|
|
|
CLEVELAND -- Interim general manager David Griffin said before the Cavaliers game Sunday night that hed like to see a few more smiles from his team. Following Clevelands 91-83 overtime win over Memphis, there were happy faces all around the locker room. "The game is fun," said Kyrie Irving, who scored 28 points as Cavaliers won back-to-back games for the first time in a month. "Being out there, just competing at the highest level. At the end of the day, its just a game." The Cavaliers, who broke a six-game losing streak Friday night against Washington, have won both games since general manager Chris Grant was fired last week. Irving scored the final four points in regulation to tie it. Luol Dengs 3-pointer on the first possession of overtime put Cleveland ahead for good, 81-78. While a two-game winning streak wont remedy all the teams problems in an adversity-filled season, the Cavaliers want to seize on any positive momentum they can find. "Everybody was putting too much pressure on themselves," Irving said. "We needed to go out there and play basketball. Going out there the last two games, whether the game gets tight or gets away from you, it should be fun." Nick Calathes scored 17 points to lead Memphis, which has lost three of four since winning six straight. Deng began the overtime scoring with a 3-pointer from the corner as the shot clock was winding down. Baskets by Dion Waiters and Anderson Varejao, sandwiched around a 3-pointer by Calathes, left Cleveland with an 85-81 lead. A resounding dunk by Waiters and four free throws by Irving put the game away. "They had the two best players on the floor in Dion Waiters and Kyrie Irving," Grizzlies coach David Joerger said. "They really took the game over from start to finish." Joerger blamed the Grizzlies poor first half, in which they fell behind by 14 points, for the loss. "We slogged in the mud at the start tonight, which you cant do on the road," he said. James Johnson scored 13 points in the fourth quarter to help Memphis erase a nine-point deficit. Cleveland led 74-65 but was held scoreless for 4:54 as the Grizzlies took a 78-74 lead. Irving tied it with a layup with 18 seconds remaining and was fouled, but missed the free throw, giving Memphis the ball with 16.7 seconds left. Zach Randolph lost the ball while driving the lane and Waiters heave from just inside halfcourt hit off the backboard. Griffin met with the players at Sunday morning at the shootaround while owner Dan Gilbert spoke with them prior to the game. "I think it woke up a lot of people," Waiters said of Grants dismissal. "Me, I felt half of that was my fault, how we played. We just didnt come out right as a unit. I think it cost the man his job. If we had been playing the way we have the last two games hed probably still be here. We cant dwell on the past, weve got to continue to play the way weve been playing and keep it up." Waiters scored 18 points, and C.J. Miles added 14 for Cleveland. Johnson scored 15 points for Memphis. Randolph, who left the game in the second quarter to get three stitches to close a cut under his left eye, had 14 points. Calathes, playing in place of the injured Mike Conley, made his first six shots and was 7 of 9 from the field. Randolph went to the locker room late in the second quarter after taking an elbow in the face from Tristan Thompson while they were going for a rebound. Randolph was on the court for a couple of moments and asked for a towel to put to his face. He tapped hands with Thompson before jogging off the court with a team trainer. Randolph returned to start the third quarter. "Teams know we try to go inside to Zach and let him go to work, but weve got to do something with all five guys, not always depend on our horse down there," Said Memphis forward Tayshaun Prince. "We cant allow Zach to always be our hero. It puts us in a tough spot and it puts him in a tough spot." Deng started after missing Fridays game with the flu. NOTES: Grizzlies G Tony Allen (sprained left wrist) is listed as day-to-day, but hasnt taken part in practice. Hes been out since Jan. 3. ... Varejao left the game with a hand injury in the first quarter. He went to the locker room, but returned in the second quarter. Varejao, who finished with 14 rebounds, also appeared to tweak his knee in the fourth quarter but returned to the game quickly. ... Cleveland snapped a four-game losing streak in the series. Lonzo Ball Jersey . Among the teams moves was trading one of the teams two third round picks, no. 83 overall, to the Chicago Blackhawks for Brandon Bollig, a six-foot-two, 223-pound left-winger who had seven goals, seven assists, and 92 penalty minutes in 82 games last season. Custom New Orleans Pelicans Jerseys . -- Darrelle Revis says at least 26 teams called after he was released by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. https://www.cheappelicans.com/875u-darius-miller-jersey-pelicans.html . The injury could land Machado on the 15-day disabled list, but its not as serious as it looked on Monday night, when the third baseman crumpled in a heap at the plate after taking an awkward swing in a game against the New York Yankees. P. J. Brown Jersey . Erik Cole scored on a breakaway with 4:49 to play, and the Stars rallied to defeat the Minnesota Wild 4-3 on Saturday night. Baron Davis Jersey . Various media outlets, including the Detroit Free Press, indicate a deal is close, while USA Today cited an unidentified person directly involved with the negotiations as saying the pact is for two years.ST. LOUIS -- Ray Rice and Joe Flacco watched from home. Before the preseason finale, the Baltimore Ravens had one foot out the door. "Theres no need for an assessment for where were at," coach John Harbaugh said after a 24-21 loss to the St. Louis Rams on Thursday night with backups fighting for jobs on both sides. "Its right around the corner, weve been on Denver now for a while. "In reality, Im sure theyve done the same." Bobby Rainey, fourth on the Ravens depth chart at running back, scored his first two touchdowns of the preseason. "I tried to take care of stuff," said Rainey, who had 39 yards on 13 carries. "Ive got no regrets." The Rams (1-3) avoided their first winless preseason since 2002 on Chase Reynolds lone reception of the game, a 17-yarder from Austin Davis with 2:40 to go. They clinched it when Drew Thomas intercepted third-stringer Caleb Hanie at the 4 in the final minute. The Ravens (2-2) open the NFL season next Thursday night at Denver. Harbaugh typically sits all of his regulars for the final preseason game, and Hanie went the distance with second-stringer Tyrod Taylor held out. "It was just practice, basically," said Ravens wide receiver Marlon Brown, who scored on a 50-yard touchdown reception in the fourth quarter. "We just practiced the plays that we know how to execute." The ultimate goal for both teams was to get out of the finale unscathed. The only significant injury was to Ravens backup linebacker D.J. Bryant, who left with what the team called a significant knee injury late in the first half. "A lot of ligament damage but nothing he cant come back from," Harbaugh said. "Hell need surgery. Hes a talented guy, hes got a future." Neither side had much to say about cutdown day Saturday. "Its always hard," Harbaugh said. "Its always difficult choices. You have to do whats best for the team." The Rams, who were 7-8-1 in coach Jeff Fishers first season, open at home against Arizona Sept. 8. "I thought we had a really good traaining camp.dddddddddddd I thought we did some really good things during the preseason when we were on the field," quarterback Sam Bradford said. "Now, its full steam ahead and getting ready for Arizona next week." Attendance was announced at 53,364, although the 67,000-seat Edward Jones Dome appeared about one-third full for a sloppy show marred by six total turnovers. The Rams were whistled for 113 yards in penalties. "We had a nice little candid discussion at halftime about that," Fisher said. "The reality is most of the flags were directed at players who are not going to be on the field for us." Fisher opened with a handful of starters, including both first-round draft picks. Tavon Austins outing was damaged by one of the teams three fumbles in the first five minutes, and linebacker Alec Ogletree had two tackles. Rookie Zac Stacy scored on a 1-yard run in the second quarter in a bid to secure the Rams backup running back job. St. Louis traded its last two picks in the draft to get Stacy, the career rushing leader at Vanderbilt who had 37 yards on 11 carries, and undrafted rookie Bennie Cunningham had 76 yards on eight carries in the second half. Isaiah Pead is suspended for the opener and fumbled for the second time in the preseason on the opening kickoff. The Rams recovered that one, but quickly coughed up two more to the Ravens with Brian Quick and Austin both losing their grip after 14-yard catches. Davis and Kellen Clemens both had strong games competing to be Sam Bradfords backup. Safety Matt Elam, the Ravens first-round pick, had a solid first half with a forced fumble and four tackles. "I had a lot of fun out there," Elam said. "I had the opportunity to play and I wanted to take advantage of that." St. Louis took its first lead on Nick Johnsons 4-yard catch early in the fourth quarter, and the Ravens answered 2:21 later on Browns 50-yard catch and run for a 21-17 lead. Rainey had opened the scoring with a 1-yard run in the first quarter and had an 8-yard run in the second. ' ' '
|
Board Statistics
The forum has 2168
topics
and
2220
posts.
0 members have been online today: |