Hue Jackson echoed Sashi Brown's sentiments: the Browns haven't ruled out trading down from No. 1. Watch video

MOBILE, Ala. -- Browns coach Hue Jackson acknowledged that it's early in the process, but that the Browns haven't ruled out trading the No. 1 overall pick.

"Everything for right now is going to be negotiable and talked about,'' he said after the South team practice Wednesday. "Until we sit down and talk about where we are and what we're trying to do, then will we know. We haven't had those discussions. Right now we're just in the beginning phases of all of it. We've got a long way to go before we get to that decision."

The Browns have the first and 12th picks in the draft, and five in the top 65. Last year, they traded down from No. 2 to No. 8, enabling the Eagles to select quarterback Carson Wentz. Then they traded down again to No. 15 and drafted receiver Corey Coleman. In the process, they picked up the Eagles' No. 12 overall pick this year, two extra No. 2s and more.

Browns Executive Vice President of Football Operations Sashi Brown, who's not at the Senior Bowl because he's recovering from back surgery, also said at his season wrap-up that nothing's off the table.

"It's too early to talk about what's going to be available to us,'' he said. "We like players that are in the draft at that position and we have not fielded any calls and do not plan to for some time about trades. It's just too early to comment."

The Browns have plenty of options at No. 1 including quarterbacks Deshaun Watson, Mitch Trubisky and DeShone Kizer and pass-rushers Myles Garrett and Jonathan Allen. At this point, the Browns are still pouring over film of the top prospects. They haven't zeroed in on their man, and know they have to get it right.

If the Browns determine that none of the quarterbacks are worth the No. 1 pick, they'll be more inclined to trade it. But they haven't arrived at that conclusion yet. One top talent evaluator at the Senior Bowl said he'd lean towards taking Watson No. 1, and that the more film he watches, the more he likes him.

Jackson also acknowledged that new defensive coordinator Gregg Williams will play a large role in evaluating Texas A&M's Garrett and Alabama's Allen and in drafting the defensive players.

"Oh, yeah. He'll be huge," Jackson said. "Our coaches, they're important because we're going to coach the team and we have a voice just like our executives have a voice, and this is a collaborative deal. We all work together.

"You've heard so many reports about just listening to [the Super Bowl-bound] Atlanta [Falcons], how they've gone through their process. They really work together, sameness in thought. We're trying to do the same. We're not different than anybody else.

"We're trying to do get the players that's best for the Cleveland Browns. Everybody might not be the best for the Cleveland Browns. We've got to find our guys and what we think will help us turn this organization around."

The Buckeyes saw a 17-point lead dwindle, but held on to beat Minnesota 78-72 on Wednesday night.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- It was fitting that Trevor Thompson was the one who shut the door on Minnesota's comeback attempt. After all, he was the reason Ohio State was in a position to win in the first place.

A pair of Thompson blocks in the final 14 seconds of Wednesday's night's Big Ten tilt at Value City Arena helped the Buckeyes secure a 78-72 win over the Gophers and a split of the season series.

Ohio State (13-8, 3-5 Big Ten) led by as many as 17 in the first half, buoyed by strong ball movement and a stout inside presence from Thompson. But that was the first 16 minutes. The final 24 were an adventure, with Ohio State allowing the Gophers to cut the deficit to two and hang around until the end.

The Buckeyes stretched their lead in the second half to 10 at two different points, but they continued to let the Gophers hang around. After a turnover from JaQuan Lyle, when he passed on an open jumper and tried to pass to Thompson, Amir Coffey stroked an open 3-pointer to cut Ohio State's lead to 66-63 with 4:54 left.

Ohio State then went more than five minutes without a field goal until Kam Williams scored in the lane to make it 72-68 with 1:44 left, but Minnesota still had its chances.

Down three after an Akeem Springs 3, Ohio State inbounded to Williams, who got tied up for a jump ball that went to the Gophers. Minnesota turned it over on the next possession, but got another chance when Lyle missed a pair of free throws with 32.6 seconds left. 

Springs missed an open corner 3 that would've tied the game. The Buckeyes closed with free throws from Lyle and Thompson, and a pair of emphatic blocks from Thompson to hold on for the win.

Thompson finished with a career-high 19 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks. Marc Loving had 19 points, while Lyle added 11 and Jae'Sean Tate 10 for the Buckeyes. Nate Mason led Minnesota with 21.

The Buckeyes finished 23-for-30 at the free throw line and shot 50 percent from the field for the game. Ohio State led from the 17:42 mark to the end.

What it means

Ohio State got a much-needed split with Minnesota. After losing by 10 in Minneapolis earlier this month, the Buckeyes needed to beat a Minnesota team that hasn't won since that game (four straight losses). The Buckeyes did it, but made things interesting. 

Buckeyes start fast, close poorly

Ohio State ran out to a lead that got as large as 17 in the first half behind some strong interior play from Thompson and great ball movement. The Buckeyes led 40-23 on a 3-pointer from Lyle with 3:09 left in the half, but didn't score the rest of the way.

Minnesota closed on a 12-0 run while the Buckeyes went cold. Ohio State turned the ball over once, and went 0-for-5 from the floor in the final three minutes. After showing great pace on offense (nine assists on 13 makes in the first half), the Buckeyes got stagnant and let the Gophers back in the game.

Ohio State led 40-35 at the break.

What's next?

Ohio State is back on the road on Saturday at Iowa. Tip-off from Carver Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City is set for 8 p.m. ET on ESPN2.

Kay Felder and LeBron James got together for a highlight-reel dunk in the fourth quarter against Sacramento.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Cavaliers rookie Kay Felder electrified the crowd at Quicken Loans Arena on Wednesday with a highlight-reel assist to LeBron James in the fourth quarter against Sacramento.

With the Cavaliers leading by five early in the fourth quarter Felder knocked a pass away from Sacramento's Ty Lawson. The deflection bounced off Kyle Korver's hand and Willie Cauley-Stein's leg before rocketing off James' knee and heading out of bounds in the Cavs' frontcourt.

But a hustling Felder saved the ball and flipped it to James, who was streaking down the lane for a two-handed slam.

The dunk gave Cleveland a 94-87 lead and forced the Kings to call timeout.

The #Cavs come up with loose ball and LeBron James puts down the easy dunk#DefendtheLand pic.twitter.com/SSJ3MoXwr5

-- Def Pen Hoops (@DefPenHoops) January 26, 2017

Felder was raising the roof for Lebron !! He was so excited to be a part of that play [?] pic.twitter.com/x0UUnR9YHQ

-- SParkleBaby (@BuckeyesGirl33) January 26, 2017

Hue Jackson says a good QB will jump to the head of the draft class for the Browns -- even ahead of an elite pass-rusher. Watch video

MOBILE, Ala. -- Hue Jackson admitted Wednesday that a good quarterback in the draft is more valuable than an elite player at any other position -- especially for the quarterback-challenged Browns.

That includes an elite pass-rusher such as Texas A&M's Myles Garrett.

"I don't disagree,'' he said.

Question is, do the Browns believe one of the top three quarterbacks -- Deshaun Watson, Mitch Trubisky and DeShone Kizer -- in this draft can be their guy?

If so, they won't hesitate to take him No. 1 overall. They're still doing their due diligence to arrive at that conclusion.

"We all a know a quarterback is very important to our football team,'' Jackson said. "But is he the best player? We've got to find that out. We need to put one on our team. We're going to find one. I promise you guys that. We're going to do that. I think that's imperative. I think we all know that, and that's what we're going to accomplish."

The great debate for the Browns will be: quarterback vs. elite pass-rusher in Garrett or Alabama's Jonathan Allen.

"You  have to go through (the process) and weigh what's best,'' he said. "Who is the best player? We haven't determined that. Is the best player a defensive end? Is it a quarterback? Is it a defensive back? I don't know yet until you can evaluate them all and line them all up and see where they are and see what's best.''

He acknowledged that in the case of the Browns, finding the QB is job No. 1, meaning if they find one who can be the guy, he'll jump to the head of the class.

"Oh, absolutely,''  he said. "No doubt and especially in this situation, it is (vital). No question."

One top talent evaluator at at the Senior Bowl who already has his franchise told cleveland.com that the more he likes Watson, the more he'd draft him at No. 1 overall. Another said he wouldn't take him at No. 1 and that he likes Trubisky better.

Jackson stressed on Tuesday that he was brought here to solve the quarterback conundrum and he's on a mission. That doesn't mean, however, he'll come via the draft. They're intrigued by New England's Jimmy Garoppolo and other veterans who might become available.

"I've been doing this for a long time and I'll put a quarterback on this football team that can win,'' he said. "That's my job. We're going to do it collectively as a group. But hopefully we're going to lean on my expertise and what I need at that position to win."

He shed some light on the two qualities he's looking for in a quarterback.

"I still think, at the end of the day, the guy needs to be able to process football, and arm talent,'' he said. "That's really important, especially in our division, and everything in my mind goes through our division because we play in a lot of different elements and we think we have one of the better divisions in football.

"If you can't stand in there in snow and elements and throw the ball, then it's tough. If you can't process information, because the defenses are so good, Pittsburgh and Baltimore and Cincinnati, then it's hard to play. So those are things that are non-negotiable for me.''

Rated the No. 1 guard in the 2017 class, Davis has been committed to Ohio State since June 24.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Five-star offensive guard Wyatt Davis of Bellflower (Calif.) St. John Bosco is one of Ohio State's most important commitments in the 2017 recruiting class. 

But recently rumors have been swirling that maybe Davis could be considering decommitting. Davis has had enough of those rumors, which have separately suggested he's considering flipping to USC, Washington and Oregon.

He addressed them on Twitter on Wednesday night. 

All the rumors about me not going to Ohio State are crazy I'm 100% a Buckeye!

-- Wavy Dub (@wyattdavis53) January 26, 2017

Rated the No. 1 guard in the 2017 class in the 247Sports composite rankings, Davis has been committed to Ohio State since June 24. The 6-foot-5, 310-pound prospect has earned a slew of awards, including being named Mr. Football in the state of California in January. 

LeBron James notched a triple double but the Cavs lost for the sixth time in eight games.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The roof's on fire.

LeBron James wants changes to the roster. The Cavs are mad at him for challenging their commitment to winning a second title.

And now they can't even beat the Kings.

Sacramento stunned the Cavs 116-112 in overtime on Wednesday night, handing them their sixth loss in eight games. Cleveland also lost in overtime Saturday night at The Q to San Antonio.

Arron Afflalo's 3-pointer with 17.3 seconds left in the extra session proved to be the game winner for the Kings, who are 18-27. James missed a deep 3 and Kyle Korver turned it over after Cleveland corralled the rebound.

James posted his second triple-double in as many nights with 24 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists in 44 minutes. DeMarcus Cousins led all scorers with 28 points.

The Cavs were an abysmal 17-of-34 from the foul line and committed 18 turnovers, costing them 19 points. Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love both missed crucial free throws late in regulation and in overtime that could've turned the tide.

"We're a team that will create an opportunity for ourselves to have to dig out of a hole," Cavs general manager David Griffin said before the game. "We do it in every single game. It's just how we are. We're not good from the front. We're much better when we're the hunter."

Well, if the Cavs are hunting, they must be getting hungry. They've lost three in a row and are 5-7 in January.

The Cavs led by 10 with 7:47 left in regulation and watched the lead evaporate. The Kings went on an 11-0 spurt over a four-minute stretch, and the sides volleyed from there. Irving missed one of two free throws with 12.4 seconds left, giving the Kings a chance to win or tie.

Cousins bullied his way for a layup with 3.4 seconds left, and stole James' inbounds pass that was intended for Love. He got away with a grab of Love's jersey.

The Cavs were also ahead 111-106 with 2:30 in overtime and couldn't hold that lead. Collison stole a pass from James (his fifth turnover) and took it in for a layup with 35.4 left to give the Kings a one-point lead. Love split a pair of free throws with 31.5 seconds to go.

James recorded his fifth triple-double this season and 47th regular-season triple-double of his career. He had one in the loss Monday against New Orleans, right before he put most of his teammates and the entire front office on blast when he ripped the roster for its deficiencies and questioned the organization's commitment to winning a second championship.

Coach Tyronn Lue and Griffin addressed the team during its walkthrough to get ready for the Kings, and Griffin and James met privately, because of James' words.

And then the Cavs promptly went out and lost to the Kings.

Love scored 21 points and grabbed 16 rebounds. Irving added 20 points in 41 minutes, Iman Shumpert scored 16 and Kyle Korver added 12 off the bench.

Richard Jefferson was excused from the team Wednesday for the birth of his second son.

Sean Arno coached the last three seasons at Wellington and will take over an Elyria football team coming off a 3-7 season.

ELYRIA, Ohio – Sean Arno is set to become the next football coach at Elyria.

Elyria radio station WEOL reported Wednesday night that Arno will take over the Pioneers after three seasons at Wellington. A message was left for Arno seeking confirmation.

I've learned Sean Arno chosen to be new football coach at @ElyriaHigh. Sean has been hc at Wellington. He replaces Kevin Fell w Pioneers.

— Tim Alcorn (@tapbp) January 26, 2017

Elyria has sought a coach to take over for Kevin Fell, who resigned in November after six seasons. Arno guided Wellington to a 5-5 record in 2016 and finished with a 10-30 mark in his three seasons there. He took that job after serving nine years as football coach at Alexander High School in Athens County.

Arno told the Elyria Chronicle-Telegram in 2014 that Alexander was similar in size to Wellington, a Division V school. He will head a much bigger program in Elyria, which is Division I.

The Pioneers are coming off a 3-7 season, but are slated to return dual-threat quarterback Dontae Beckett and a promising cast with sophomore linebacker Qwanda Woodson leading the defense.

Arno’s hiring comes just days after nearby Avon Lake promoted Matt Kostelnik as Dave Dlugosz’s successor.

The schools are slated to open the season against each other at Avon Lake.

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.

Nick Saban has visited Gregg Williams over the years to share ideas on defense. Watch video

MOBILE, Ala. --  Alabama coach Nick Saban, who's like royalty in these parts, dropped by the Senior Bowl on Monday to watch some of his players, and praised Browns new defensive coordinator Gregg Williams, who's become a good friend.

"I have a lot of respect for Gregg,'' said Saban during the South practice Tuesday. "He's done a good job in a lot of places. He's a guy that I've visited with quite a bit through the years and you only really visit with people that you have a lot of respect for and you kind of see some things that they're doing -- kind of the cutting edge, so to speak, of what's happening and how to defend the changes of the game."

During his introductory press conference, Williams said that both Nick Saban, the former Browns defensive coordinator, and Bill Belichick, the former Browns coach, are good friends of his.

Saban and Belichick have remained close, and have incorporated best practices from all over, from high school to college to the pros. Both have risen to the top of their profession in the pro and college ranks, with Saban fresh off another national championship game and Belichick headed back to the Super Bowl.

Jackson also said here that he's eager to work with Williams this season. He's already gotten a taste of it at the Senior Bowl.

"I can tell it's going to be exciting,'' he said. "It will be a lot of fun. He's very competitive like I am and I think that's what good teams have. They have guys that compete against each other, which ramps up practice a lot. The players compete and we've just got to continue to that. He's one of the best there is and that's why we brought him in.''

He said he and Willlams are already on the same page in a lot of ways.

"He's outstanding that way,'' he said. "This guy's seen so much football, there's nothing I'm going to surprise him with or bring to the table as far as schedules or anything like that. Again, this is the Senior Bowl and it's a chance for us to get out there but me and him, we have a lot of work to do between now and getting our team back and getting our team where it needs to be.''
 
He stressed that Williams will play a large role in evaluating defensive players in the draft such as pass-rushers Myles Garrett of Texas A&M and Jonathan Allen of Alabama. For the lowdown on Allen, Williams will know right where to go.

"Oh, yeah. He'll be huge," Jackson said. "Our coaches, they're important because we're going to coach the team and we have a voice just like our executives have a voice, and this is a collaborative deal. We all work together.

"You've heard so many reports about just listening to [the Super Bowl-bound] Atlanta [Falcons], how they've gone through their process. They really work together, sameness in thought. We're trying to do the same. ''

The Cavs met as a team and general manager David Griffin addressed LeBron James personally Wednesday to discuss James' myriad assertions about the roster after Monday's loss to New Orleans. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Cavs met as a team and general manager David Griffin addressed LeBron James personally Wednesday to discuss James' myriad assertions about the roster after Monday's loss to New Orleans.

Cavs coach Tyronn Lue spoke to the entire team during an afternoon walk through ahead of Wednesday's game against the Sacramento Kings.

"We're going to handle it internal," Lue said. "We're not going to put out everything that was said, but we addressed LeBron. We talked to him and he understands, he understood and now we're going to move on."

Griffin called it a "good conversation" between him and James, something "I think we both needed .... I'm happy it happened."

"It was the right thing to do," Griffin added.

Remember, both Griffin and Lue addressed James last season, in March, for odd behavior on Twitter and the court, so this isn't the first time the organization's architect, coach, and superstar have been in this place.

But this time, James has been very clear with what he feels has gone wrong.

In comments to Cleveland-based reporters who travel to cover the Cavs, and again on Twitter, James questioned the organization's commitment to winning a second championship, was critical of how the roster's been managed since they won the 2016 Finals and called (again) for a "playmaker," and drew unfavorable comparisons between Cleveland and Golden State and San Antonio.

James made his remarks after the Cavs had lost for the fifth time in seven games.

"The comment about the organization being complacent I think is really misguided," Griffin said. "Organizationally there is absolutely no lack of clarity on what our goal set is. We are here to win championships and there is no other solution, there is no other outcome that is acceptable and there never has been."

"For me you always want to try to improve the team whether you're great or not," Lue said. "Golden State won 73 games last year and they added Kevin Durant. You always want to get better and when you see teams getting better as a competitor you want to get better. But we have enough on this team to win a championship. We can get better. I know Griff is going to make us better and he's going to do the best he can.

"For me, LeBron James, the best player in the world, took a team that was worse to the NBA Finals two years ago. We have a good team. We just have to start playing better as a unit. No excuses."

Asked specifically about James questioning the organization's commitment to winning, Lue said: "I don't know about that. I don't know. I don't care. We gotta play better. We gotta be better, so right now we have who we have and that's it."

"I'm a coach. I don't make business decisions. I don't make trades. I don't bring guys, so that's not my job. My job is to get this team ready to play, play better and that's it."

Griffin said he hadn't spoken to majority owner Dan Gilbert about James' comments, but the team's executives were clearly irked. "It certainly wasn't appropriate from a teammate perspective," Griffin said.

After Monday's loss, James told cleveland.com, ESPN and the Akron Beacon Journal that the Cavs' roster was "top heavy" and as he asked for moves to be made, he said: "I just hope that we're not satisfied as an organization."

Then, Tuesday, James Tweeted: "I just feel we still need to improve in order to repeat, if that's what we want to do."

Griffin said he doesn't think James said outright that the organization was not committed to winning a title, but: "Anyone insinuating that this organization is about anything other than that would deeply upset me because ownership has invested in this at an absolutely historic level."

The Cavs' payroll of $130 million is the highest in the league. Since the 2015 Finals, the team has signed Kevin Love to a $113 million contract, Tristan Thompson to an $82 million deal, and J.R. Smith to a $57 million contract. James has signed twice since then, this time for up to three years and $100 million. 

The Cavs traded for Kyle Korver earlier this month, and at last season's deadline added Channing Frye. They paid $54 million in luxury-tax penalties after last season.

But James made clear he felt the team failed to replace Matthew Dellavedova at back-up point guard, Timofey Mozgov in the frontcourt or properly pad the roster with veterans.

Instead, the team chose to enter the season with rookie Kay Felder and inexperienced players DeAndre Liggins and Jordan McRae, in part because they were cheaper options and would cost the team less in potential luxury-tax penalties than an established veteran who signed for the minimum.

Farmers Insurance Open 2017 features Tiger Woods, who makes his first start at an official PGA Tour event since August 2015.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The PGA Tour season began in mid-October, with the Safeway Open in California, and has consisted of 10 official events. Quality players have provided plenty of highlights and entertainment value.

Understand the reality, though: The PGA Tour season just got real. It has to do with the presence of one man.

Tiger Woods will play in an official tour event for the first time in 17 months when the Farmers Insurance Open begins Thursday at Torrey Pines in La Jolla, Calif. Woods is part of a loaded field that includes Dustin Johnson, Jason Day, Hideki Matsuyama, Jimmy Walker, Rickie Fowler and Phil Mickelson. And Brandt Snedeker.

Don't overlook the unassuming Snedeker, who has thrived in this event in recent years and happens to be defending champion.

Farmers Insurance tee times

All-time-great Woods has won 79 PGA Tour official events, including 14 majors. He is an eight-time winner as a pro at Torrey Pines. However, he has not won overall since 2013 (five times) and is major-less since 2008 (U.S. Open).

Woods' previous start in an official event on the PGA Tour came at the Wyndham Championship in late-August 2015. He finished tied for 10th in a season already shortened by injuries. He underwent multiple back surgeries/procedures and did not play again until the unofficial Hero World Challenge at the outset of December 2016.

At Hero in the Bahamas, Woods finished 15th in a field of 18 but led everybody with 24 birdies.

Mickelson, the second-best player of his era, underwent two sports-hernia surgeries in late 2016 before making his 2017 debut last week at CareerBuilder Challenge. He finished tied for 21st.

Thursday's live leaderboard:

PGA TOUR

FARMERS INSURANCE OPEN

Site: San Diego.

Course: Torrey Pines GC. Yardage: 7,698 Par: 72 (South Course); Yardage: 7,258. Par: 72. (North Course).

Purse: $6.7 million (First place: $1,206,000).

Television: CBS Sports (Saturday 3-6 p.m.; Sunday, 3-6:30 p.m.); Golf Channel (Thursday-Friday 3-7 p.m.; Saturday-Sunday, 1-2:30 p.m.)

Defending champion: Brandt Snedeker.

Last week: Hudson Swafford won the CareerBuilder Challenge.

Notes: Tiger Woods makes his 2017 debut at the tournament he has won seven times, most recently in 2013. ... Also making a debut is the North Course that Tom Weiskopf renovated. The nines have been reversed, bunkers reduced, and the size of the greens expanded. ... Since his previous victory at Torrey Pines, Woods has missed the 54-hole cut (2014) and withdrawn after 11 holes because of tightness in his back. ... This is the first time Jason Day is competing against a full field since the Deutsche Bank Championship in early September. ... The tournament last year finished on a Monday (wind) for the second time in four years. ... Dustin Johnson and Rickie Fowler entered the tournament. Both were in Abu Dhabi last week. ... Bubba Watson (2011) is the only past champion at the Farmers Insurance Open who is not playing this year -- not including those on the PGA Tour Champions. ... Justin Rose, who missed the cut at Torrey in 2015 and 2016, is playing for the third straight year.

Next week: Waste Management Phoenix Open.

Online: www.pgatour.com

(The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

The Cavs have hit a rough patch, with a late fourth quarter collapse against the wounded Sacramento Kings becoming the latest piece of evidence. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Tyronn Lue hasn't gone through this kind of stretch since his second year with the Los Angeles Lakers. In 1999.

The Cavs have issues, with a late fourth quarter collapse against the wounded Sacramento Kings becoming the latest piece of evidence.

"It seems like when you're losing, you're not playing well, every ball bounces the other team's way, every mistake you pay for it," Lue said.

Here are five observations:

Defensive breakdown - With 30 seconds left in overtime and the game tied at 112, the Kings went to DeMarcus Cousins, the man responsible for the game-tying layup and steal on the ensuing possession to send the game into the extra session.

Cousins had the ball in the post against Tristan Thompson before snapping a pass to the opposite wing for a wide-open Arron Afflalo 3-pointer.

"We came out of the timeout with a plan, trying to execute that plan," LeBron James said. "Offense always beats better defense, so they had something to combat our plan to try and get the ball out of Cuz's hands. He made a great pass and Afflalo made a great shot."

That's what it looked like initially. After Cousins' fourth quarter outburst, scoring 10 points followed by the first six for the Kings in OT, it appeared the Cavs were trying to get the ball out of his hands, using Kyle Korver as the helper.

But Lue watched the film shortly after the game and didn't see the same.

"Matt Barnes, he kind of ran and set a flare screen on Darren Collison and Korver was kind of going with him and Shump stayed and there was kind of confusion when they ran the flare screen on the play," Lue said. "He ended up wide open."

Korver started defending Barnes on the right wing. As soon as Barnes darted to the elbow, Korver got lost.

"We were going to try to trap (Cousins)," Korver told cleveland.com after the game. "That leaves someone open. Matt Barnes cut to the lane and I think both me and Shump went to him and left (Afflalo) open. Good offense. Probably could have been a lot better defense."

Failing to execute - Cleveland's usually reliable clutch offensive numbers took a hit Wednesday, a carryover from the previous two games.

After building a 10-point lead with 7:44 left, the Cavs went through a more-than-four-minute dry spell, with five missed triples and two turnovers mixed in.

They then scored five points in the final 3:37 of the fourth. It wasn't much better in OT, scoring one point in the final 2:29.

James, who finished with his fifth triple-double, had his chance to rescue the Cavs from a brutal loss. Following a timeout, Lue set up a play, which ended with James hoisting a 34-footer for the tie.

"Well the play was to go for a quick two with 17 seconds on the clock and if they go under and you've got the shot then take the shot," Lue said. "He took the shot. He missed it."

Love got the rebound before missing the tip. Then James corralled another board and kicked it out to Korver who committed a costly turnover.

James made a deep triple in the clutch on Saturday against San Antonio during a fourth quarter rally. But for a team that possessed the league's best clutch rating 10 days ago going into the showdown against the Warriors, there should be something better than James, a 36.9 percent 3-point shooter, launching from Akron.

"I was going for the tie," James said. "When I got the handoff they both went under, Cuz and my man went under Kevin Love and I got a good look so I wanted to take the good look. Coach definitely wanted a good two, but I was open for clean look and I was just missed it. It hit the rim four or five times. I'll live with it."

Free throw woes - Perhaps the biggest culprit in Wednesday's loss was free throw shooting, something that has plagued Cleveland since the start of 2017.

Now ranked 27th in the league over the last 12 games and 22nd for the entire year, the Cavs finished 17-of-34 from the stripe.

Even point guard Kyrie Irving, shooting 89.3 percent on the year, split a pair of freebies in the closing seconds of regulation.

"I'm going to get some more free throws up and take it upon myself to step up to the line and be ready to shoot," Irving said.

Love also split a pair, which kept the game tied instead of putting Cleveland up by one late in OT.

After Wednesday's loss, the Cavs are ranked 23rd in the NBA in clutch free throws, according to NBA.com's stats page.

Turnovers - Prior to the game, Lue pointed to turnovers as a common theme during this stinky stretch. The Cavaliers have averaged 15.1 miscues in their past eight games, up from 13.7 prior. 

The Cavs committed 18 on Wednesday. James led the way with five, including a stolen inbounds on the last play of regulation. Of course, it's tough to pin that one on him as Cousins got away with grabbing Love's jersey before his theft.

But there was another costly one in the final minute of OT, which turned into a Darren Collison layup and one-point Kings edge.

Love had four miscues, including three in the first three minutes, as Cleveland dug an early 10-0 hole.

"Had 18 turnovers and when you're struggling to win games you can't do that to win a game," Lue said.

Closing with Korver - Korver played the final 19 minutes. That's a lot, especially for a player still trying to find his way.

"We played well," Lue said. "Once it got down to time for him to come out, I didn't think it was fair to Shump to try to get him in the last three minutes of the quarter and say save us. We decided to keep riding with Korver and we got some open looks that we didn't knock down."

In the final 17 minutes, Korver scored 3 points on 1-of-5 from the field, including 1-of-4 from beyond the arc.

Even with Shumpert being so effective, scoring 16 points, it's smart for Lue to try and get Korver some experience in the closing group. He needs to build chemistry, get reps and gain experience in a variety of situations with this team so it's not foreign to him when the postseason arrives.  

That's part of what Lue should use the regular season for, even if the results aren't always what he wants. 

This is not the first time David Griffin and Tyronn Lue have sought to put LeBron James in his place for something he's done or said. But they need to be careful they don't overplay their hand. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Neither LeBron James nor David Griffin has missed the chance over the past few weeks to chide the other in the press.

Another arose after the Cavs lost to the Kings, 116-112 in overtime, on Wednesday night for their sixth loss in eight games, and James was asked about an ESPN report in which the New York Knicks were said to have called and asked about trading Carmelo Anthony for Kevin Love and were rebuffed.

James said he had "no reaction."

"We got 14 guys in here," James said. "We need to be ready every night, who we got in here we gotta play. We can't play fantasy basketball. We got who we got and we gotta go out and play."

This is a tough question for James because Anthony is one of James' best friends and he's already said on the record he'd like to play on the same NBA team with his friend before retirement. But Love is his teammate, is more than pulling his weight this season as the only player in the East averaging at least 20 points and 10 rebounds, and James knows the Cavs aren't interested in that trade.

Stoking those fires, after the blistering critique of the team's roster management he offered Monday night, wouldn't have made James' life any better.

But don't think James' answer means he backed down from his public back-and-forth with Griffin. Because while the Cavs have 14 players, they're allowed to carry 15 -- and that's one of James' complaints, that the team needs capable "bodies" who can make plays and take some of the load off of him, Kyrie Irving, and, to a lesser extent, Love.

James was essentially disciplined Wednesday for his wide-ranging critiques from the other night, not with a monetary fine or being made to go sit in the corner, but in a private meeting with general manager David Griffin. Coach Tyronn Lue also addressed the entire team because of James' remarks.

"I'm just trying to win ballgames, that's all that matters," James said of Griffin's talk.

This is not the first time Griffin and Lue have sought to put James in his place for something he's done or said. But they need to be careful they don't overplay their hand.

Last March, in the span of a week Lue and Griffin held separate, private meetings with James in which they addressed some odd behavior. Lue lectured James about the bad optics of carrying on with Dwyane Wade during halftime of a game in which the Heat was blowing out the Cavs; Griffin told James it was time to knock off the cryptic Tweets and get serious.

James wasn't jumping up and down publicly when asked about the lectures, which were reported by cleveland.com, but he knew his coach and general manager had a point.

Griffin has not once, but twice rebuffed James' comments to reporters over the past couple weeks. When James first called for a backup point guard and big man earlier this month, Griffin said he wasn't necessarily on the same page with him, and neither were the coaches, with regards to another post.

And then on Wednesday, in responding to James' criticisms of roster management and questioning the organization's commitment to winning, Griffin said: "It certainly wasn't appropriate from a teammate perspective."

And then he said: "In a perfect world we wouldn't make any changes to the roster, and we very well might not make changes to the roster."

The Cavs' front office, and likely owner Dan Gilbert, were furious with James over his assertions that organization may have grown complacent over winning the Finals last year.

They see the $57 million they gave James' friend, J.R. Smith, who is represented by James' agent Rich Paul, as only one of the latest signs of their commitment. Trading for Kyle Korver, one of the best 3-point shooters in NBA history, was another. The Cavs do have the league's highest payroll at roughly $130 million, and nothing talks louder than money.

But James has raised legitimate points. The lack of a true backup point guard has been obvious all season. Only James and Irving can dribble the ball and create offense for others. It's overly taxing on them and limits Lue's substitution patterns.

The Cavs are in this spot because they failed (to this point) to replace Matthew Dellavedova, who was a playmaker. And part of that failure stems from their bet on Mo Williams. Perhaps the bet was unwise.

The Cavs also chose to come into this season looking for some minutes out of three unproven players -- rookie Kay Felder, DeAndre Liggins, and Jordan McRae. Liggins has performed admirably on defense, but, James believes, veterans could have been signed at minimum who are more versatile and could be more effective in longer stretches.

And, for two weeks now, the Cavs have sat with an open roster spot. James has played over 40 minutes in three consecutive games.

Oh, and they've lost six of eight, and three in a row.

James has said, unequivocally, more moves must be made for them to repeat as champions. On Wednesday night, Griffin said the roster as constructed, when healthy, is good enough.

Smith spoke with cleveland.com about why Ohio State felt comfortable hiring Wilson after accusations of player mistreatment at Indiana.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith told cleveland.com on Wednesday that's hes comfortable with the Buckeyes hiring former Indiana head coach Kevin Wilson after some thorough vetting from Smith and Urban Meyer.

Wilson resigned from his post as the Hoosiers head coach in December amid accusations of player mistreatment and what Indiana AD Fred Glass called "philosophical differences" between Wilson and the athletic administration.

A detailed report by the Indianapolis Star painted a picture of a program in which injured players were cast aside and ridiculed for being injured. Other Indiana players at the time came to Wilson's defense.

Smith said Ohio State did a deep dive into all of that before he and Meyer decided they were comfortable hiring Wilson.

In a wide-ranging interview with cleveland.com, Smith said he and Meyer divvied up some of the vetting responsibilities outside of the normal background check required for all new hires. That included Smith talking with Glass at length about Wilson and the circumstances surrounding his resignation.

"I had a great conversation with Fred Glass, a colleague of mine at Indiana," Smith said. "We had a good, candid conversation about Kevin. I'm a straight-up shooter, I think most people would know that. We had a good conversation and in the end I felt good."

Smith would not divulge the details of his conversation with Glass or the findings of his vetting, only adding that he also spoke with with people at Oklahoma who were around while Wilson served as the Sooners offensive coordinator from 2002-10.

* How will Wilson help Ohio State's offense?

Wilson was officially announced as Ohio State's offensive coordinator and tight ends coach on Jan. 10, replacing Ed Warriner. Warinner is now the offensive line coach at Minnesota after two season as the Buckeyes' offensive coordinator.

"We knew Ed was gonna leave, but he was not fired," Smith said. "He was looking to go. We knew that, we had vetted Kevin, went through the process of a background check and got him on board."

But not before digging into what happened with Wilson at Indiana.

"In the end I came back and talked with Urban, he had done his vetting," Smith said. "Urban already knew him, I just knew about him, shook his hand. Urban knew him and had a higher comfort level. I first wanted to understand what happened there (at Indiana), and then once I began to understand the person, I was fine with it."

The Buckeyes are no 3-5 in Big Ten play after an 0-4 start to the conference portion of their schedule. Watch video

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Five good things Ohio State basketball (13-8, 3-5 Big Ten) can build on after beating Minnesota 78-72 on Wednesday night.

1. Trevor Thompson: Does Ohio State have a go-to player? Is that too strong of a way to describe what Thompson's done for the Buckeyes this season?

"I think when Trevor is engaged, he's as good as anybody," Buckeyes coach Thad Matta said after Thompson posted a career-high 19 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks against the Gophers.

Matta's compliments for Thompson always seem to come with some kind of qualifier like that. Maybe that's Matta's way of challenging Thompson. Maybe there's an expectation that Thompson's playing a little above himself right now, and he'll eventually regress back to his mean.

What he's done in Big Ten play, though, suggests the contrary.

Perhaps the path to Ohio State becoming a team that consistently wins Big Ten games goes through Thompson.

He's averaging nearly a double-double in conference play (11.6 points, 9.6 rebounds per game). He's one of the most efficient players in the Big Ten, and his current player efficiency rating of 27.6 is the best for an Ohio State player since Jared Sullinger (30.2) in 2011-12. It's even better than D'Angleo Russell, who had a PER of 26.6 two years ago.

Thompson is a vastly improved player. Want to argue that players don't develop in this program, Thompson is the counter argument. So should the Buckeyes be using him more?

"My biggest thing is I wanna win," Thompson said. "If I'm put in a position to help the team win, then I'm gonna do it to the best of my ability. I feel like anybody on the team, if we really needed a bucket, we could go to him. But if it's throwing it to me, and I have the opportunity to help the team win, then that's what I want."

Before Ohio State's win over Michigan State on Jan. 15, Thompson had never had double-digit field goal attempts in a game. He had 10 then, and 14 on Wednesday night. When Ohio State fed him early against Minnesota, it help set up a fluid offense that had an inside-out flow and great ball movement. The Buckeyes lost some that flow in the second half, and the game tightened.

So maybe Ohio State found a blueprint for offensive success in Wednesday's first half.

"There's moments where (Thompson) can get out sync," Matta said. "As long as we can get him back in, and he lets us coach him back into the fold of what we're trying to do, he's very effective. We need him to play well, and do what he's supposed to do and when he does that good things happen. 

2. Free throws: Ohio State didn't miss all of them. After hovering around 50 percent, even dropping below that mark, in the past two games, the Buckeyes shot 23-for-30 from the line on Wednesday. Ohio State's margin for error for the rest of this season will be small. Make the free ones.

3. A split: Ohio State needs to get to get to nine or 10 Big Ten wins (and then some more in the conference tournament) to think about making the NCAA Tournament. That means six or seven more wins in the last 10 games. That means not getting swept in any of their home-and-home series this year.

"There's a lot of basketball still to be played, and the second we feel like we have things figured out, that's not a good thing for our team," Matta said.

The Buckeyes earned the split with Minnesota on Wednesday. Splitting every series the rest of the way would mean wins over Maryland (which the Buckeyes still play twice) and Wisconsin (which they get at home in late February after getting walloped in Madison earlier this month).

Some combination of a 6-4 or 7-3 finish that includes those two wins, would put Ohio State in a decent spot heading into the postseason.

Can Ohio State's JaQuan Lyle stay this hot from the 3-point line?Paul Vernon, Associated Press 

4. JaQuan Lyle's 3s: He's becoming good for a couple 3-pointers per game. If you're looking for the single area in which one Buckeye has improved the most, it's probably Lyle's 3-point shooting.

He shot 25.2 percent from deep last year. This year he's shooting 39.3 percent. In Big Ten play he's shooting a ridiculous 56.3 percent (18-for-32). That number will come down some, naturally. But even if he stays around his 40 percent during conference play, that's a big weapon for Ohio State.

One thing to monitor for Lyle will be if he starts becoming too reliant on that shot to the point where he's driving and attacking less. In non-conference play, 31 percent of Lyle's field goal attempts were 3s. In Big Ten play, that number is up to 37 percent.

5. A bench spark: It was a good 24-hour period if you're a Wesson. Kaleb, a 2017 Ohio State commit scored a school-record 49 points for Westerville South on Tuesday night. Andre, a freshman wing for the Buckeyes, scored a career high nine points on Wednesday night.

"It was fantastic to see the output that Andre had today," senior forward Marc Loving said. "He had the opportunity to knock some shots down. He plays fantastic defense. He's able to guard bigger guys and smaller guys. Having that versatility on defense got him in the game, and he was able to show is offensive ability off of that."

Wesson was 6-for-7 from the free throw line, including a big pair in the final five minutes. He also hit a 3 in second half that put Ohio State up 60-52 with 10 minutes left.

Wesson is still learning. He's going to have some freshman moments. He leads Ohio State's regulars in turnover percentage but he didn't have one on Wednesday night in 19 minutes, which matched his high in Big Ten play. He hasn't had more than one turnover in any Big Ten game.

The Buckeyes need someone who at the very least can provide rest for players like Loving, Kam Williams and Jae'Sean Tate. If Wesson can do that, and allow Matta to regularly stretch his normal rotation to eight players, that's a boost for Ohio State.

Desmond Howard was the MVP of Super Bowl XXXI on Jan. 27, 1997. The Cleveland native talks about the game and more in DMan's World.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Twenty years ago tonight, Desmond Howard made football's biggest stage his indoor playground.

Howard amassed 244 all-purpose yards as the Green Bay Packers defeated the New England Patriots, 35-21, on Jan. 26, 1997, at Superdome in New Orleans, La. Howard earned MVP.

Cleveland native Howard returned four kickoffs for 154 yards and six punts for 90 yards. Late in the third quarter, Howard answered a New England touchdown with a 99-yard kickoff return for a TD. A two-point conversion gave the Packers the 35-21 lead.

Howard helped the Packers win their first "big game'' since Super Bowl II. He played a role in one of the greatest quarterbacks ever, Brett Favre, and one of the greatest defensive linemen ever, Reggie White, securing what turned out to be the only Super Bowl ring for each.

Howard was an All-American at St. Joseph High School in the late-1980s. He went to Michigan and won the Heisman Trophy in 1991. He became the fourth player to win the Heisman and Super Bowl MVP.

Howard, whose NFL career spanned 11 seasons (1992-2002), is a terrific college football analyst for ESPN. He spoke with DMan's World by phone from his home in Miami, Fla.

PD: When I say, 'Jan. 26, 1997,' what comes to mind first?

DH: That we won the Super Bowl. We beat the Patriots in the Super Bowl. For us to bring the Lombardi (Trophy) back to Green Bay was just great. We won the Super Bowl. It was awesome to be part of a team with so many talented and special and legendary players, and we finished the job.

PD: What was pregame like in your Super Bowl debut?

DH: A lot of emotions, a lot of feelings. It's kind of hard to say, 'This is exactly how I felt.' You're excited, there's anxiety. There was some nervousness -- but that's every game. I didn't go into a game and not have some sort of nervousness. There was confidence, too.    

PD: Had you ever returned a kick 99+ yards in your football career?

DH: I don't recall any being longer than that. Not in the NFL, for sure.

PD: The Patriots scored a touchdown to pull within 27-21. What was going through your mind when Adam Vinatieri prepared to kick off?

DH: You have to go back to how the Patriots were playing us, trying to take away our return game. They kicked the ball high and short throughout that game. Their strategy was to try to disrupt our timing, which they did a pretty good job of -- at least as far as the kickoff-return game was concerned. Because they were content with kicking the ball high and short, I had lined up at about the 5-yard line. I didn't want to run up from the goal line.

When the ball left Vinatieri's foot, I immediately noticed that it was traveling with great velocity, so I started to back up. I remember looking at the ball as it was causing me to go backwards and thinking, 'Wow, they're actually going to give us a chance.' They hadn't given us a chance the whole game with kickoff returns. It was the perfect kick for the return we had set up.

PD: In front of you was a four-man wedge, with Don Beebe behind it. You dashed and swerved up the middle, avoided a Hason Graham tackle attempt at the Green Bay 30 and essentially were gone by the Green Bay 40.

DH: I saw Don Beebe lead up through the hole, and the hole got a little bigger. Don and I are on the smallish side when you talk about football players. We get our little bodies through the hole, and (Graham) grabbed my facemask. I don't know if a lot of people know that, but he grabbed my facemask. Then I looked and I saw Vinatieiri.

Any returner worth his salt, when you see the kicker or the punter, you're thinking: 'I'm about to score.' Unless there are some other guys close to him and they've kind of got you boxed in. Once I saw Vinatieri, I'm thinking, 'OK, I'm taking this one to the house.'

PD: Sports Illustrated's cover photo showed you looking up en route to six points.

DH: In that picture, I'm looking up at the JumboTron to make sure that no one was close behind me. So I could do my end-zone celebration, my end-zone dance.

PD: When you approached the goal line, what was the move you made?

DH: I was doing The Robot.

PD: The Robot.

DH: Yep. The Robot.

PD: What was the genesis of The Robot? Had you ever done it?

DH: No. no, no. I never did that in my life. Growing up, I was a big Jackson Five/Michael Jackson fan. It was my favorite group, he was my favorite entertainer. I thought it was cool that Michael Jackson did The Robot, so I wanted to stop at around the 1-yard line and do The Robot into the end zone. So I did The Robot. It wasn't quite as smooth as Michael's, but I had Astro-turf shoes on Astro-turf, so I had my challenges.

PD: Favre completed the two-point pass for the 14-point cushion.

DH: It was a momentum-shifting, game-changing play. They were on top of the world, they scored a touchdown and pulled within six. Then, in a blink of an eye, the wind was taken out of their sails and our sideline erupted in jubilation and excitement, with a whole bunch of newfound energy.

It's a crazy sideline when something like that happens at that point in the game. A parade of congratulations and high-fives and hand-slaps.

PD: When did you realize that you had accounted for 200+ return yards?

DH: I was not aware of the total until the game was just about over, and they put my name in lights with my stats on the scoreboard.

PD: When you saw the stats, did you allow yourself to say: 'I might get the MVP here'?

DH: No. I was just happy we were winning and I was about to get a Super Bowl ring.

I never thought I would get MVP. It never crossed my mind until they actually announced it. It never crossed my mind because I'm not a stats guy. I'm really not. I just went out there and tried to do the best I could to put us in position to score points every time I got the opportunity. That was my goal, that was my job, that was my focus.

PD: What was the postgame locker room like? Any images burned in your brain?

DH: For me, it wasn't the same as what you see on television when everyone's in there, because I got there late. I needed to do postgame interviews, and I had my Disney obligation. I just remember hugging guys.

PD: What items do you own from Super Bowl XXXI?

DH: The ring, the MVP trophy, my helmet, my jersey, my shoes. And I think I have my gloves.

PD: How come some of those items aren't in the Pro Football Hall of Fame?

DH: (Chuckle) You'll have to ask those people. I don't know what they need and don't need. I'm more than happy to pass them down to my kids.

PD: Is it too obvious that the 99-yard kickoff return is the No. 1 highlight of your football career?

DH: This is how I look at it: As a kid, if you like the sport of football, the biggest game is the Super Bowl. It doesn't get any bigger than that in football. As a kid growing up and watching the Super Bowl year after year after year, it's crazy to be able to play in it one day. It can be intimidating when put in that type of context.

When you're on a quest to win a championship, it's just the next step. But after everything is said and done, you realize: Man, when I was a shorty in pajamas, running around the house imitating Tony Dorsett or Tony Hill or Roger Staubach when the Dallas Cowboys were in the Super Bowl ... I became that guy, the one the kids who liked the Packers imitated. That game is the biggest game you can play in in our sport, so to me, it doesn't get any better than that.''

PD: As a kid, did you ever envision yourself actually excelling in a Super Bowl?

DH: I don't remember, to be honest. I got so much joy out of watching my team, the Cowboys, and my favorite player, Tony Dorsett, in the Super Bowl. But if I did have any dreams about playing in the Super Bowl, I assume it would be as a running back, trying doing what my favorite player, Tony Dorsett, did.

The LPGA Tour's season begins this week in the Bahamas.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Ariya Jutanugarn, world No. 2 and the reigning Rolex player of the year, headlines the field at the Pure Silk-Bahamas LPGA Classic. The event is the LPGA Tour's season opener.

Jutanugarn, from Thailand, begins her third LPGA Tour season. She won five times in 2016, including three straight starts in May. Two months later, she won the RICOH British Open -- her first major.

Pure Silk-Bahamas tee times

World No. 1 Lydia Ko is not in the field, but four of the top 10 are.

PURE SILK-BAHAMAS LEADERBOARD

This is the fifth anniversary of the event. All previous winners are playing.

LPGA TOUR

PURE SILK-BAHAMAS LPGA CLASSIC

Site: Paradise Island, Bahamas.

Course: Ocean Club GC. Yardage: 6,625. Par: 73.

Purse: $1.4 million (First place: $210,000).

Television: Golf Channel (Thursday-Friday, 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.; Saturday-Sunday, 3-5 p.m.).

Defending champion: Hyo Joo Kim.

Previous tournament: Charley Hull won the CME Group Tour Championship to end the 2016 season.

Notes: This is the first LPGA Tour event of the year, kicking off an international schedule of four tournaments before its first domestic event on March 16-19 in Phoenix, Az. ... U.S. Solheim Cup captain Juli Inkster begins her 35th season on the LPGA Tour by competing in the Bahamas. The Solheim Cup will be played in Iowa in August. ... Stacy Lewis is in the field. The Pure Silk Bahamas LPGA Classic was her 11th runner-up finish dating to her most recent victory -- June 2014 at the Walmart Northwest Arkansas Championship. ... Natalie Gulbis is playing on a sponsor's exemption. ... Also in the field is Michelle Wie, who hasn't won since her U.S. Women's Open title in 2014.

Next tournament: ISPS Handa Women's Australian Open, Feb. 13-16.

Online: www.lpga.com

(The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

Senior Bowl standouts from 2016 were hit and miss in the NFL.

Antino Jackson, a guard for the Akron Zips, is having a strong junior season and is one key reason Akron is headed for a second straight MAC regular season championship. Watch video

AKRON, Ohio -- Antino Jackson is in the midst of a stellar junior season for the Akron Zips. The Cypress Springs, Texas native may be small and sprite at 5-11, 160 pounds, but he is wiry strong, cat-quick and durable.

With the Zips in the midst of another strong season at the head of the Mid-American Conference race, Jackson is the consistent force on the perimeter for coach Keith Dambrot. When Akron needs someone to drive hard to the rim to keep the defense honest, the call is for Jackson. On nights when it seems Akron's 3-pointers are hard to come by, somehow Jackson finds the way to knock one down.

And recently, when what looked like an easy victory began to drip, drip, drip away with each missed free throw, it was Jackson who stepped up in the final minutes to make three of four and seal the victory.

On the season, Jackson is shooting 46 percent from the field, 42 percent on 3-pointers and 75 percent from the free throw line. And don't forget the three assists per game while playing an average of 27 minutes.

With just one third of the season in the books, it looks as if Akron is going to win a second straight league title. Jackson is one key reason why.

Here's what Cavs fans wanted to know from cleveland.com beat reporter Joe Vardon following a 116-112 overtime loss to the Sacramento Kings. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Here's what Cavs fans wanted to know from cleveland.com beat reporter Joe Vardon following a 116-112 overtime loss to the Sacramento Kings:

• Should coach Tyronn Lue be considering lineup changes, especially given the "second" unit with LeBron James and the reserves?
• With less than a minute to go in a tie game, why was Kyle Korver on the court for defense instead of Iman Shumpert?
• If Kevin Love may have lingering injuries for the rest of the year, why is the front office so averse to moving him for value?

Also see:

LeBron and the Cavs are fighting. Is it worth it?

Cavs' roof is burning after loss

Ryan Craig, Oliver Bjorkstrand and Anton Forsberg will represent the Cleveland Monsters this week in the AHL All-Star Classic.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- For the past 18 years, Ryan Craig has spent the midway part of the season on a break, often in some exotic beach locale.

So the news that Craig will make his first All-Star appearance next week might not create the same level of excitement for his three children.

"Last year, we went to Disney World, and Allentown, Pa. won't quite be the same but a new experience that we will treasure as a family," said Craig, captain of the Cleveland Monsters, the defending AHL champs. "But because of the All-Star Game, we didn't bring up Disney to the kids."

Craig and two teammates, right wing Oliver Bjorkstrand and goalie Anton Forsberg, will head to the American Hockey League All-Star Classic on Sunday and Monday at the PPL Center home of the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. SportsTime Ohio will televise the Skills Competition on Sunday at 7:30 p.m. and the All-Star Game on Monday at 7 p.m.

"This is very special to be chosen by the league," Craig said. "It's a great recognition. It's very humbling. It's a huge honor. It's something I didn't think about, so when it came up it was nice. It has a lot to do with what our team accomplished this year and last year."

An opportunity to play in the AHL All-Star Game is an honor in itself, said Craig, but sharing that time with his teammates is a bonus.

"There are plenty of guys on our team who could be going," Craig said. "Myself, Oliver Bjorkstrand and Forsberg, we're all lucky to be going. And those guys deserve it. Bjorkstrand, for what he did for us throughout the playoffs last year and was named MVP. He picked up where he left off and leads us in goal scoring. Forsberg came in halfway through the playoffs and led us to a championship. He picked up where he left off. I'm happy to be going with them."

For the season, Craig has four goals and five assists. Bjorkstrand has 12 goals and seven assists, and Forsberg is 13-8 with a 2.21 goal assist average.

The Monsters are back at The Q on Thursday and Saturday against the Chicago Wolves, each game at 7 p.m. And after the Monsters take the week off for the All-Star break, they will return to action at home on Feb. 3-4 against the Iowa Wild as they continue to try to move up from their current position of fourth place in the Central Division.

"Our goal is to continue to get better and by no means are we happy where we are," Craig said. "We've dealt with some injuries and we have a new coach that we know better halfway through the year. We've got some young guys who've made huge steps. We're in a good spot to compete for a playoff spot and once you're in, anything can happen."