefer and Ben Geschke are leading that charge despite the Bees’ loss of 7-foot center Jon Teske, who graduated and is now at Michigan.

Here is what else stood out Tuesday night in Northeast Ohio:

GAME OF THE NIGHT

Click here to read about Medina’s 72-70 victory against Maple Heights.

PERFORMANCES OF THE NIGHT

• Collin Rittman scored 39 points, and No. 22 Highland remained unbeaten with a 67-51 win at Aurora.

#HSBB: @HornetAthletic off to first 4-0 start since 1955 https://t.co/snO4hC7xyC pic.twitter.com/z4dMe20eHd

— The Gazette (@MedinaGazette) December 14, 2016

• Ronnie James played all 32 minutes of No. 12 Benedictine’s 61-51 non-league win vs. visiting Holy Name. Bengals coach Rob Stircula isn’t shy about his praise of James’ defensive efforts. The 5-9 senior guard held 6-2 Holy Name standout Dwayne Cohill to 16 points, including just two field goals.

“I’ll take him up against all defenders,” Stircula said Saturday at the LeBron James Classic. “Top in the state. Second-best defender I’ve ever had.”

Junior guard Chris Jefferson’s 22-point night also provided a lift for the Bengals.

• Tyshaun Howard continues to have a hot hand for East Tech. He scored more than half of the Scarabs’ points, putting up 34 in a 62-42 Senate League win against JFK. It’s Howard’s second straight 30-point game and third of the season.

• Tajh Benton set a Brush record with nine 3-pointers in an 81-56 win against Chardon. The performance follows Benton’s long-distance shooting that helped the Arcs overcome Middletown’s 3-2 zone defense at the LeBron James Classic.

TOP 25 WATCH

• Matt Dimitrijevs scored 21 points, and No. 10 Brecksville remained perfect with a 52-43 win at Nordonia. They are off for a week before traveling to sixth-ranked Garfield Heights.

Senior Matt Dimitrijevs poured in 18 of his team-high 21 points after intermission as Brecksville comes back to win at Nordonia tonight. pic.twitter.com/7xHXSFNFOT

— Dom DiPasqua (@beevillesports) December 21, 2016

• Jacob Kline knocked down eight 3-pointers, scored 25 points and helped No. 16 Ellet to a 90-65 win against Akron East. A.J. Gareri added 17 points for the Orangemen.

• R.J. Sunahara is up to six straight double-doubles. His 17 points and 15 rebounds helped No. 19 Bay to a 59-37 non-conference win vs. Westlake.

• No. 23 Copley won its 31st straight regular-season game, 82-66 vs. Tallmadge.

CLICK HERE FOR TUESDAY’S SCOREBOARD

FAST FORWARD

Here is what’s ahead this week.

No. 6 Garfield Heights (4-1) at Shaker Heights (1-2), Wednesday: Bulldogs point guard Marreon Jackson is coming off a career-high 42 points Sunday against defending state champion Westerville South at the LeBron James Classic. Jackson matches up with Shaker Heights junior point guard Dale Bonner in this one.

No. 12 Benedictine (3-1) at Pickerington Central (6-0), Thursday: The Bengals’ pressing ways will be challenged by Pickerington Central sophomore point guard Jeremiah Francis, one of the top-rated sophomores in Columbus by 270Hoops.com.

No. 5 St. Ignatius (3-2) at Canton McKinley (6-0), Friday: McKinley is coming off a 54-47 win against Toledo St. John’s Jesuit, one of Northwest Ohio’s top programs. Senior guard Darryl Straughter scored 31 points in that one and will provide a stiff test for St. Ignatius.

No. 15 Maple Heights (5-1) at Highland (5-0), Friday: The Mustangs return to Medina County for a matchup with the Hornets, the second unbeaten foe this week for Maple Heights.

No. 21 Solon (4-1) at No. 24 Brunswick (4-2), Friday: This will be a vital Greater Cleveland Conference matchup for both teams. Brunswick is out to improve from an ugly 31-28 win Sunday against Walsh Jesuit.

CLICK HERE FOR WEDNESDAY’S SCHEDULE

THURSDAY’S SCHEDULE

FRIDAY’S SCHEDULE

Contact sports reporter Matt Goul on Twitter (@mgoul) or email (mgoul@cleveland.com). Or log in and leave a message below in the comments section.

The Cleveland Indians are playing the waiting game again when it comes to signing a free-agent hitter, just as they did a year ago with Mike Napoli. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Can the Cleveland Indians win the waiting game for a hitter, like they did a year ago?

Last winter, the Tribe waited and waited before signing Mike Napoli on January 5, 2016.

The wait brought the market down and the Indians were able to get him signed to a one-year deal.

Napoli delivered a career-year on that one-year contract.

He is one of several power hitters available this season: Jose Bautista, Edwin Encarnacion, Mark Trumbo and Chris Carter.

All are being mentioned in rumors with several teams, most notably the Indians, the Texas Rangers and the Baltimore Orioles.

Who will end up with the Tribe?

Ohio State is getting ready to face Deshaun Watson in the College Football Playoff semifinals. The Clemson quarterback could be the first off the board in this year's NFL Draft.

This was a historic year for Cleveland sports, one that will find its way into every chronicle of the city's athletic lore. For once, Cleveland experienced a memorable sports year for good reasons. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Cavaliers captured the city's first major professional championship since the Stone Age and no one knew how to react.

It was uncharted territory for just about everyone who filled E. 4th Street like helpless sardines in a can on that momentous Sunday night in June. So, the stunned fans -- some shirtless, some speechless -- shouted unintelligible phrases and passed along flower pots and shopping carts over their heads.

Elsewhere, fans roamed the downtown streets like Walking Dead creatures, waiting for the championship realization to smack them square in the face. They barged into any bar that hadn't run out of beer and liquor, looking for one more toast to a moment and a night they would never forget.

The Indians carried the Cavs' momentum for another few months, before they ultimately came up short in the World Series. The Browns are after some history of their own, but even such a drastically dismal season can't tip the scales in favor of pessimism, since the Cavs accomplished something no other major Cleveland team could for 52 years.

That overplayed montage can finally be buried in the backyards of every network producer. The wishes for "one before I die" have been hushed.

This was a historic year for Cleveland sports, one that will find its way into every chronicle of the city's athletic lore. For once, Cleveland experienced a memorable sports year for good reasons; 2016 is the new standard.

'Only in Cleveland' has a sweet, new meaning

Few will forget Game 7 on Father's Day or that muggy Wednesday afternoon parade through gridlocked downtown streets or Kyrie Irving's shot or LeBron James' block or Trevor Bauer's pinkie or Carlos Santana's pose on the Rogers Centre turf.

Maybe one year won't completely alter the mindset of the typical Cleveland fan. (It's not as though anyone is expecting an NFL playoff game at FirstEnergy Stadium anytime soon.) But the "Only in Cleveland" mantra and the "woe is us" attitude may have lost their bite.

We'll dive deeper into this after the New Year. Starting Jan. 9, we'll have a weeklong series in which we'll explore how, if at all, the psyche of the Cleveland sports fan has changed after a wild ride in 2016. We'll revisit the unprecedented ups and the all-too-familiar downs of the year that was, the year that halted fans' cries of "There's always next year."

We'll discuss whether the Cavs' title decreases the desperation for another one, whether the Indians will be under the microscope more in 2017, whether there's any hope for the Browns not to be the red-headed stepchild of the bunch, and how 2017 could possibly top 2016.

Since June 19, the theme in Cleveland has been, "There's always this year." Will fans be saying "There's always last year" a year from now?

For now, watch the video above, as we reflect on the year that was, one that provided a new vision for those old reminders of a once-cursed sports town.

In this Prepare for List Off, Bud and Doug imagine what the crowd will be like for the last Browns home game of the season. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Honestly, it may not be awful on Saturday. The extended forecast looks like the temperature for the 1 p.m. kickoff on Saturday for the final Browns home game of the year may be above freezing.

Will you be there?

In this Prepare for List Off, Bud Shaw and I contemplated the fans who will be in the seats for the Browns vs. the San Diego Chargers. We discussed whether there will be more fans in attendance for the Browns on Christmas Eve or for the Cavs vs. the Warriors on Christmas Day.

And Bud executed a very, very solid joke.

Watch the video just for the joke.

Since moving guard Jimond Ivey into the starting lineup it is becoming harder and harder for the Akron Zips to take him off the floor. Watch video

AKRON, Ohio -- Jimond Ivey has proven to be the 'X' factor for the Akron Zips. An athletic and quick guard with a solid basketball IQ, he fits right in the starting lineup, surrounded by two 6-10 post players and two small shooters. And the 6-4 product of Glenville High School might be the best defensive player on the team, capable of guarding any perimeter position.

The redshirt sophomore had to wait his turn, sitting out his first year on campus to build his academic resume, then playing sporadically as a freshman as he worked his way through minor injuries, playing behind more veteran players. But now he is the seasoned one and it shows more and more every game.

He belies the number on his uniform -- '0' -- with the ability to leave his mark on the stat sheet in just about every category. Ivey is currently averaging 9.5 points and 5.6 rebounds per game.

After starting the season as coach Keith Dambrot's sixth man, he is now a starter. In Ivey's last four games, he has barely left the floor, playing no less than 29 minutes in any game and as many as 38.

In the four games, Ivey has scored 7, 20, 10, and 12 points. That includes games against Creighton, Gonzaga and Marshall, the three best teams Akron has faced this season.

Most players at his position in the Mid-American Conference are one-dimensional. They either strictly score, with little value as a defender or rebounder, or they defend and rebound but struggle to score. Ivey, however, does it all.

For the season he is shooting a stellar 53.1 percent from the field overall and 33.3 percent on 3-pointers. He is also making 82.4 percent of his free throws. Adding to his versatility, three times this season Ivey has had nine or more rebounds in a game. Five times he has had three or more assists.

The Zips have two games left on the schedule before conference play begins. Akron is one of two Mid-American conference favorites and Ivey is one of the big reasons why.

LeBron James scored 34 points and the Cavs beat Milwaukee in overtime.

MILWAUKEE, Wis. -- Keep an eye on these Milwaukee Bucks.

Yes, the Cavs gutted out a 114-108 overtime win here Tuesday at the BMO Harris Bradley Center, behind 34 points from LeBron James on the night he became the NBA's eighth all-time leading scorer.

Kyrie Irving added 28 points and Channing Frye contributed 15 off the bench. The Cavs were already missing Kevin Love (bruised left knee), and J.R. Smith (six points, 17 minutes) didn't come back for the second half because of an unspecified right thumb injury.

But this is twice now this year the Bucks have either routed the Cavs -- the 118-101 beatdown levied against Cleveland here on Nov. 29 was indelibly etched in the Cavs' minds -- or pushed them to the brink.

Milwaukee came from 18 points down early and scored the final seven points in regulation to overtime. The Bucks (13-13) were led by 30 points from Jabari Parker and 25 points and 13 boards from Giannis Antetokounmpo.

But the two, ahem, young Bucks made critical errors in overtime that proved costly.

Parker missed a layup with Milwaukee ahead 108-107, and as James corralled the rebound Antetokounmpo was whistled for his sixth foul.

With Antetokounmpo on the bench out of the stop in play, James had all sorts of room and drained a 33-foot 3-pointer for a 110-108 advantage. And then Parker missed two free throws with 19.1 seconds remaining.

The two teams play again Wednesday at The Q.

The Cavs led 100-93 on Irving's 3-pointer with 2:33 left in the fourth quarter. Parker tied the game at 100 on a bull rush to the rim with 15.5 seconds left in the fourth quarter, and Irving's look at a game-winning 3 with 1.9 seconds to go clanged off the rim.

James finished with 12 rebounds and seven assists in 48 minutes. He was 5-of-9 from 3-point range. Irving added five boards and five assists in 45 minutes.

"We still got two rocket launchers we can go to and we'll be ready," James said, when asked how the Cavs would navigate the Bucks without Love.

With his first basket, at 9:12 of the first quarter, James passed Moses Malone (27,409 points) for eighth on the all-time list. He did it, fittingly enough, on a putback of J.R. Smith's missed 3-pointer. Malone is also fifth in NBA history with 16,212 career rebounds.

Awaiting James in seventh place is former teammate Shaquille O'Neal with 28,596 points. James is 31 and in his 14th season. Malone played 20 years.

Before Tuesday's game, James said Malone visited him in his hotel room before his professional debut -- Oct. 29, 2003, when the Cavs played at Sacramento -- and talked while the two shared a pre-game meal. Malone died last year.

"Every time I saw him I called him 'Uncle Mo' every time, because he was always just there for me," James said. "To see his name right there and to see me with notion of what could happen tonight, it's just very special."

Tristan Thompson added 10 points and 12 rebounds for Cleveland. Richard Jefferson, playing for Love, scored five of his seven points in overtime.

Former Cav Matthew Dellavedova, who will get his 2016 championship ring before Wednesday's game, contributed eight points and five assists for the Bucks.

Smith has already missed five games this year due to injury. DeAndre Liggins took his place at shooting guard to start the second half.

Jackson talked about his communications with the analytics team and the data he has available to him during games. Watch video

BEREA, Ohio -- It might feel like years ago, but it was just October when fans and media were debating Hue Jackson's Week 6 decision in Tennessee to go for two while trailing by nine points late in the game. There were two basic arguments:

The first was the traditional kick the extra point, keep it a one-score game and extend the game as long as possible.

The second -- and the one Jackson chose -- was about knowing the outcome of the inevitable two-point conversion at the earliest possible time, in this case with 2:07 left in the game, as opposed to not knowing that outcome until there was almost no time to counteract it.

"I think you kind of need to know exactly what you are going to need in these possessions, whether you are going to need to onside kick or not," Jackson said the day after the game. "The only way to know that is you have to take a shot at going for two. It gives you a better idea of what you are going to need within the next possession. We went for it. You make it, and it is 21-28, right? That is what it would have been. Obviously, then you don't. Now, you know you are going to have to kick the field goal and now onside kick."

The decision came up on Wednesday when Jackson shed some light on the role of analytics in his in-game decision making.

"It is just like the Tennessee game when you guys were grilling me about the two-point play," Jackson said. "I have somebody I really trust and who does extensive research that I can tap into that has done a good job. I think we came back and said, 'Coach Jackson made a good decision.'"

Let's back up a bit. The whole conversation started when Jackson was asked about the decisions he makes when he wins the opening coin toss. Sunday, he chose to receive the kick after winning the toss, but overall this season the Browns have won nine coin tosses and deferred on seven. The other two times they've chosen to take the ball resulted in an opening-drive field goal against Dallas and three-and-out against the Bills.

The prevailing theory on deferring is that it gives a team an opportunity to create an extra possession. There's a clear advantage to scoring at or near the end of the first half and then having an opportunity to score again to start the second half. Bill Belichick has been credited with mastering this.

"The theory is you gain one extra possession in the game," Jackson said. "The only way to do it is probably defer. That is the theory. You are trying to do anything you can to maximize possessions, having the ball so you can score more points. That is what it is all about."

That hasn't always worked out for the Browns, though admittedly the sample size is small. They've had more possessions than their opponents just twice when they've deferred, have had fewer possessions twice and had an even number of possessions the other three times they deferred. They've only twice possessed the ball at the end of the first half.

"Analytics tells you that if you defer, you have a good chance to have one more possession than the other team does throughout the game," Jackson said.

The man Jackson leans on to aid in making these decisions is football research analyst David Giuliani.

"We give him projects. We give him projects, and we give him things to do," Jackson said. "There is a lot of different information that he brings me. Some of it is really important and some of it, with my football expertise, I go a different way, but again, it is there."

Jackson doesn't have this information from Giuliani at his fingertips during games, at least not literally. It's not on his playsheet. He is able to communicate with the analytics team during games, though, and Giuliani offers him analysis on decisions that were made in certain situations when he meets with Jackson, usually on Fridays. Jackson said that most of Giuliani's analysis is paired with game tape, something he appreciates.

"It is an analytics piece that deals with the National Football League and all the different scenarios that have happened throughout the league," Jackson said.

Jackson, who has been working in football at some level since the late '80s, also admitted that there are simply certain things that he won't budge on.

"You have to be open, but there are certain things that when you go through it, you are like 'No, that just does not fit,'" he said. "You may see it differently. Just because this says that does not mean that is right for you or right for your football team."

In the end, the goal is for Jackson and his staff to have as much information as possible when they make decisions in the throes of a game.

"The important thing is that he is bringing different thought processes to me that I have not thought of that way," Jackson said. "That helps. How can we gain an extra possession? How can we do this a little bit better? How can we do that better? I think that is truly what it is all about - how can you be at your best when you are playing a game, coaching a game or whatever it is."

-----

LeBron James and Kyrie Irving are both scheduled to play for the Cavs against the Milwaukee Bucks on the second night of consecutive games between the teams.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- LeBron James and Kyrie Irving are scheduled to play against Milwaukee tonight, but not Kevin Love.

James played 47 minutes, and Irving 45 in Cleveland's 114-108 overtime win against the Bucks on Tuesday. Coach Tyronn Lue said the only way either player wouldn't be out there tonight was if something unforeseen happened during warmups.

"They feel great right now, so as of now everyone is playing," Lue said.

Love didn't play in that game because of a bruised left knee, but should be available Friday against Brooklyn, Lue said.

Earlier Wednesday, the Cavs learned they would be without starting shooting guard J.R. Smith for an extended period because of a fractured thumb suffered late in the first half Tuesday night that requires surgery.

DeAndre Liggins will start for Smith; Richard Jefferson starts again for Love.