Cavaliers Stun Spurs on Saturday

Getty Images

LeBron James scored 29 points and Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving added 21 apiece as the Cleveland Cavaliers finally took down one of the NBA’s elite teams, beating the San Antonio Spurs 117-103 on Saturday night.

The Cavs won their fourth straight under coach Tyronn Lue, who was promoted after David Blatt was fired on 22 January. Cleveland came in 0-5 against San Antonio, Golden State and Chicago, three top-tier teams who figure to contend with them for a title this season.

Lue has the Cavs playing at a faster pace and the Spurs, who were again without center Tim Duncan, couldn’t keep up with them. Duncan missed his third straight game with a sore right knee.

Kawhi Leonard scored 24 and LaMarcus Aldridge 15 for the Spurs, who lost for just the second time in 16 games. They lost to the Warriors on Monday.

Cleveland’s 117 points were the second-most given up this season by San Antonio, which came in allowing a league-best 90.6 points per game. The Cavs had more than that after three quarters.

Irving (10) and Matthew Dellavedova (8) scored Cleveland’s first 18 points in the fourth quarter. James scored the next three when he was fouled while going to the basket by San Antonio’s Patty Mills, who was flicked aside like a gnat by the four-time MVP on his way to a layup and three-point play.

Down by 17 points at the half, the Spurs scored the first eight of the third quarter, a spurt that prompted an oh-no-here-they-come vibe through Cleveland’s loud crowd, which was in playoff form.

But the Cavs responded with a flurry that showcased their offensive depth. Love and Dellavedova hit three-pointers and James powered inside for several baskets, helping Cleveland push its lead to 88-69 late in the third. James scored 16 in the quarter.

James, too, made one of his signature defensive plays by chasing down Spurs guard Manu Ginobili on a breakaway and blocking his shot at the rim.

Elsewhere, Harrison Barnes hit a three-pointer with 0.2 seconds remaining and Golden State escaped with a 108-105 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers.

Klay Thompson had 32 points and Stephen Curry scored 23 for the Warriors, who nearly blew a 24-point second-half lead. Draymond Green added 10 points and 13 rebounds for Golden State, who opened a three-game road trip with their sixth straight victory while matching the NBA’s best start through 47 games.

Isaiah Canaan had 18 points to lead the 76ers, who dropped to 7-41 but nearly pulled off the most improbable victory of the NBA season.

“It shows we have no letdown, no backdown,” Philadelphia coach Brett Brown said.

Philadelphia trailed by double-digits most of the second half until a late 15-2 run tied the game at 105 with 22.3 seconds left. The Warriors won it when Curry passed inside to Green, who fired outside to Barnes on the right baseline.

“We kind of went into it knowing they were going to trap Steph, so whoever it was that got the ball tried to make a play,” Barnes said. “[Green] made that kick to the corner. I just let it ride.”

Related articles

• Cavs vs Thunder: LeBron James Scores 33 In Cavs' 104-100 Win
• Watch Boston Celtics Vs. Cleveland Cavaliers NBA Game Online (Live Stream)
• LeBron knocks woman off her feet - literally
• Jason Day's Wife Placed in Stretcher After Courtside Collision with LeBron James
• LeBron James CRUSHES Pro Golfer's Wife!
• LeBron James and Cavaliers silence Thunder

King James Blamed for Blatt Exit

Getty Images

Cavaliers star LeBron James said “it sucks” that people think he was behind coach David Blatt’s shock exit – but feels “people get it so misconstrued because I’m a smart basketball player.”

An exasperated James said to reporters on Wednesday: “What do you guys want me to do? Turn my brain off because I have a huge basketball IQ?”

James insisted he had nothing to do with Cleveland’s decision to fire Blatt, who was surprisingly let go just months after taking the Cavaliers to the NBA finals.

“It sucks,” James said. “But what can I do about it? I’ve never, in my time since I picked up a basketball, ever undermined a coach, ever disrespected a coach. You ask any of my little league coaches, my high school coaches, coaches I’ve played for in tournaments, camps, my NBA coaches. I’ve always respected what they wanted to do. And I’m not the owner of a team, I’m not the GM of a team. I’m the player of a team.”

The four-time NBA MVP has been labelled a “coach killer” for apparently orchestrating in Blatt’s departure, in order to get Tyronn Lue, his preferred coach, into the top role. But that just isn’t true, said LeBron.

“People get it so misconstrued because I’m a smart basketball player and I’ve voiced my opinion about certain things, which I did when I was here my first stint with Paul Silas and Mike Brown. Which I did in Miami with Coach Spo [Erik Spoelstra]. Which I did with Blatt and I’ll do with T-Lue. And at the end of the day, they’ll still have their final call.”

“I don’t know,” James said. “What do you guys want me to do, turn my brain off because I have a huge basketball IQ? If that’s what they want me to do, I’m not going to do it, because I’ve got so much to give to the game. There’s no difference for me telling my team-mates or telling guys how to get better with their game. If I feel I got something that will help our team, ultimately, I like to give it. It helped me get two titles.”

“So, but I think it does suck that people want to throw my name in dirt for no particular reason, because of speculation or whatever the case may be. But you can’t worry about it too much. I got 14 guys here. I got a fan base here and a fan base all over the world that loves what I do, and they respect what I do, and I can’t worry about a select group of people that wants to use their negative energy to take away my positive energy. I can’t allow that to happen.”

Related articles

• What Lebron James Did In The Middle Of A Game For A Fan Will Melt Your Heart
• Typefaces For Pro Basketball Players: Gimmick or Genius?
• LeBron James crashes into stands, wife of golfer Jason Day injured
• LeBron James shares touching moment with Special Olympics MVP Aaron Miller
• Basketball player LeBron James sends golfer's wife to hospital in courtside smash accident

Cleveland Fired GM David Blatt

David Blatt was fired by general manager David Griffin, who didn’t think the title-chasing Cavaliers were handling expectations well or acting like a championship team under the second-year coach. Despite Blatt taking them to the NBA Finals last season and a current 30-11 record, Griffin sensed his team was going in the wrong direction.

“Sometimes you can win games in the regular season and get worse,” Griffin said at a hastily-arranged new conference at the team’s practice facility. “We were regressing over a period of time. There’s a lack of connectedness and spirit that I just couldn’t accept.”

Griffin said he did not consult superstar LeBron James or any players before making the move to dismiss Blatt, who was surprised to learn he had been dismissed after going 83-40 in two seasons. Griffin also met with owner Dan Gilbert, who supported the move.

“Over the course of my business career I have learned that sometimes the hardest thing to do is also the right thing to do,” Gilbert said. “Our ownership group supports David Griffin’s decision.”

Lue, who was hired as the team’s associate head coach shortly after Blatt came to Cleveland, will make his début Saturday night when the Cavs host the Chicago Bulls. Griffin stressed that Lue is not an interim coach and said the team is discussing a contract with him.

“He has the pulse of our team,” he said.

As social networks hummed with speculation and opinion about James’ role the team’s inner workings, Griffin said he made the decision with the basketball staff -- not the star.

“I had a conversation with ownership where I got their approval to make this move. I’m not taking a poll. My job is to lead the franchise and to lead an organization where it needs to go,” Griffin said. “That’s what I’m tasked with doing and that’s what I did. I didn’t ask anybody’s opinion on the team. I’m in the locker room. I’ve done this a long time and I know what it’s supposed to feel like. I didn’t need to ask questions.”

Blatt’s dismissal came one day after the coach was defensive before and after the Cavs beat the Los Angeles Clippers. Blatt had been bothered by criticism his team received after a 34-point loss to the defending champion Golden State Warriors earlier this week.

A person close to James said that the four-time NBA MVP was told of Blatt’s firing about one hour before reports of the move surfaced. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the situation.

Blatt seemed to be adjusting to the NBA game following his well-documented struggles in 2015 -- James’ first season back in Cleveland. One of the most successful coaches in European history, Blatt was feeling good about the way his team was performing amid overwhelming expectations. However, there was a discord he couldn't seem to fix.

The relationship between James and Blatt was a running saga last season as the Cavs got off to a disappointing 19-20 start. However, the two worked through their differences and won the Eastern Conference title. Despite injuries to All-Stars Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving, the Cavs took the Warriors to six games before losing the title.

Following Thursday night’s win over the Clippers, Blatt shared a moment with James at his locker. The pair shook hands and smiled at each other, without any hint that a coaching change could be forthcoming.

Moments earlier, Blatt was on the defensive given the Golden State blowout. He argued that although the Cavs were prohibitive favourites to return to the finals they deserved more credit than they were getting.

“It’s about my team,” Blatt said. “It’s about my guys and I don’t like it. I don’t like it at all. My guys are out there fighting for the Cavaliers and doing the best job they can in a tough NBA -- very tough -- especially because this is a team that night after night has a target on its back.

“They go out there and they fight and they play and they deal with adversity like we’ve had to deal with all year. We are far from perfect and we are still not at our best, but it’s not for lack of effort and it’s not for lack of good group of guys that want to do their job as best as they possibly can and I think have done pretty well so far,” he said.

Blatt is the third Cleveland coach to be fired in the past four seasons

Related articles

• Bucks Go West
• Clippers' J.J. Redick Sprints Away From Reporter During Interview, And The Reason Is Pretty Amusing
• Advocates Defend Fantasy Sports During State Hearing
• NBA: Why Manu Ginobili Plays Huge Factor in the San Antonio Spurs Championship Hopes this Season
• Lamar Odom's downfall tops Google's list of 2015 searches
• Clippers 103, Bucks 90

Warriors Curry Cavaliers

Steph Curry scored 35 points in three quarters, Andre Iguodala added 20 and Golden State returned to the arena where they won the NBA championship last season as they embarrassed the Cleveland Cavaliers 132-98 on Monday night.

The Warriors built a 30-point lead in the first half, pushed their advantage to 43 after half-time and bounced back from a shocking loss in Detroit over the weekend by winning their fifth straight over Cleveland.

Only a late flurry of points helped the Cavs avoid their worst home loss in franchise history. “They did what they wanted,” LeBron James said.

Curry made seven three-pointers — his last put the Warriors ahead by 40 late in the third quarter — and the reigning league MVP seemed right at home in Quicken Loans Arena, where the Warriors clinched their first title since 1975 last June. On Sunday, Curry said he hoped the visitor’s locker room “still smells a little bit like champagne.”

Curry, however, later downplayed that boast. “The last time I was there we had a trophy, we had champagne and we had goggles,” Curry said, recalling last season’s Game 6. “We had a good time.”

With Curry leading the charge, the Warriors overwhelmed the Cavs, who lost at Golden State 89-83 on Christmas Day and could do little to stop the defending champions.

James scored 16 for Cleveland, who went 5-1 on their longest road trip this season. And like last season’s finals, James didn’t have much help. Kyrie Irving had eight points on three-of-11 shooting and Kevin Love had three points in 21 forgettable minutes.

“Against the top teams you want to play well and we haven’t done that. We’re 0-3,” James said of Cleveland’s record against Golden State and San Antonio, the West’s top powers. “Tonight was an example of how far we have to go to win a championship.”

Even though Cleveland are healthier now than in December, an expected battle between two of the league’s best teams never materialized. This one belonged to Golden State from beginning to end.

A frustrating night for the Cavs bubbled over in the third quarter when JR Smith lowered his shoulder and charged into Harrison Barnes, flattening the Warriors forward. Smith, who arrived at the arena less than an hour before tip-off, was ejected.

Cavs coach David Blatt said he was not aware of Smith’s tardiness. “If that’s so, it’s not a good thing for sure,” Blatt said. Smith was gone when Cleveland’s locker room opened for reporters.

Draymond Green added 16 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds for the Warriors, who rested their starters in the fourth.

Curry quickly reminded an amped-up Cleveland crowd what he did to the Cavs last summer by burying a three-pointer on his first shot. He made three more long-range shots in the first quarter while the Warriors opened a 34-21 lead.

Golden State were just warming up.

Green’s three-pointer put the Warriors up by 16, and Curry scored a three-point play to give Golden State a 23-point lead. On Cleveland’s next possession, James was backing down in the lane when Curry came up from behind, stripped the ball and went the length of the floor for an easy layup to make it 57-32.

“They definitely played like champions,” Irving said.

Related articles

• Jason Day's wife Ellie taken to hospital after court-side collision with LeBron James
• Two Big Cavs Runs Stop Thunder Winning Streak in Cleveland
• Cavs guard Mo Williams questionable, Iman Shumpert officially out vs. Thunder
• LeBron James Fell Into A Woman Sitting Courtside Before She Left On A Strecher
• LeBron knocks woman off her feet - literally
• Cavs vs Thunder: LeBron James Scores 33 In Cavs' 104-100 Win
• NBA roundup: Wins for Cleveland Cavaliers, Houston Rockets, Charlotte Hornets

Raptors Snatch Magic Win at O2

Getty Images 

The Toronto Raptors snatched a 106-103 overtime win against the Orlando Magic at the O2 Arena on a night when the NBA commissioner Adam Silver hinted a future All-Star Game could be played in Europe.

The Raptors, beaten twice in London on back-to-back nights by the New Jersey Nets in 2011 including a triple-overtime epic, squandered three double-digit leads but came good in the extra period to keep up their recent hot form, recording a fourth straight win.

Kyle Lowry led the way with 24 points while his fellow All-Star DeMar DeRozan added 13 points and 11 rebounds for Toronto.

DeRozan, a veteran of that 137-136 loss to the Nets five years ago, admitted he had some bad memories when the game when the game went to overtime.

“I thought, how ironic,” he said. “But it was a great game. The last time we played here it was a great game, both teams wanted to win, the crowd was into it, and it was the same tonight. We put on a great show. I’m glad we got a win out of it though.”

There was another star-studded, sell-out crowd on hand at the O2 for what was the sixth regular-season game to be played here in as many years, and Silver described the atmosphere as being like a “European All-Star Game” before suggesting the real thing could one day be staged on this side of the Atlantic.

“We would love to figure out a way to do it,” he said. “Logistically it’s very difficult to travel to Europe and travel home from Europe.

“No question it’s something we would like to figure out a way to do at some point, I think it would be fantastic experience for everyone.”

Silver ruled out adding European franchises any time soon, saying “this doesn’t feel like the right time”, but reaffirmed the NBA’s commitment to staging events in London and potentially expanding the series.

The Raptors may have banished their London demons to keep the win streak going, but their coach Dwane Casey was not happy with how they went about it.

He saw his team overcome an early deficit but they allowed Orlando to rally three times, and it was the Magic who had opportunities to snatch victory in the final seconds of regulation.

“We did not play well,” he said. “It was one of our worst games in the last couple of weeks. We knew it would be a dogfight coming in. No lead is safe because of how hard they play and we need to be smarter on both ends of the floor.”

Though both scored in double figures, Lowry and DeRozan shot poorly, with Lowry hitting on five-of-20 from the field and DeRozan four-of-19. Their coach, however, was not interested in any excuses about jet lag or heavy travel schedules.

“You can have any excuse you want to,” he said. “If you’re playing on the moon you’ve still got to come out with force.”

For the Magic it was a sixth loss in seven, with the frustration only intensified by how close they came as coach Scott Skiles dismissed the notion of taking any positives from the trip or the game.

“We played better in the second half than we’ve been playing but there’s a reason they’re wins and losses,” Skiles said. “One goes on the left, one goes on the right and this goes on the right as a loss. We can talk to some guys individually about things they did well but the first half was just unacceptable.”

Related articles

• Jeremy Lin Posts Season High in Overtime Win
• Fixing the Toronto Raptors' broken bench no easy proposition
• Heat Extend Winning Streak to Three
• Orlando Magic vs. New Jersey Nets Betting Pick from Brandon Lee: December 14th 2015
• Jeremy Lin Drops 35 Points on the Raptors (VIDEO)
• For Heat and Wade, it"™s now "˜in the bag"™

Andrew Smith 1990 - 2016

Former Butler star Andrew Smith, a key player on Brad Stevens’ team that went to the national title game in successive years, died on Tuesday from cancer. He was 25.

His wife, Samantha, confirmed his death on Tuesday afternoon.

Smith’s father Curt said in a statement: “Andrew packed more living into his 25 years than most of us will enjoy in a full 75 years. He lived his faith, relished his family, selflessly served his wife, and pursued his passion of basketball at the highest levels.”

Butler University said: “The Butler community is profoundly sad today with the news of Andrew’s passing.

“He gave his all, all the time. As an academic all-American, he represented the best of Butler in the classroom and on the court. He is, was, and always will be a Bulldog. The Butler community is proud to have been part of his life, and our thoughts are with his wife, Samantha; his parents, Debbie and Curt; and the rest of his family.”

The 6ft 11in Smith was a freshman reserve on the 2010 team, and started as a sophomore on the 2011 squad. Smith scored five points and grabbed nine rebounds in the loss to UConn in the title game. He spent two more seasons at Butler, then played professionally in Lithuania. He returned home to Indiana in 2013 and was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma in January 2014.

In July 2014, he went into cardiac arrest and spent three days in a coma. Smith had a bone marrow transplant in November and on December 7, Samantha Smith wrote that the transplant had failed and the lymphoma had turned into leukaemia.

Smith attended Butler’s December 19 game in Indianapolis, where the Bulldogs defeated Purdue.

Stevens, now the head coach of the Boston Celtics, did not attend his team’s game last Thursday in Chicago and instead went to visit Smith in the hospital in Indianapolis.

#RIP 

Related articles

• Warriors face a serious test in Boston
• Former NBA Player To Compete On Survivor
• Marcus Smart Resumes On-Court Work, Could Return By End Of December
• Lebron James Dominates In Win Against The Boston Celtics
• Stevens: Bitter Taste After Back-To-Back Losses, But Pleased With Celtics' Effort
• Jennings to play D-League game as part of rehab

Spieth Equals Woods PGA Record

Getty Images

World number one Jordan Spieth matched Tiger Woods by winning his seventh PGA Tour event before the age of 23 with a dominant victory at Hawaii's Tournament of Champions.

The 22 year old cruised to an eight-shot win over Patrick Reed after a six-under-par 67 at the Kapalua Resort on the island of Maui.

Spieth won the Masters and the US Open in 2015 and wants more success.

He said: "I'll try and continue exactly what we were doing last year."

Spieth held a five-shot lead going into Sunday's final round and was never troubled, hitting seven birdies to post a 30-under total of 262.

He became only the second player to finish a 72-hole event on the PGA Tour at 30-under par or lower, emulating South African Ernie Els who won the 2003 Tournament of Champions with a 31-under score.

Asked how he felt after matching 14-times major winner Woods with a seventh PGA Tour victory, Spieth said: "I don't think there's any reason to compare. What Tiger's done, I can't imagine ever being done again, but it's nice to be in that company."

Related articles

• Adam Scott doesn't have much to worry about in putter switch
• Tiger Woods on his return: "There's nothing to look forward to"
• Watson ties course record and takes 2-shot lead in Bahamas
• Tiger Woods is now beyond pitiful - golf is taunting him
• Pepper: Taking golf's governing bodies to task
• Darren Clarke and Y.E. Yang To Participate In SMBC Singapore Open

Brooklyn Nets Fire Lionel Hollins

Getty Images

The Brooklyn Nets fired coach Lionel Hollins and reassigned general manager Billy King on Sunday in the midst of their worst season since moving from New Jersey.

The Nets said assistant Tony Brown will serve as the interim head coach, and the GM position will remain open until a replacement is hired.

The Nets have lost four in a row overall and nine straight at home, where attendance has dwindled at the $1bn Barclays Center. The Nets had made the playoffs every year since relocating for the 2012-13 season, but they are 10-27, better only than the league-worst Philadelphia 76ers.

King had been GM since 2010, orchestrating a number of high-profile moves that led to just one playoff series victory. Hollins was in his second season as coach.

“It’s clear from our current state of affairs that we need new leadership,” owner Mikhail Prokhorov said in a statement. “With the right basketball management and coach in place, we are going to create a winning culture and identity and give Brooklyn a team that it can be proud of and enjoy watching.”

King worked hard to fulfill Prokhorov’s goal of winning a championship within five years of buying the team in 2010, making blockbuster trades that brought in Deron Williams, Joe Johnson, Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett.

Only Johnson remains, as the Nets decided to cut costs after at one point owning the largest payroll in league history. But they are not competitive now and have little hope of a quick fix in the future, as their first-round pick next season goes to Boston as part of the payment from the deal that brought Pierce and Garnett in 2013.

“At every step of the way, he has been aggressive in his quest to build a winning team and has been a key factor toward the Nets making the playoffs for each of the last three seasons,” Prokhorov said of King, who was in the last year of his contract.

Prokhorov is scheduled to hold a news conference Monday.

King has been criticized for making deals with no regard for future ramifications, starting with the 2011 trade with Utah for Williams, whose contract was bought out last summer with two years remaining. Another swap with Portland for Gerald Wallace cost the Nets the pick that turned into Damian Lillard, and they don’t control their own first-round choice until 2019 thanks to the trade with Boston.

Hollins went 48-71 and, like predecessors Avery Johnson, PJ Carlesimo and Jason Kidd, didn’t last long in Brooklyn. The former Memphis Grizzlies coach got the Nets to the No8 seed in the Eastern Conference last season, but they dropped their first seven games in this one and haven’t won at home in a month.

Those home struggles and a roster loaded with lesser names have created a big drop in interest in Brooklyn, where there have been empty seats all over the arena this season. It will be hard for the new regime to change much quickly, unless the Nets can score a big name in free agency.

Prokhorov thanked the fans in his statement and said bright days are ahead. “We have learned a great deal during the past six years and our experiences will guide us for the future,” he said.

Related articles

• From The Sixers To The Nets: 3 Teams In 'NBA 2K16' That Are Tough To Rebuild In MyLeague, MyGM
• The Force is with them: NBA teams celebrate Star Wars
• Wade ill, misses shootaround in advance of Nets game
• Though Still Early, Wizards Facing Important Stretch
• Brooklyn Nets Help Families Pay Off Layaway Items
• Memphis Grizzlies vs. Chicago Bulls Betting Odds & Prediction from Jimmy Boyd: December 16th 2015
• Grizzlies Assign Ennis, Martin, Smith to D-League