Kent State snaps four-game skid with a dominating 85-61 victory over the Toledo Rockets as seniors Jimmy Hall and Deon Edwin combine for 50 points.

KENT, Ohio -- Kent State turned a double-digit halftime lead into an 85-61 victory over the Toledo Rockets Saturday night in the M.A.C. Center.

Seniors Jimmy Hall (27 points) and Deon Edwin (23) combined for 50 points to lead Kent State, but the real key was the KSU youngsters.

Sophomore point guard Jalen Avery had a near flawless floor game in his first Mid-American Conference start at point guard. Freshman Danny Pippen in his first MAC start had eight points and five rebounds, and off-the-bench sophomore Adonis De La Rosa delivered five points, five blocked shots and six rebounds.

Kent hit nine of its first 10 shots to open the second half, built a 25-point lead, and was never seriously challenged after that.

The first half: Both Kent State and Toledo seemed to tiptoe through the first 20 minutes, but the Golden Flashes got the best of it, building a 38-24 halftime lead behind some stellar defense and solid ball control.

After averaging 20 turnovers a game in Kent's four-game slide entering the game, KSU only had four miscues in the first 20-minutes. 

Next in line: Kent head coach Rob Senderoff changed his starting lineup, going with sophomore Jaylen Avery and freshmen Mitch Peterson and Danny Pippen along with seniors Jimmy Hall and Deon Edwin.

The end result was fewer turnovers and some early steals defensively as well as blocked shots. It was Toledo struggling with turnovers, having 10 at halftime while shooting 29.2 percent from the field.

Game stats

Foot fault: For the second straight year in the midst of conference play, Kent State has lost the services of starting shooting guard Jaylin Walker to a foot injury. He suffered a broken bone in his foot last season, and again prior to the start of this season.

The 6-2 guard was Kent's second-leading scorer, averaging 14.9 points a game. Walker was not in a boot, so there is the possibility he could return before the end of the season.

Deja vu: This marks the third straight season, in the midst of MAC play, Kent has had a key player go down. In 2015 leading scorer Jimmy Hall missed a string of games due to mono. Last season, along with Walker, Kent lost starting point guard Xavier Pollard to a broken foot that ended his season.

Kent held serve without Hall in 2015, and ultimately finished in a tie for first place. Kent was leading the MAC at 6-1 last season when Pollard and Walker went down and finished .500. Kent entered last night's game at 9-9, 1-4 and on a four-game losing streak.

One thing is clear: Popovich has the same fondness for James, a player he's battled three times in the NBA Finals, winning two of those series. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The respect between Cleveland Cavaliers star LeBron James and San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich runs deep.

On Thursday night, following the Cavaliers' 118-103 win against the Phoenix Suns, James called Popovich the greatest coach of all time. It's not the first time James has heaped praise on the five-time NBA champion with the fifth best all-time winning percentage among coaches.

"It's flattering," Popovich said prior to Saturday's primetime showdown. "It's hyperbolic and untrue."

The debate about the coaching "GOAT" will no doubt rage on, with some pointing to Phil Jackson, Pat Riley or even Red Auerbach. But that's another conversation for another day.

One thing is clear: Popovich has the same fondness for James, a player he's battled three times in the NBA Finals, winning two of those series.

"We've had a lot of fun over the years going back and forth on the court, so I respect the hell out of him," Popovich said. "I've really enjoyed his progression, because now he truly is the king.

"In the beginning he wasn't. Everybody tried to make him that. He handled it really well. That was a tough situation for a young guy to be in like that. But the fact that he rose to that level and earned it, I think is very appropriate and really a tribute to him."

Popovich admitted he had questions early about how team-oriented James would be and whether he would have a deep understanding of the NBA and what it would take to be successful. He also wondered whether James would be willing to devote as much attention to the defensive end of the floor and play with the consistency required of an NBA star.

Those questions have been answered. Three-time NBA champion. Three-time Finals MVP. Thirteen-time NBA All-Star. Four-time MVP.

"When you know somebody over time, the respect grows if the relationship is real," Popovich said. "Obviously he's a special guy."

Popovich has his own lengthy list of accomplishments. But he's never had the honor of being James' head coach. That could change in a few years.

With Popovich taking over for Mike Krzyzewski as Team USA head coach, James admitted that new role influences his decision about participating in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. James skipped the 2016 Rio games after his sixth straight Finals run.

"It factors a lot," James said. "I've said that before. He's just a great mastermind of the game of basketball."

James isn't the only Popovich admirer in Cleveland. Head coach Tyronn Lue has watched over the years and tried to emulate at least one aspect of Pop's coaching style.

"Just how he's had everybody to buy in," Lue said. "To see him as player yell at Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili when they make mistakes and not just on the 13th, 14th or 15th guy, it just shows you that if you get your top three or top four players to buy in everybody has to follow their lead. He reminds me a lot of Phil Jackson of coaching the top players harder than he does the regular guys. Just seeing him do that and seeing the respect he has from his players."

Kyle Young scored 18 points and Logan Hill added 12 for Massillon Jackson, which took control Saturday in a dominating second half against Mentor.

MASSILLON, Ohio – Massillon Jackson capped off a perfect weekend with an 85-48 home win vs. Mentor on Saturday night in a nonconference boys basketball game between Division I teams.

Jackson (12-1) took control of the game in the second half against Mentor, the No. 3-ranked team in this week's cleveland.com Top 25. The Polar Bears outscored Mentor 27-9 in the third quarter after starting the quarter on a 17-9 run.

“That third quarter with a heck of a quarter for us,” Jackson head coach Tim Debevec said. “That’s what we’re capable of when we’re shooting the ball and running the floor.”

A game that was 31-29 late in the second quarter quickly became 66-39 heading into the final quarter. When Debevec took his starters out of the game with 6:42 remaining in the fourth quarter, the Polar Bears led 72-39 following a 3-pointer by Anthony Mazzeo. Jackson held Mentor to just 18 points in the second half, nine in each of third and fourth quarters.

The run that started the second half for Jackson can actually be traced back to the end of the first half. The Polar Bears finished the first half on an 8-1 run after the Cardinals had closed to within two at 31-29 with 2:14 left in the second quarter.

Kyle Nicolas started the night strong for the Polar Bears, scoring seven of Jackson’s first nine points and had a thunderous block on the defensive end. The senior guard finished with a season-high 18 points.

“It felt great to get us started like that,” Nicolas said. “Just to be a part of that, it was really awesome.”

Senior Kyle Young also had 18 points for Jackson and senior Logan Hill added 12. Mazzeo gave the Polar Bears 10 points off the bench.

Jack Korsok led Mentor with nine points.

The win for Jackson came after a 79-54 win over GlenOak on Friday night. The loss was the second in two nights for Mentor (9-3) after losing to Brunswick on Friday night.

Jackson will host Massillon Perry on Tuesday, Jan. 24, while Mentor will play at Euclid on Friday, Jan. 27.

Ryan Isley is a freelancer from Akron. For more high school sports news, like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

The Cleveland Monsters lost, 5-0, to the Grand Rapids Griffins in an American Hockey League Central Division game Saturday night.

Cleveland's Dillon Heatherington (3) chases the puck in front of the Grand Rapids net Saturday night.Cleveland Monsters 

GRAND RAPIDS, Michigan -- Goaltender Cal Heeter recorded a 35-shot shutout and his teammates added to the AHL's best power-play record Saturday night as the Grand Rapids Griffins beat the Cleveland Monsters, 5-0, at Van Andel Arena.

The loss dropped Cleveland to 18-16-1-3, in fourth place in the AHL Central Division. The first-place Griffins improved to 27-10-1-2.

After Martin Frk fired an even-strength rocket from the slot at 9:33 of the first period, Grand Rapids notched three goals in the second. Eric Tangradi stuffed in a power-play goal at 3:34, Evgeny Svechnikov scored at 10:57 -- technically at even strength as time expired on a Cleveland penalty -- and former Monster Matt Ford connected on a power play at 14:07.

Dylan Sadowy finished the scoring for the Griffins at 18:37 of the third period.

Cleveland's Alex Broadhurst missed the net on a penalty shot at 19:15 of the middle frame.

The Monsters were 0-for-2 on power play chances. Grand Rapids was 2-for-8.

Anton Forsberg stopped 26 of 31 shots in taking the loss in net for Cleveland.

Next up: Cleveland plays the Admirals in Milwaukee at 8 p.m. EST before returning home to The Q against Chicago at 7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 26.

He scores: Monsters left wing Markus Hannikainen, called up on Friday for the seventh time this season by the Columbus Blue Jackets, scored his first NHL goal Saturday in their 3-2 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes.

Here comes Dustin Johnson at Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship 2017.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Tyrrell Hatton led by one shot entering the final round of Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship in United Arab Emirates. The event is part of European Tour 2017.

Hatton shot 67-68-68 for 13-under 203 through three rounds. Five players, including 2016 U.S. Open champion Dustin Johnson, were in second. Johnson shot 8-under in the third round.

ABU DHABI HSBC LEADERBOARD

EUROPEAN TOUR

ABU DHABI HSBC CHAMPIONSHIP

Site: Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

Course: Abu Dhabi GC (Yardage: 7,583. Par: 72).

Purse: $2.7 million.

Television: Golf Channel (Wednesday, 10:30 p.m. to 3:30 a.m.; Thursday 6-8 a.m.; Friday-Sunday, 3:30-8 a.m.).

Defending champion: Rickie Fowler.

Previous tournament: Graeme Storm won the BMW South African Open in a playoff over Rory McIlroy.

Notes: McIlroy withdrew because of a stress fracture in his back. ... Abu Dhabi was the strongest field of the year among regular European Tour events last year. ... Rickie Fowler won last year by one shot over Thomas Pieters, with Stenson and McIlroy tied for third. Fowler played the following week in the Phoenix Open and lost a two-shot lead with two to play. He never won the rest of the year. ... U.S. Open champion Dustin Johnson makes his Abu Dhabi debut. Americans in recent years who have played include Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson. ... Branden Grace played both Hawaii events before heading to Abu Dhabi. ... Chris DiMarco won the first Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship in 2006. ... Thomas Bjorn is playing for the first time since he was appointed European Ryder Cup captain. ... Among those making their 2017 debut in Abu Dhabi are Fowler, Stenson, Pieters and Masters champion Danny Willett. ... U.S. Amateur champion Curtis Luck is playing on an amateur invitation.

Next week: Commercial Bank Qatar Masters.

Online: www.europeantour.com

(The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

Kawhi Leonard scored 41 points and the Spurs beat the Cavs in overtime.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A scoreless two minutes, a bad turnover, and two timely Spurs shots sunk the Cavs in overtime Saturday night.

Kawhi Leonard scored a career-high 41 points to LeBron James' 29 and the Spurs defeated Cleveland 118-115 in what was obviously a compelling game, given its score, length, and the two teams competing.

The Cavs (30-12) scored one basket in the final 2:12 of overtime. Trailing by three and coming out of a timeout, James threw a pass to no one in the corner with 24.2 seconds left for his seventh turnover.

The Spurs took the lead for good on Patty Mills' 3-pointer with 1:52 to go. LaMarcus Aldridge's jumper with 38 seconds remaining put them up 116-113.

After a layup by Kyrie Irving, James tied Leonard up for a jump ball with 13 seconds left and won the tip, but Love's effort to save it from going out of bounds went straight to Leonard, who raced ahead for what should've been a clinching dunk.

But LaMarcus Aldridge missed two free throws with .9 seconds to go and gave the Cavs another chance. But Love's 3-point attempt at the buzzer was no good.

Irving scored all of the Cavs' eight points in overtime and finished with 29 total. Love, playing for the first time since injuring his back in the first half against Golden State Monday, scored 13 points with 11 rebounds. Tristan Thompson added 14 points and 12 boards, and Iman Shumpert contributed 11 points.

This was Leonard's sixth consecutive game of 30 or more points. Aldridge added 16. David Lee and Dejounte Murray, filling in for the injured Pau Gasol and Tony Parker, each scored 14 points.

The Cavs committed 18 turnovers for 19 points, the Spurs had 14 turnovers for 14 points. Just as costly, the Cavs missed 10 of 22 free-throw attempts.

This was Tyronn Lue's 83rd game as head coach, meaning he's coached a full season. His second full season started just like the first.

The Cavs lost the first game of Lue's tenure against the Bulls, which was also ABC's first Saturday night game. Things turned out OK at the end of that year.

The Cavs held the Spurs scoreless over the final 2:45 in regulation to forge overtime. James made three free throws and a 30-foot 3-point bomb to tie it. Leonard scored 12 points in the period, but missed his last five shots. After Leonard missed a jumper with 13.4 seconds left, James' step-back 3 that could've won it at the buzzer rattled out.

The Spurs opened the fourth quarter on a 12-1 run and the Cavs committed four turnovers over the first four minutes.

Come to think of it, Cleveland's reserve unit -- which starts the second and fourth quarters with James -- struggled all night. The Spurs opened the second period on a 17-2 spurt. The Cavs closed periods well, up until overtime anyway. They won the final 4:42 of the second period, 14-6, and finished the third with five points in 33 seconds for a five-point lead.

James and Leonard each played 46 minutes. Irving logged 41.

NEXT: The Cavs hit the road again, but for only one game against the New Orleans Pelicans Monday at 8 p.m.

Check out Saturday's boys basketball scores from around the OHSAA, courtesy of The Associated Press.

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Check out Saturday's boys basketball scores from around the state, courtesy of The Associated Press.

Akr. Ellet 48, Whitehall-Yearling 45

Akr. Hoban 62, Chardon NDCL 33

Akr. SVSM 57, Shaker Hts. 49

Anna 73, Casstown Miami E. 69, OT

Apple Creek Waynedale 58, Doylestown Chippewa 43

Arcadia 54, Kansas Lakota 40

Arcanum 52, Ft. Recovery 44

Ashland Mapleton 53, Plymouth 50

Bascom Hopewell-Loudon 53, Fostoria St. Wendelin 49

Beverly Ft. Frye 55, Belpre 33

Botkins 53, New Knoxville 46

Caledonia River Valley 53, Delaware Buckeye Valley 52

Can. Cent. Cath. 62, Akr. East 59

Canal Fulton Northwest 46, Navarre Fairless 40

Canal Winchester Harvest Prep 77, Lancaster Fisher Cath. 45

Chillicothe 88, Cols. Marion-Franklin 60

Cin. Deer Park 73, Williamsburg 64, 2OT

Cin. Hughes 55, Cin. Indian Hill 54

Cin. La Salle 68, Windsor Kennedy, Ontario 38

Cin. Moeller 54, Springfield 51

Cle. Hts. Lutheran E. 88, Cle. John Adams 59

Cle. St. Ignatius 75, Cle. Cent. Cath. 63

Collins Western Reserve 59, Monroeville 46

Cols. DeSales 48, Logan 47

Cols. Hamilton Twp. 88, Galloway Westland 70

Cols. Hartley 71, Cols. Independence 39

Cols. Mifflin 57, Westerville Cent. 48

Cols. Ready 43, Marion Pleasant 40

Cols. Wellington 64, Cols. Bexley 53

Continental 49, McComb 33

Copley 77, Westlake 50

Crown City S. Gallia 69, Stewart Federal Hocking 39

Day. Dunbar 73, Tol. Scott 52

Defiance 43, Sherwood Fairview 24

Defiance Tinora 45, Stryker 41

Delaware Christian 62, Groveport Madison Christian 39

Delphos Jefferson 44, Pandora-Gilboa 31

Dublin Scioto 62, Pataskala Licking Hts. 53

E. Central, Ind. 62, Harrison 46

Edgerton 61, Delta 36

Elida 60, Archbold 59, OT

Fairfield Christian 68, Sugar Grove Berne Union 46

Findlay 62, Lima Bath 39

Findlay Liberty-Benton 76, Tol. Christian 71

Glouster Trimble 51, Nelsonville-York 43

Grove City Christian 98, Millersport 43

Groveport-Madison 82, Cle. St. Martin De Porres 47

Hamilton Badin 64, Cin. Finneytown 43

Hamler Patrick Henry 52, Leipsic 48

Haviland Wayne Trace 77, Lima Shawnee 56

Hicksville 76, Pioneer N. Central 38

Hilliard Darby 47, Hilliard Davidson 31

Jackson Center 55, Maria Stein Marion Local 33

Jeromesville Hillsdale 50, Rittman 43

Kalida 48, Columbus Grove 43

Kenton 64, Lewistown Indian Lake 52

Kings Mills Kings 35, Morrow Little Miami 30

Lancaster 48, Ashville Teays Valley 40

Latham Western 73, Chillicothe Zane Trace 56

Leesburg Fairfield 69, Portsmouth Notre Dame 65, 2OT

Liberty Center 72, Tontogany Otsego 68

Lima Perry 95, Harrod Allen E. 46

Lima Sr. 63, Ottawa-Glandorf 41

Lorain 90, Lorain Clearview 70

Loudonville 64, Sullivan Black River 46

Lucas 49, Crestline 35

Mansfield St. Peter's 76, Shelby 65

Massillon Jackson 85, Mentor 48

Massillon Washington 67, Can. McKinley 60, OT

Miller City 49, Lima Temple Christian 34

Minster 53, Russia 46

Monclova Christian 75, Dola Hardin Northern 69

Mt. Gilead 73, Centerburg 62

Mt. Orab Western Brown 75, Hillsboro 40

N. Robinson Col. Crawford 48, Sycamore Mohawk 31

N. Royalton 67, Parma Hts. Valley Forge 47

New Albany 44, Lewis Center Olentangy Orange 38

New Concord John Glenn 66, E. Cle. Shaw 44

New London 70, Ashland Crestview 42

New Madison Tri-Village 65, Winchester, Ind. 32

New Riegel 43, Old Fort 42

New Washington Buckeye Cent. 53, Attica Seneca E. 40

Newton Falls 69, Southington Chalker 52

Norwalk St. Paul 56, Greenwich S. Cent. 49

Oak Harbor 53, Fremont St. Joseph 37

Oak Hill 59, Coal Grove Dawson-Bryant 36

Pataskala Watkins Memorial 50, Cols. Whetstone 49

Perry 72, Painesville Harvey 60

Pettisville 51, Metamora Evergreen 46

Pitsburg Franklin-Monroe 80, Houston 47

Plain City Jonathan Alder 56, Marion Harding 48

Port Clinton 66, Bellevue 59

Powell Olentangy Liberty 65, Lexington 55

Richmond, Ind. 60, Day. Belmont 38

Richwood N. Union 58, Galion 48

Rockford Parkway 59, Bradford 44

Shadyside 64, Cameron, W.Va. 62

Shekinah Christian 57, Gahanna Christian 56

Sidney 70, Sidney Lehman 46

Sidney Fairlawn 75, Newton Local 30

Smithville 70, Creston Norwayne 67

Spencerville 60, Arlington 38

St. Henry 46, Ansonia 29

St. Marys Memorial 55, McGuffey Upper Scioto Valley 50

Steubenville Cath. Cent. 50, Oak Glen, W.Va. 42

Stow-Munroe Falls 52, Akr. Buchtel 45

Struthers 67, Lowellville 48

Tiffin Calvert 56, Mt. Blanchard Riverdale 41

Tiffin Columbian 53, Sandusky Perkins 43

Tipp City Tippecanoe 46, Bellbrook 39

Tol. St. Francis 77, Tol. Rogers 59

Tol. St. John's 57, Lakewood St. Edward 43

Trotwood-Madison 98, Clayton Northmont 76

Union City Mississinawa Valley 53, Randolph Southern, Ind. 52

Upper Sandusky 85, Carey 56

Van Wert 54, Bryan 47

Van Wert Lincolnview 76, Antwerp 55

Vandalia Butler 67, New Carlisle Tecumseh 43

Versailles 70, Lima Cent. Cath. 48

Vincent Warren 69, Athens 51

Wapakoneta 50, New Bremen 32

West Salem Northwestern High School 72, Dalton 67

Wheelersburg 65, S. Point 51

Williamsport Westfall 45, Amanda-Clearcreek 41

Wooster Triway 78, Berlin Hiland 44

Xenia 68, Spring. Shawnee 47

Youngs. East 83, Cortland Lakeview 69

Zanesville 58, Bloom-Carroll 45

Zanesville Rosecrans 72, Zanesville Maysville 50

Beaver Eastern 65, Lynchburg-Clay 54

Peebles 67, Portsmouth Sciotoville 59

Portsmouth 60, Manchester 45

Sardinia Eastern Brown 57, Chesapeake 34

Seaman N. Adams 63, New Boston Glenwood 53

W. Union 74, Waverly 72, OT

Hudson WRA 55, Ft. Wayne Canterbury, Ind. 43

Ohio Deaf 57, West Virginia School for the Deaf, W.Va. 17

Cin. Walnut Hills 68, Charlotte Christian, N.C. 57

Mattoon, Ill. 60, Andrews Osborne Academy 58

Mount Vernon, Ill. 59, Andrews Osborne Academy 43

No one play usually beats you in a basketball game, but the Cavs were lamenting a particular miscue in their 118-115 overtime loss to the Spurs. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- There is almost never any one reason a team loses a basketball game.

So the Cavs' colossal mistake(s) on a risky play call late in overtime of a 118-115 loss to the Spurs wasn't the sole culprit in this loss.

But no one in the Cleveland locker room was too impressed.

The Cavs trailed 116-113 at the time. The turnover went to LeBron James, his seventh, when his pass in the corner went to no one with 24.2 seconds left.

But James did exactly what he was supposed to on the play, which was drawn up by coach Tyronn Lue out of a timeout. Neither Tristan Thompson nor Kyrie Irving followed the plan, and James suggested they forgot the play.

Cavs coach Tyronn Lue diagrammed for cleveland.com the play his team messed up late in overtime of a 118-115 overtime loss to San Antonio.Joe Vardon 

"As a ball club that's trying to win a championship, we can't have you go from a timeout to the court and forget what you're supposed to do," James said. "It's that simple."

The Cavs tried to run a "hammer" action, in which Thompson was supposed to set a backscreen for Irving to run to the corner where James was throwing the ball. The play involves James catching the ball in the post and throwing it behind his back. The Cavs call it "punch-snap-hammer," a play featured in a story in early January by ESPN's Dave McMenamin.

The Cavs first ran the play in the middle of a game in early November against Orlando. It was called for Mike Dunleavy (who's since been traded), and James threw the perfect pass to him and he caught it and drained the 3.

This time, in overtime of a marquee game, after James and Irving had nearly logged 45 and 41 minutes, respectively, Thompson never made it near Irving's defender (Danny Green) and Irving never broke.

"We watched it on tape, Kyrie would've been open," Lue said. "Danny Green had no clue what was going on but we didn't execute it right.

"There was confusion at the beginning, with the first part of it, but then Tristan has to come up and set the hammer," Lue continued. "He kind of stopped in the middle of the paint because I guess the way (LaMarcus) Aldridge was guarding him or whatever. But we didn't execute it cleanly."

The replay showed Green looking active and aware of his surroundings, though who's to say what would've happened had Thompson gotten to him early in the play? Thompson never came near Irving, and thus Irving broke to the corner.

"There was a miscue there was supposed to be a flare on the back side with me and Tristan," Irving explained. "Going forward we'll probably look at film and see where we can get better at that throughout the whole entire game."

Asked to further divulge the miscue, Irving said "Just a miscue, just a miscue. That's all."

Spurs hold off Cavs

This loss seemed to sting the Cavs a little. James and Irving each scored 29 points, and as previously mentioned the played a ton of minutes. Kevin Love posted 13 points and 11 rebounds coming back from a back injury. Thompson scored 14 and grabbed 12 boards.

The Cavs committed 14 of their 18 turnovers after halftime, and were blown out to start the second and fourth quarters after building leads.

San Antonio's Kawhi Leonard scored a career-high 41 points, but Lue said James getting into early foul trouble prevented the Cavs from putting James on him until the fourth quarter. Though Leonard scored 12 in the fourth, he missed his last five shots.

James had a chance to win the game in regulation but missed a step-back 3.

Even Love had a desperation 3 attempt at the end of overtime that could've tied it, but he missed badly.

While Love's missed 3-pointer was the final play of the game, there were plenty of other reasons for the loss. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- It had the feel of an NBA Finals preview. Of course, the Golden State Warriors will have plenty to say about that.

There's lots of time before June, which is probably good for the Cleveland Cavaliers given their late-game blunders against the short-handed San Antonio Spurs. 

The two teams went back and forth in a game that featured 15 lead changes and 13 ties. But with 0.6 seconds remaining, Kevin Love's game-tying heave fell short and the Cavs suffered the 118-115 overtime loss. 

While Love's missed 3-pointer was the final play of the game, there were plenty of reasons for the loss.

Here are five observations:

Little support - Head coach Tyronn Lue has been experimenting with different lineups, but seems to have identified a five-man group for the start of the second and fourth quarters, provided nothing screwy happens to make him adjust.

LeBron James. Richard Jefferson. DeAndre Liggins. Kyle Korver. Channing Frye.

Lue wants the floor spread out for James, the primary playmaker. Having Korver and Frye on the court creates headaches in pick actions. And Liggins needs to be a part of the crew because he guards opposing point guards. 

In the three games, that lineup has played 30 minutes and scored 60 points on 21-of-48 (43.7 percent) from the field, including 11-of-28 (39.2 percent) from 3-point range.

But on Saturday, San Antonio manhandled that group, outscoring the five-man crew, 29-3, in just over seven minutes.

The fivesome went 1-of-10 from the field while committing seven turnovers.

"I thought defensively is where it really hurt us," Lue said of the team's bench effort. "And when they're scoring the basketball, we can't get out in transition and Channing and Kyle and those guys can't get 3-point shots. It's really the defense that let us down and hurt us in that second quarter."

The Cavs' bench deserved praise for its effort Thursday against Phoenix. Not Saturday, being outscored, 27-19.

Rookie point guard Dejounte Murray, a Klutch Sports client and James' "little bro" who hung out at James' house Friday night, led San Antonio's second unit. Murray scored 14 points on 7-of-10 from the field to go with six assists in 22 minutes.

Slowing the All-Star - The Cavs' comeback started in the final five minutes of regulation when James began defending Kawhi Leonard on every possession.

Sizzling for much of the night and getting to his spots at will because of James' early foul trouble, Leonard went a chilly 0-of-5 against James late in the fourth quarter, as the Spurs offense reverted to dreadful iso attacks and panicky possessions with their offensive linchpin smothered. 

"LeBron can guard him and he's physical," Lue said. "He can kind of beat him to his spots. He really eliminates the post-ups, which he hurt us in the post a lot (before James guarded him) and that little midrange area. LeBron's physicality and athletic ability to be able to guard him really helps us out a lot."

Leonard's first shot attempt during the stretch was a contested triple. Airball.

Then came a clanked pull-up jumper from around the free throw line after James forced him to his left, a less comfortable direction. The same thing happened on Leonard's end-of-clock step-back jumper with less than 20 seconds remaining that came up well short. Once again, James forced him left. 

The Cavs' finished the quarter on an 11-2 surge, capped by James deep 3-pointer that tied the game at 107.

But his stifling defense against Leonard seemed to be the cause of his excitement. It probably stems from James-Leonard past battles and Leonard finishing ahead in MVP voting last year.

"He's kind of the face of their franchise now and he's producing," James said the other night. "He's worked on his craft, he's gotten better and better every year and he's an All-Star starter for a reason."

End of regulation - With a chance to steal the game, Lue called timeout and drew up a specific play.

But James told me after the game, he didn't like the way things looked. So he improvised.

After getting an apathetic screen from Kyrie Irving, who seemed to be motioning that James run the called play, Danny Green switched and the four-time MVP liked the matchup.

NBA.com 

Having just hit a 30-footer on the previous possession, James veered left and took a step-back triple that looked on target. He thought it was good. But it was a little too strong and the game went into overtime.

"That's a shot he took, that's a shot he can make," Lue said. "So we're happy with it."

NBA.com 

The initial set involved Love at the elbow and a possible rip through also including Irving. But LaMarcus Aldridge played it well. The end result was supposed to be James or Irving taking the shot. Just not that one.

"I thought it was a great game," James said. "I thought both teams blew opportunities."

Love's mistake - With 18 seconds left in OT and the Cavs trailing by three, they elected not to foul immediately. Instead, Cleveland trapped Leonard on the sidelines and James forced a tie-up situation.

Another chance.

According to James, Leonard won the tip and the ball was heading out of bounds. Love saved it by whipping it behind him.

Problem: it went right to Leonard, who raced up the court and threw down a one-handed dunk, setting a new career high with 41 points.

There was no way for Love to see who tipped the ball. Letting it go out of bounds was risky. But his blunder, one he admitted after the game at his locker, was not throwing the ball over his head, straight up in the air, which could've created a scramble situation.

Last-second heave - Love was asked about his off-target corner three that would've sent the game into double overtime.

"That wasn't what lost us the game," he said. "I missed the shot, but a couple after-timeouts we didn't run the right play and we had our opportunities. That wasn't what did it."

He's right. But it was also a clean look after Kyle Anderson gambled and lost his man. It looked so funky off Love's hand that he was asked in the media scrum whether Anderson, 6-foot-9, got a piece of it.

"No," he said. "I just tried to get it off too fast, didn't square my body and I think with 0.6 you probably have enough time to square yourself and shoot it, but I didn't take my time and the shot wasn't pretty."

That's a phrase that sums up Love's Saturday well.

After missing the second half of the Warriors game and then the following contest against the Suns with an achy back, Love wasn't able to find the range.

He scored 13 points on 4-of-15 from the field, including 3-of-11 from beyond the arc. He was 1-of-6 shooting in the fourth quarter and 0-of-1 in OT.

On the night, he was 1-of-6 on corner triples, many of them wide-open looks off dribble penetration.

This season, he is 35-of-96 (36.4 percent) on corner 3's.

NBA.com 

The Browns and other NFL teams will receiver tens of millions of dollars in relocation fees.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Browns fans know a thing or two about NFL relocation. They lost their team following the 1995 season to Baltimore, another city that once lost an NFL team.

NFL relocation hit a lull after the Oilers moved from Houston in the late '90s, but it has picked up again recently with the move of the Rams from St. Louis to Los Angeles, the Chargers' planned move from San Diego to Los Angeles and the Raiders' application to move from Oakland to Las Vegas.

Kevin Kleps, a sports business reporter with Crain's Cleveland Business, wrote on Friday about how NFL teams and, specifically the Browns, stand to benefit from these moves. That's because Commissioner Roger Goodell, under the NFL's Policy and Procedure for Proposed Franchise Relocations, may assess a relocation fee based on a number of factors.

From the policy:

"If a club's proposal to relocate to a new home territory is approved, the relocating club will ordinarily be expected to pay a transfer fee to the League. The transfer fee will compensate other member clubs of the League for the loss of the opportunity appropriated by the relocating club and/or the enhancement (if any) in the value of the franchise resulting from the move."

The Rams paid a $550 million fee. ESPN's Jim Trotter and Eric D. Williams reported on the Chargers' relocation fee:

"(Chargers owner Dean) Spanos is expected to pay the $550 million relocation fee over 10 years, rather than extend the payments beyond that for an additional $100 million."

The Raiders' relocation fee has not been determined.

Those monies, as Kleps pointed out and an NFL spokesperson confirmed for cleveland.com, are divided equally among the team's 31 other NFL owners. That means the Browns and other NFL teams stand to bring in tens of millions of dollars from the relocations.

There is nothing beyond existing salary cap restrictions regarding how the money may be used, the league spokesman said. It is unclear how quickly teams receive their share.

Relocation fees are not counted in determining the league's salary cap, so they would have little direct impact on a team in regards to acquiring talent. Teams are required to spend 89 percent of the salary cap over the four-year period between 2017-20. If a team is below that threshold after that period, they are required to pay the difference, according to the league's collective bargaining agreement, to players "who were on such a Team's roster at any time during the applicable seasons, pursuant to the reasonable allocation instructions of the NFLPA."

In other words, those fees don't impact the pot of money set aside for players. However, Kleps points out other ways it could be used:

"A chunk of it could be used to pay off all the assistant coaches who were recently fired. Or it could be saved for the next regime change, which will bring millions more in expenses."

Two-thirds of league owners must approve the Raiders' move. If they do, they all stand to benefit from relocation even more than they already have.

[Read the entire Crain's article here]

-----

Follow me: on Twitter | on Facebook

Is Texas A&M pass rusher Myles Garrett worth all the hype? And should the Browns draft him No. 1 overall? Hey, Mary Kay! Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Hey, Mary Kay!

Hey, Mary Kay: I don't understand all the hype surrounding Myles Garrett as the number 1 pick. In the games I've seen him play, he has been underwhelming and his stats show that most of his tackles/sacks are against inferior competition. Also, after his first move, it seems like he sleep-walks through the rest of the play--essentially no motor at all. I've read all the reports about what a "great athlete" he is but haven't we learned our lesson regarding using that characteristic as a litmus test in the draft with Mingo and Gilbert? What am I missing?  - Ken Knapp, Hollywood, Fla.

Hey, Ken: I've talked to at least one NFL talent evaluator who shares your view. While most experts are raving about Garrett and believe he's the No. 1 pick in the draft, the person I talked to doesn't like his work ethic or his hustle. He disappeared somewhat in the Texas Bowl, but maybe he was trying to protect himself heading into the draft. I will be interested to hear what some of the NFL types think of him at the Senior Bowl this week. Garrett won't be there, but all the personnel execs and many of the coaches will be.

Hey, Mary Kay: I think the Browns should get Deshaun Watson to try to solve our quarterback problems, but Myles Garrett or Jonathan Allen would solve needs also. What do you think would be the appropriate thing to do? -- Oren Elen Smith III, Raleigh, N.C.

Hey, Oren: I'm still studying up on Watson and Mitch Trubisky to see which one -- if either -- I'd take with the No. 1 overall pick. I wish Watson would've participated in the Senior Bowl so I could've gotten a better feel for him. In addition to watching film, I'll talk to a lot of experts about these two, and about Garrett and Allen. Again, at least one good talent evaluator I know has doubts about Garrett.

Others are wary of Watson. At this point, there's no clearcut No. 1 in the draft, and the Browns have a lot of work to do over the next few months. I'm sure the opinion of new defensive coordinator Gregg Williams will weigh heavily in the Garrett-Allen debate.

Gregg Williams is no slouch and 4 other things we learned about his coaching style

Hey Mary Kay: If you had control of the draft, and wanted to make sure you got the players you wanted, would you trade the 12th pick in the first round and the 2nd pick in the 2nd round to get the #2 pick, thus having the first and second pick in the first round? I'd then select Deshaun Watson and Myles Garrett. The order doesn't matter.  -- Larry Davis, Brooklyn, Ohio

Hey, Larry: The 12th overall pick and a second-round pick wouldn't be nearly enough to move up to No. 2. Remember what the Eagles gave up last year to move up from No. 8 to No. 2? It was a king's ransom, including this year's first-rounder and next year's second-rounder -- and the talent-challenged Browns are not about to do that. But if they like Watson and they're lucky, maybe he'll fall to them at No. 12. It seems unlikely, what with so many teams needing quarterbacks, but you never know. Some experts have him in the top 10 and others have him slipping to the second round.

Hey, Mary Kay: I'm life long Browns fan I live here in Tucson, AZ. My question which I have researched and found no definite answer is, is Josh Gordon still on the Browns football team or was he officially cut? Is he still banned from playing football for the 2017 season? -- Thanks, Mike Armstrong, Tucson, Arizona
 
Hey, Mike: The Browns still have the rights to Josh Gordon for another season and haven't released him yet. But he's currently on indefinite suspension, meaning that he's out of the NFL until Commissioner Roger Goodell reinstates him. Goodell has said repeatedly that he needs to be convinced Gordon won't slip up again before letting him back in, but it keeps happening over and over.

He'll need to show that he's been on the straight and narrow for a long time before Goodell will even consider it. The Browns don't have to pay Gordon while he's banned, so there's no sense of urgency to release him. But coach Hue Jackson has made it clear he's moved on from the oft-suspended Pro Bowler.

What kind of hitter is Edwin Encarnacion, the Indians' new $60 million player, in cold weather? Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- -- Do you have a question that you'd like to have answered in Hey, Hoynsie? Submit it here or Tweet him at @hoynsie.

Hey, Hoynsie: Is there any background information on Edwin Encarnacion's production in cold weather now that he won't be playing in a domed stadium? -- Dan Bobrovsky, Parma.

Hey, Dan: I don't think you have to worry about Encarnacion being a hot-house hitter.

Encarnacion is a lifetime .247 (224-for-906) hitter with 38 homers, 147 RBI and a .762 OPS in April. In May, he's a .244 (221-for-907) hitter with 60 homers and 169 RBI.

He spent the first four-plus seasons of his career playing with the Reds, so he knows that Ohio weather is not the best in April and May. The good thing about the upcoming season is that the Indians will open against the Rangers in Arlington, Texas and the Diamondbacks in Phoenix before returning to Cleveland for the home opener against the White Sox on April 11.

Encarnacion has played in 1,079 games outside and 346 games in domes in his career. He's hit 74 homers in domes, including 27 in domes where the retractable roof is closed.

Hey, Hoynsie: Do you think the Tribe will invite any additional free agents to spring training on minor -eague deals or are they pretty much set? In the past, they're struck gold with guys like Dan Otero and Scott Kazmir.  -- Brian Bosheff, McDonald.

Hey, Bob: The Indians have 15 players coming to camp on minor-league deals. That includes eight organizational players who were invited Friday - Yandy Diaz, Bradley Zimmer, Greg Allen, Ronny Rodriguez, Nellie Rodriguez, Josh Martin, Eric Stamets and Tyler Olson. I would not be surprised if there were a few more added, especially since the World Baseball Classic will be played this spring. Last spring the Indians signed free agents Juan Uribe and Marlon Byrd after camp opened.

@hoynsie Your thoughts of moving Salazar to bullpen (save arm) & inserting Merritt or next viable starter?

-- DCampisano (@DCampisano) January 21, 2017

Hey, Dan: I like Danny Salazar right where he is -- in the starting rotation.

Hey, Hoynsie: What is the status of Tyler Naquin's contract? I assume he will make the opening day roster. - Douglas Simak, Concord.

Hey, Douglas: Naquin hasn't played a full year in the big leagues. It means he's under team control for the next six years. It's expected that he'll sign a one-year deal near the major-league minimum of $535,000 sometime early in spring training.

Last season was a good one for Naquin, but I bet he isn't assuming anything headed into spring training.

Tribe's center field situation complex

@hoynsie Any chance the Indians would consider Masterson or Swisher on minor league deals for depth?

-- Ryan Smith (@wizardsfan33) January 21, 2017

Hey, Ryan: You're talking about Justin Masterson and Nick Swisher? I can't see that happening.

@hoynsie hey hoynsie, how much does the tribe FO trust Brantley's shoulder-Leo NYC

-- Leopoldo Aguerrevere (@leopoldo316) January 21, 2017

Hey, Leopoldo: The Indians know that Michael Brantley has put the work in to rehab his right shoulder. They just don't know if his shoulder will ever be the same.

I think they're hoping for the best, but preparing for the worst.

On Michael Brantley's right shoulder

@hoynsie Hey Hoynsie, when you're up in the press box, can you hear me during a tribe rally?

-- John Adams's Drum (@TribeRallyDrum) January 21, 2017

Hey, John: You're going to have to write louder. I feel as if Keith Moon and Ginger Baker are playing dueling drum solos between my ears.

@hoynsie Does Bradley Zimmer outplay Naquin in ST?! Will Zimmer be opening day CF?! Eric ...Wakeman Ohio

-- Eric (@lightning2685) January 21, 2017

Hey, Eric: No, the organization has indicated that Zimmer needs to play more at Class AAA. He played just 37 games at Columbus last year.

It doesn't mean Zimmer couldn't help this season, but a lot of things had to fall into place last year for Naquin to make the team out of spring training.

Zimmer, Allen make AFL All-Prospect team

@hoynsie Eric from Chicago. Did the Bautista rumors indicate the tribe is looking for another big bat?

-- Eric Lee Carpenter (@ericleecarp) January 21, 2017

Hey, Eric: Rumors are rumors for a reason. Perhaps the Indians would like another bat -- especially with the uncertainty of Brantley's injured right shoulder -- but not at Jose Bautista's price.

The Blue Jays re-signed Bautista to a one-year deal worth $18.5 million. If the Indians had signed Bautista, they would have also had to forfeit a draft pick. They already lost their No.1 pick with the signing of Encarnacion.

Still, there is a long time between now and opening day.

@hoynsie hey hoynsie, over/under four all stars on this years tribe. Matt lautenschlager, Akron, OH.

-- Matt Lautenschlager (@mrlautenschlage) January 21, 2017

Hey, Matt: If you're Terry Francona, you have to be thinking about wins instead of All-Stars. Still, since you brought it up, the Indians had three last year in Corey Kluber, Salazar and Francisco Lindor. Between then and now, they've added two more in Andrew Miller and Encarnacion.

Speaking of Francona, he'll be managing the AL All-Star team in July at Marlins Park in Miami by virtue of the Indians winning the AL pennant last year. Under the new basic agreement, the commissioner's office will now pick a selected number of All-Stars that used to be picked by the AL and NL managers.

Francona will still be able to take selected members of his coaching staff. In another change brought about by the basic agreement, the winner of the All-Star Game will no longer decide home field advantage for the World Series.

Hey, Hoynsie: Do you think former Indians Jim Thome and Omar Vizquel have a chance to be elected to Cooperstown in their first year of eligibility when the 2018 ballot comes? What about Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens? -- Dominic Moraco, North Royalton.

Hey, Dominic: I'd love to see that. I think they're deserving and belong in the Hall of Fame. However, I doubt it will happen in 2018. I think it will take a few years.

Bonds and Clemens each received about 54 percent of the vote earlier this month (I did not vote for them). They have four years left on the ballot to get the required 75 percent. They have a chance because the voting body of the BBWAA seems to be softening its stance against alleged steroid cheaters.

Thome, Vizquel: Hall of Fame worthy?

Cleveland Browns' fans and playoff football predictions for the NFL conference championships.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- For many years now, a hardcore Cleveland Browns' fan hasn't had much to enjoy this time of year in the way of football, getting by on watching other teams having all the playoff fun and hoping the Pittsburgh Steelers get eliminated as quickly as possible.

This year will be no different and may actually be worse because it seems likely the Steelers, behind the running of Le'Veon Bell, the passing of Ben Roethlisberger and the receiving of Antonio Brown, will deflate Tom Brady and the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship.

While in the NFC, the Atlanta Falcons won't be able to cool off Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

So, Super Bowl LI will be a rematch of Super Bowl XLV between the Steelers and the Packers. Only this time, the Steelers will win, taking home their sixth Lombardi Trophy.

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

I am bullish on the Atlanta Falcons and New England Patriots this weekend.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- OneUp Sports called to ask for my best "bets'' from the NFL Conference Championship Games on Sunday.

In each of the previous two playoff weekends, I picked two games out of four and went 1-1. This time, I decided that two of two games were BBs.

DMan's picks for Week 20

The video, with the great Noah Coslov as host, was solid. We had fun, as usual. Unfortunately, gremlins invaded the video code and it became unplayable.

Undeterred, I have summarized the content of the video -- at least how I remember it -- below (lines from Wednesday afternoon):

@ Atlanta -4 1/2 over Green Bay

It is time for quarterback Matt Ryan and the Falcons to prove they belong. No excuses: With a Super Bowl berth available, they are home, relatively healthy and facing a banged-up opponent.

The banged-up opponent counts among its healthy quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who has been ridiculously good for weeks. Rodgers will continue to make plays, but he can't be expected to match the Falcons point for point.

The Falcons' versatile offense should exhaust the Packers' defense; it will be noticeable in the second half.

@ New England -6 over Pittsburgh

I like the Patriots, especially at home, on any given Sunday. I really like them in this matchup primarily because they are upset with a substandard performance in a home victory over Houston last week. Nevermind that they won, 34-16, and covered the spread for those of us who had them -17 (entertainment purposes only).

Quarterback Tom Brady and New England's quick-pass elements should cause the Steelers problems by neutralizing the pass rush. And the Steelers will need to account for former Brown Dion Lewis, who is coming off a three-TD extravaganza.

The Steelers will lose not because of receiver Antonio Brown's ill-advised Facebook Chat-a-gram after a victory in Kansas City last week. But don't think for a second that the Patriots haven't used it as fuel, regardless of what they say publicly.

Andy Marte, who played parts of five seasons with the Indians from 2006 through 2010, was killed in a car accident early Sunday morning in his native Dominican Republic.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Andy Marte, who played parts of five seasons with the Indians, was killed in a car accident Sunday morning in his native Dominican Republic. Marte was 33.

JMG Baseball, the agency representing Marte, Tweeted news of his death Sunday morning.

Dominican authorities also confirmed to the Associated Press that Yordano Ventura, Kansas City's ace right-hander, was killed in a car accident on Sunday morning as well. The accidents were separate.

Ventura was 25.

Marte played for the Indians from 2006 through 2010. He was acquired in a multi-player trade on Jan. 27, 2006 with Boston. The Red Sox sent Marte, Guillermo Mota, Kelly Shoppach, Randy Newsom and cash to the Indians. The Indians sent Coco Crisp, Josh Bard and David Riske to the Red Sox.

The Indians felt Marte was going to give them right-handed power from the middle of the lineup. Marte earned that reputation in the minors with Atlanta where he hit 82 homers over five minor league seasons to become one of the game's top prospects.

Marte made his big league debut with the Braves in 2005 and was traded to the Red Sox for Edgar Renteria on Dec. 8. Just over a month later, the Red Sox sent him to the Indians.

In parts of five seasons with the Indians, Marte hit .224 (175-for-781) with 20 homers and 92 RBI. His longest stay in the big leagues came in 2010 when he played 81 games with the Indians. Marte hit .229 (39-for-170) with five homers and 19 RBI, bouncing between third and first base.

Marte, in an 11-4 loss to the Yankees on July 29 of that season, made an emergency pitching appearance in the ninth inning for manager Manny Acta. Marte retired the Yankees in order, registering a strikeout against Nick Swisher.

Words can't express the emotions from the loss of our client Andy Marte. Gone too soon. A great person on and off the field. #RIPAndy pic.twitter.com/uvp1HxMlMK

-- J.M.G. Baseball (@JMG_baseball) January 22, 2017

After 2010, Marte did not appear in the big leagues until 2014 when he played six games with Arizona. He spent the last two years in Korea with KT Whiz where he hit a combined .312 with 44 homers and 163 RBI.

Matt LaPorta, one of Marte's teammates with the Indians, said on Facebook, "So sad. He was a great teammate of mine."

So sad, without a doubt Andy Marte was one of the nicest human being to ever put a baseball uniform on. RIP #Indians #Aguilas

-- Manny Acta (@MannyActa14) January 22, 2017

Sad to learn of Andy Marte's death this morning. He was a genuine person who always greeted you with a warm smile.

RIP. pic.twitter.com/VoIWgLpqcr

-- Cleveland Indians (@Indians) January 22, 2017

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The Ohio State football program will sign defensive tackle Jerron Cage on Feb. 1 as part of its recruiting class for National Singing Day 2017. Here is an in-depth look at this member of the Buckeyes' recruiting class.  Jerron Cage  Position: Defensive tackle  Height, weight: 6-foot-2, 275 pounds 247Sports Rating: Cage is a four-star prospect who is rated the No. 13 defensive...

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The Ohio State football program will sign defensive tackle Jerron Cage on Feb. 1 as part of its recruiting class for National Singing Day 2017. Here is an in-depth look at this member of the Buckeyes' recruiting class. 

Jerron Cage 

Position: Defensive tackle 

Height, weight: 6-foot-2, 275 pounds

247Sports Rating: Cage is a four-star prospect who is rated the No. 13 defensive tackle and the No. 234 overall player in the 2017 recruiting class in the 247Sports composite rankings. 

Other schools: Notre Dame, Cincinnati, Michigan State, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisville and others. 

What's his deal? Though Cage's older brother Daniel is a starting defensive lineman at Notre Dame, he fell in love with Ohio State early and committed to the Buckeyes before his recruitment really took off. 

If you look at Cage's recruiting profile, you'll see a ton of visits to Notre Dame. And there have been even more rumors that Cage is thinking about flipping to the Irish. But every time Cage goes on the record talking about his recruitment, he swears he's a Buckeye and that isn't going to change. The reason for the visits to South Bend? To watch his brother play, which everyone can understand -- even Notre Dame.

How he fits into Ohio State's plans: Ohio State's entire interior defensive line is coming back from last year. And of all position groups on next year's team, defensive line -- across the board -- is probably the deepest. That could explain why Urban Meyer is bringing in only two or three defensive tackles in the 2017 recruiting class. 

Cage is the perfect addition to the team because he's fast and athletic and would provide instant depth, even if it doesn't seem as if he'd be an instant contributor. Ohio State may like to see him gain another 20 points of muscle and mature a little more before he's a starter, which is fine because there will be open spots at defensive tackle in 2018 for which Cage could compete. 

Projections for 2017: Though Ohio State doesn't like to redshirt players, Cage will likely be a candidate for that because it's just so hard to get playing time on either line as a true freshman. The Buckeyes have plenty of options ahead of him, so it makes sense that Cage could take the 2017 season to learn the scheme, get stronger and prepare for a big position battle the following year. 

Player comparison: Michael Bennett came to Ohio State as a similarly-rated and similarly-sized prospect as Cage before becoming a team captain. Bennett is currently in the NFL right now, which is only possible for the most athletic defensive tackles, like Cage. As stated above, Cage needs to add some size, but he has the tools to be a special player. 

Why he's important to the best class in Ohio State history: Cage is important because he's one of the best players in Ohio and he's from Cincinnati. Meyer has kept his vow to keep the best Ohio players home, but it's been a bigger challenge in the Cincinnati area. And one of Ohio State's biggest challengers for talent in Cincinnati is Notre Dame, a place that really could have -- and maybe should have -- taken Cage. Ohio State won that battle, and it's significant. 

Highlights: 

What we've written about Cage: 

Meyer regrets not taking Daniel, won't miss on Jerron

Jerron Cage on Notre Dame rumors

Why Jerron Cage has big upside

Barrett and some Ohio State teammates were honored during Sunday's basketball game against Northwestern. Watch video

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Ohio State quarterback J.T. Barrett received his Big Ten Silver Football award on Sunday during the first half of the Buckeyes basketball game against Northwestern.

Barrett and teammates Billy Price, Mike Weber and Tyquan Lewis were honored for receiving Big Ten and All-American honors. Price was a first-team All-American, Barrett was also the Big Ten Quarterback of the Year, Lewis was the Big Ten Defensive Lineman of the Year, and Weber was the conference Freshman of the Year.

Watch the video here to see the players get honored at Value City Arena.

Get live updates from the game in this post and chat with other fans.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - The Atlanta Falcons host the Green Bay Packers at the Georgia Dome on Sunday at 3:05 p.m. in the NFC Championship. The game will be broadcast on FOX.

The New England Patriots and Pittsburgh Steelers face off in the AFC Championship at 6:40 p.m.

The winners of both games will meet in Super Bowl LI on Feb. 5 in Houston.

Get live updates from the game in this post. Also, you can join in the discussion in the comment section during the game, where you can chat with other fans and see Tweets about the game.

The Buckeyes dropped to 2-5 in Big Ten play with a loss to Northwestern on Sunday.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Ohio State was playing with fire a little bit. The Buckeyes had won back-to-back Big Ten games after starting 0-4, but the play in those games was far from perfect and a winning streak felt unsustainable under these current conditions.

The style of play -- turnovers, poor free throw shooting, some lackluster defense -- continued, and the short winning streak ended on Sunday.

Northwestern, looking like it's on its way to the first NCAA Tournament bid in program history, beat the Buckeyes 74-72 at Value City Arena. It was the Wildcats' first win in Columbus since Feb. 24, 1977.

Ohio State was under 60 percent from the line, while the Wildcats didn't flinch in crunch time. Thirteen Buckeyes turnovers, eight of those in the first half, led to 17 Northwestern points.

Ohio State again managed to climb out of a halftime hole, taking a brief 41-40 lead early in the second half, then opening it up a little more to 55-52 on a 3 from C.J. Jackson with 8:41 left, but they couldn't stretch it beyond that.

Nearly four minutes without any points for the Buckeyes allowed the Wildcats to regain the lead. A Marc Loving turnover led to a fastbreak bucket for Isiah Brown and 63-58 Northwester lead with 3:07 left.

Back-to-back 3-pointers from JaQuan Lyle and Micah Potter cut Northwestern's lead, which was seven with 47.9 seconds left, down to two with 23.6 seconds left. Down four, Loving put back an awkward Kam Williams airball to cut to deficit to two while getting fouled, but he missed the free throw with 10.3 seconds left.

The Buckeyes (12-8, 205 Big Ten) made the field goals they needed to make down the stretch. It was free throws that made the difference. Ohio State shot 12-for-21 (57 percent) for the game, while Northwestern went 11-for-12 from the line in the game's final 1:19.

What it means

This was the start of three of four games at home for Ohio State, a chance for the Buckeyes to make up some ground in a Big Ten that has eight teams with three or four conference wins. The Buckeyes were denied that third conference win on Sunday.

Another first-half hole

Ohio State led by as many as six points around the midway point oft he first half, but still found a way to put itself in the first-half hole that's become commonplace in Big Ten play.

Northwestern put together runs of 10-0, and then 9-0 in the final nine minutes of the first half. The Buckeyes shot 52 percent in the half, and still found themselves at a 36-31 deficit at halftime. The culprit? Turnovers again.

Eight Ohio State turnovers led to 10 Northwestern points, while the Buckeyes went scoreless off of three Wildcat turnovers. Lyle had three of those first-half turnovers, while C.J. Jackson had two.

The Buckeyes also saw Jackson and Williams leave the game at different points in the first half with apparent leg injuries. Both returned before halftime.

Football players honored

Ohio State quarterback J.T. Barrett receiver his Big Ten Silver Football award from the Chicago Tribune during the first half of Sunday's game. Barrett and three other teammates were honored for winning Big Ten award and earning All-American selections. Watch video of the short ceremony here.

What's next?

Ohio State is back home on Wednesday night against Minnesota. The Gophers beat the Buckeyes 78-68 back on Jan. 8 in Minneapolis. Wednesday's tip-off from Value City Arena is set for 7 p.m. on Big Ten Network.

Avon Lake has promoted assistant coach Matt Kostelnik to head football coach pending board approval in February.

AVON LAKE, Ohio — Avon Lake is set to hire former assistant football coach Matt Kostelnik as the school’s new head coach.

The move is pending board of education approval on Feb. 14.

Kostelnik, 31, has been an assistant coach with the Shoremen for the past two seasons. He replaces Dave Dlugosz, who retired on Dec. 20, 2016. He graduated from Avon Lake in 2004 and was a part of the 2003 state championship team.

“I am honored to carry on Coach Dlugosz’s legacy at Avon Lake,” Kostelnik said in a media release. “He was such a major impact on Avon Lake football. I am grateful I had the chance to play for him and then work alongside him.”

Prior to being an assistant at Avon Lake, Kostelnik coached at Beachwood as well as Notre Dame College and Mount Union. Kostelnik was an All-American at Mount Union.

“We are very excited to have Matt as our new head coach,” Avon Lake athletic director Nori Okuma said in a media release. “He brings a diverse experience to the position that will serve him well as he transitions into his first head coaching role. His connections to the community and school are valuable.”

In 2016, Avon Lake reached the playoffs for the first time since 2013 and ended the season with an 8-4 record.