The first big NBA draft question was answered Tuesday night when the Cavaliers won the lottery for the second time in three years. But there are still plenty of questions left with a draft that many talent evaluators believe lacks the star power of previous years. And they start right at the top.

There is no consensus No. 1 selection. Kentucky big man Nerlens Noel may come the closest, but he is recovering from a torn ACL that will likely keep him out until at least December. Kansas guard Ben McLemore, Indiana guard Victor Oladipo and Georgetown forward Otto Porter also are considered some of the top players in the draft.

“I think it’s a balanced draft,” new Timberwolves president of basketball operations Flip Saunders said. “You don’t have an Alonzo Mourning, a Patrick Ewing, a guy like Derrick Rose, Shaquille O’Neal. You don’t have that one player that might single-handedly change the face of the franchise. It’s going to be a draft where you might see a player at taken at 12 that some other team might take at No. 6.”

Observations like that one are common, leading some to label the draft weak. Saunders is among several executives and talent evaluators who disagree with that characterization, instead taking encouragement from the overall depth.

“There isn’t a player that has wowed or completely dominated college or international ball to create that buzz or whatever,” said Ryan Blake, the NBA’s senior director of scouting operations. “We have a bucket load of really good players that are going to make an impact immediately.”

Noel is the wild card that could shape the rest of the draft. The 6-foot-10 center from Kentucky was one of the most sought-after recruits in the country, but he tore the ACL in his left knee Feb. 12, giving him just over half of a season of college experience before coming to the pros. He hopes to make his NBA debut sometime in December, but some teams could be concerned after watching Rose sit out the entire season with the same injury.

“We haven’t seen him in three or four months and we’re not going to see him in another three or four months,” Blake said. “That can be disturbing.”

The Cavs certainly could use a young big man to bring into a promising core that includes Irving, Dion Waiters and Tristan Thompson. Getting a natural shot-blocker and gifted rebounder like Noel could round out that group very nicely. A knock-down shooter like McLemore or a versatile forward like Porter would also fill some needs for a team that is desperate to get back into the playoff picture in the Eastern Conference.

The Orlando Magic sit in the No. 2 spot, still in full-on rebuilding mode after trading Dwight Howard to the Lakers before last season. If the Cavs go in another direction, the Magic could grab Noel to put alongside young center Nikola Vucevic for an imposing new-age frontcourt.

“They say this draft isn’t running over with great talent, but believe me, there will be eight or 10 players from the draft, you’ll look back and say they had really good careers,” Magic senior vice president Pat Williams said after losing the No. 1 spot to the Cavaliers in the lottery. “We’re very pleased. Obviously, we came here to win it, because we have a history and wanted to keep it going. But, everybody is very pleased with the second pick.”

And just because this class is lacking a star who became a household name last season in the NCAA tournament doesn’t mean there isn’t one to be found. Last year at this time few knew much about a muscular point guard out of Weber State named Damian Lillard. The 6-foot-3 Lillard played four years in college, which has become more of a liability than an asset for players at the top of the draft these days.

The Portland Trail Blazers grabbed him with the sixth overall pick, and he wound up as the unanimous rookie of the year and a player heralded as a cornerstone for the franchise moving forward.

“I don’t think anybody expected when Portland was picking at six last year that they’d have the unanimous rookie of the year,” said Saunders, whose Timberwolves have the ninth overall choice.

Teams looking to add big men will find plenty in this draft, including Noel, Indiana’s Cody Zeller, Maryland’s Alex Len, Gonzaga’s Kelly Olynyk, Louisville’s Gorqui Dieng and Pitt’s Steven Adams. And as the draft moves on into the late first round, promising prospects like Michigan’s Tim Hardaway, Jr., Miami’s Shane Larkin and Russia’s Sergey Karasev are there for the taking.

“Some teams want to hit that home run,” Blake said. “They’re going to take a chance. But no matter what you get in this deep draft, you’re going to have guys that come in and can be a 10-point, 10-rebound guys for 10 years.”

(© Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

After losing Game 1, the seventh-seeded Red Wings have surged into control of the second round series by handing Chicago its first three-game losing streak of the year.

Game 5 is Saturday night in Chicago.

The Blackhawks desperately need captain Jonathan Toews to score and lead after he extended his goal drought in a composure-crumbling performance.

Toews was called for three penalties in the second and could’ve gone to the box a fourth time in the period for slashing Red Wings captain Henrik Zetterberg while an official stood between them.

The Red Wings took advantage of the second power play Toews gave them when Kindl sent a low shot to the near corner from the top of the left circle.

Chicago had killed its first 30 penalties of the playoffs and matched the 2001 St. Louis Blues’ feat of playing eight postseason games without giving up a power-play goal, the longest such streak since 1988.

The Blackhawks had a power play with 4:45 left in the game when Kindl was called for hooking, but they couldn’t tie the game.

Corey Crawford had in a strong performance in goal for Chicago after giving up seven goals in the previous two games.

Howard was just a little bit better, earning his first shutout of this postseason and the second of his career in the playoffs.

Kindl scored his first goal of his first postseason, keeping up a trend that has helped the rapidly improving Red Wings pull within a win of their first trip to the Western Conference finals since 2009 when they got past Chicago and went on to lose Game 7 in a Stanley Cup finals rematch against Pittsburgh.

Detroit’s young players — six of which hadn’t been in the playoffs before this year — have been contributing to help out stars Pavel Datsyuk and Zetterberg.

Red Wings rookie Brendan Smith scored the winner in Game 2 at Chicago to even the series. First-year player Damien Brunner and Gustav Nyquist, who was pointless in his first four postseason games last year, had goals in overtimes against second-seeded Anaheim in the first round.

Chicago’s 25-year-old captain, Toews, should seemingly be in the prime of his career, but he is in a slump against a team that appears to be getting to him physical and mentally. Toews was called for three penalties in the first 11 minutes of the first time in his career, according to STATS.

He has gone 10 postseason games without a goal — dating to last year’s playoffs — in what is the longest scoring skid for a former Conn Smythe winner since Claude Lemieux went 20 games without a goal from 2000 through 2009, according to STATS.

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Kreider deftly steered in a pass from Rick Nash 7:03 into overtime, and the Rangers stayed alive in the Stanley Cup playoffs with a 4-3 victory over the Boston Bruins on Thursday night.

“It is so surreal,” the 22-year-old Kreider said. “It’s not something that can really be explained. It is something that just has to be felt, but it was awesome. I’m just excited to give these guys an opportunity to play another game.

“There is no quit in this room.”

New York, which erased 2-0 and 3-2 deficits, still trails the Eastern Conference semifinal series 3-1.

The Rangers will need to win again on Saturday in Boston to force a Game 6 back in Madison Square Garden.

The Rangers, who were outshot 40-32, won a faceoff deep in their zone, and Nash rushed the puck up ice. He stopped above the right circle and fed a hard pass in front that Kreider skated into and tipped past goalie Tuukka Rask for his first of the playoffs.

New York, 0-3 in overtime in these playoffs, was eliminated from the conference finals last year by New Jersey in extra time in Game 6.

“It is time for us to win an overtime game,” Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist said. “This was a big one. It was such a great feeling to see that puck go in.”

Kreider, who made his NHL debut in last year’s playoffs, has six career postseason goals in just 25 games.

“I was lucky enough to play with Rick,” Kreider said. “Just trying to go hard to the net. He’s such a talented player. He was able to find my tape, and I tried to put it on net.”

Derek Stepan and Brian Boyle scored tying goals in the third period for the Rangers, who even found success on the power play. Carl Hagelin netted New York’s first goal of the game in the second period.

Lundqvist made 37 saves for New York, which managed only five goals total in the first three games against Boston.

Boston got second-period goals from Nathan Horton and rising star Torey Krug to build an early lead. Tyler Seguin’s first of the playoffs put the Bruins back on top 3-2 in the third.

Only three teams have lost a series after leading 3-0, but the Bruins are the most recent to do it in 2010 against Philadelphia.

“It’s a resilient group,” Kreider said. “The tone of the dressing room was the same as positive and upbeat. We’re excited to play more hockey.”

One more win will put Boston back into the conference finals for the second time in three years. The Bruins gave up a 3-1 lead to Toronto in the first round before rallying in Game 7 to advance.

“There is no panic here,” Bruins coach Claude Julien said. “We have to go back home and play a better game.”

Stepan got New York even at 2 just 1:15 into the third after a dump-in. Rask went behind the net to slow the puck down for defenseman Zdeno Chara, but Stepan forced a turnover when he surprised Chara from behind.

Stepan gathered the puck, came around in front and tucked the puck inside the left post for his team-leading fourth of the playoffs.

“We made some mistakes tonight, mistakes we haven’t been making, mistakes you can’t have, and they capitalized on them,” Chara said. “They made us pay.

“These nights are going to happen. They played to win, and we didn’t match their intensity at times.”

The Bruins made the most of another power play and took a 3-2 lead just 2 seconds after a goalie interference penalty against Ryan McDonagh expired. Seguin got to his own rebound in close and shoved a shot past Lundqvist at 8:06.

However, the Rangers still wouldn’t go away and they finally connected on the power play for the first time in the series and the third time in 41 man-advantages this postseason.

Boyle took a pass from Stepan in the slot and snapped a drive that nestled into the middle of the net at 10:00 after the Bruins were caught with too many men on the ice.

New York coach John Tortorella made desperate moves with his lineup, hoping to find some chemistry to spark his club. Tortorella benched star center Brad Richards, who had just one goal in the playoffs, and rugged forward Arron Asham in favor of seldom-used Kris Newbury and Micheal Haley.

“By no means is this a situation where I take him out and I’m blaming him,” Tortorella said of Richards. “I need to make decisions about what I feel is right for our team to win tonight’s game, and that’s why I made that decision.”

Veteran Roman Hamrlik also played for the first time in these playoffs in place of injured defenseman Anton Stralman, who left Game 3 in the second period.

The Bruins used their power play to grab control in the second period, connecting twice in a span of 3:02 to take a 2-0 lead.

After Newbury was sent off for goalie interference, when he knocked down Rask, Horton got the scoring going. He tried to feed a pass from the bottom of the left circle into the slot, but the puck hit Rangers defenseman Michael Del Zotto and bounced back to Horton.

This time, Horton let a shot go that struck the inside of Lundqvist’s left leg and caromed in at 4:39.

Lundqvist blocked a hard shot by Chara, who rattled a drive off of the goalie’s mask. At the next stoppage, there was a brief delay as Lundqvist had repairs made.

Del Zotto took an interference penalty 1:25 after Boston took the lead, and Krug made the Rangers pay again. Krug, a rookie defenseman who made his NHL postseason debut in the series opener, fired a slap shot from the Stanley Cup logo in the Rangers’ zone that sailed past Lundqvist and into the top right corner at 7:41.

Krug has scored in three of the four games he has played in this series, and his goal gave Boston as many power-play tallies at Madison Square Garden in this playoff year as the host Rangers had mustered to that point.

However, New York got a big break just 54 seconds later to cut the deficit in half.

As the Rangers were moving the puck up ice, Rask stumbled in the crease and fell at around the same time that Hagelin was backhanding a shot on net. Sliding as slowly as possible, the puck eluded Rask as he tried to recover in time to stop it.

“We need to be more focused, I need to be more focused,” Rask said. “I just took a step to the side in what I think probably was a skate mark or something. I lost my balance and the rest is history.

“We gave them a couple of gifts and it cost us the game.”

It took nearly seven minutes before New York recorded its first shot on Rask — a drive by defenseman John Moore — and Boston controlled the period with a 12-4 edge in shots.

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Francona, let go by Boston after the 2011 season, got a standing ovation after the first inning during a video tribute on the center-field scoreboard. But he didn’t have to leave the visiting dugout during the game because all of Cleveland’s pitching changes came at the start of an inning.

In eight years as manager, Francona led the Red Sox to two World Series championships. In his first year as Cleveland’s manager, he has the Indians in first place in the AL Central after they went 68-94 last season.

They’re 22-9 in their last 31 games.

On Thursday, his team gave him another pleasant Fenway memory. The 12 runs are the most scored by the Indians in the park since June 28, 2005 and the most they scored there without a home run since 1953.

Zach McAllister (4-3) allowed three runs in five innings. He hasn’t allowed more than three earned runs in any of his nine starts this year.

Ryan Dempster (2-5) gave up four runs in three innings in his third straight poor start for Boston.

Every Cleveland starting batter had a hit and all except Jason Kipnis scored. Carlos Santana reached base five times with a single and four walks.

The Indians took a 1-0 lead in the first on an RBI double by Stubbs and made it 4-0 in the third, scoring on a two-run single by Reynolds and a force play at second on a grounder by Mike Aviles.

The Red Sox cut that to 4-3 in the third on David Ortiz’s eighth homer of the season but wasted a chance for a bigger inning. Jacoby Ellsbury led off with a single and took second on a walk to Daniel Nava. Dustin Pedroia then singled, but Ellsbury was thrown out at the plate by center fielder Michael Bourn. Ortiz then hit the next pitch for his three-run homer.

Run-scoring singles by Asdrubal Cabrera in the fourth and Bourn in the fifth made it 6-3 before the Indians scored six runs when they sent 10 men to the plate in the sixth.

They loaded the bases with no outs on a walk to Cabrera, a single by Michael Brantley and a walk to Santana. Alex Wilson replaced Clayton Mortensen and gave up an RBI single to Reynolds. Yan Gomes followed with a two-run double after first baseman Mike Napoli dropped his foul pop for an error.

Aviles hit an infield pop for the first out, but Stubbs tripled in two runs and Bourn singled in another before Wilson struck out the next two batters.

Notes: Dempster had his shortest start of the season, lasting three innings. His previous shortest came in his prior start, 4 2-3 innings. … The Indians recalled LHP Scott Barnes from Triple-A Columbus and designated LHP David Huff for assignment. … Boston 3B Will Middlebrooks left the game in the top of the fifth with lower back spasms. He was called out on strikes on both his at bats before being replaced by Pedro Ciriaco. … Cleveland’s Nick Swisher missed his third straight game while on the paternity list. … Justin Masterson (7-2) pitches for the Indians against John Lackey (2-4) in the second game of the four-game series on Friday night.

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DeKalb County police Sgt. W.L. Wallace says 31-year-old McMillan was shot outside his car early Saturday morning. Wallace says McMillan and a man identified as 19-year-old Antonio Faust got out of Wallace’s car and fought briefly before the shooting.

Wallace says Faust surrendered to authorities Tuesday and told investigators he had gotten a ride from McMillan and tried robbing him at gunpoint.

According to the NFL’s website, McMillan is from Hinesville, Ga. and played for the Cleveland Browns between 2005 and 2007.

Faust is being held on a murder charge in the DeKalb County jail and was scheduled to appear in court Thursday. It’s unclear if he has a lawyer.

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Cleveland Browns quarterback Brandon Weeden looked sharp during Thursday’s open media availability for OTAs.

Weeden’s passes were on the mark and the offense operated with more of a tempo and pace than it did the week before.

“I’ve seen a progression with Brandon,” head coach Rob Chudzinski said. “With all the guys, some days are better than others and that’s the thing working with these guys and these quarterbacks. It’s not going to be about what a guy does in one day. We’re looking over the course of time and they are doing a good job.

“They are learning what we are doing. Again, we are really working different situations. Next week, we’ll work in different situations, get into backed up, get into some four-minute and some of those types of situations. We’ll continue to throw different things at them.”

The highlight of the day was a beautiful 45-yard deep ball to receiver Travis Benjamin, who also worked as the primary kick returner, for a touchdown.

After practice Weeden’s thoughts were with Oklahoma and the devastation that has occurred following a massive tornado that hit Moore, Okla. – home to his wife Melanie. Luckily for the Weeden’s their immediate family are safe.

Read more about Weeden’s efforts in assisting with the recovery efforts HERE.

Welcome Back – Running back Brandon Jackson was back on the practice field for the Browns Thursday after the team re-signed him earlier in the week.

“I’m blessed to have the opportunity to come back and show the new coaches – coach [Norv] Turner and coach Chud – what I can do,” Jackson said.

Jackson, who signed as a free agent in 2011 with the Browns, only played in 2 games last season. He spent his first season in Cleveland on injured reserve due to a toe injury but why he was inactive for 13 games when healthy last year remains a mystery to him.

“I try to put that behind me,” Jackson said. “I asked them and just kind of got the runaround so I just left it at that and am going to keep moving forward.”

Flipping Sides – Outside linebackers Paul Kruger and Jabaal Sheard were on opposite sides Thursday than where they were a week ago – and it’s by design.

Kruger was on the right side while Sheard worked the left during 11 on 11 work. Last week Sheard was the right outside linebacker and Kruger the left.

“We are working them a little bit on both sides,” Chudzinski said. “You have probably seen that with a lot of players out here. We are working them multiple sides. It gives us a chance to work them there in case you need to down the road and just to see guys from different sides.”

Back With The 1s – Last week guard Jason Pinkston said his goal was to return to the starting unit after getting back on the field.

Pinkston was back in his old spot at left guard with the first-team offense Thursday while John Greco served as the first-string right guard. Shawn Lauvao practiced at left guard with the second unit.

Excused Absence – Defensive tackle Desmond Bryant missed Thursday’s session to “tend to a legal matter” according to Chudzinski. Billy Winn took Bryant’s reps with the first team defense.

Bryant was arrested Feb. 24 after trying to enter a home following a night of drinking in Miami, Fla and he was charged with criminal mischief – a misdemeanor. The affected family has also filed a lawsuit against him.

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#1 Chicago vs # 7 Detroit

Game 1– Wed, May 15, Detroit 1, Chicago 4

Game 2– Sat, May 18, Detroit 4, Chicago 1

Game 3– Mon, May 20, Chicago 1, Detroit 3

Game 4– Thu, May 23, Chicago at Detroit- 8 PM ET

Game 5– Sat , May 25, Detroit at Chicago- 8 PM ET

Game 6– Mon, May 27, Chicago at Detroit-Time TBD

Game 7– Wed, May 29, Detroit at Chicago -Time TBD

#5 Los Angeles vs #6 San Jose

Game 1– Tue, May 14, San Jose 0, Los Angeles 2

Game 2– Thu, May 16, San Jose 3, Los Angeles 4

Game 3– Sat, May 18, Los Angeles 1, San Jose 2

Game 4– Tue, May 21, Los Angeles 1, San Jose 2

Game 5– Thu, May 23, San Jose at Los Angeles- 10:30 PM ET

Game 6– Sun, May 26, Los Angeles at San Jose- Time TBD

Game 7– Tue, May 28, San Jose at Los Angeles- Time TBD

Eastern Conference

#1 Pittsburgh vs # 7 Ottawa

Game 1– Tue, May 14, Ottawa 1, Pittsburgh 4

Game 2– Fri, May 17, Ottawa 3, Pittsburgh 4

Game 3– Sun, May 19, Pittsburgh 1, Ottawa 2

Game 4– Wed, May 22, Pittsburgh 7, Ottawa 3

Game 5– Fri, May 24, Ottawa at Pittsburgh- 7:30 PM ET

Game 6– Sun, May 26, Pittsburgh at Ottawa- Time TBD

Game 7– Tue, May 28, Ottawa at Pittsburgh- Time TBD

#4 Boston vs # 6 NY Rangers

Game 1– Thu, May 16, NY Rangers 2, Boston 3

Game 2– Sun, May 19, NY Rangers 2, Boston 5

Game 3– Tue, May 21, Boston 2, NY Rangers 1

Game 4– Thu, May 23, Boston at NY Rangers- 7 PM ET

Game 5– Sat, May 25, NY Rangers at Boston- 5:30 PM ET

Game 6– Mon, May 27, Boston at NY Rangers- Time TBD

Game 7– Wed, May 29, NY Rangers at Boston- Time TBD

#2 San Antonio vs #5 Memphis

Game 1 — Sun, May 19, Memphis 83, San Antonio 105

Game 2 — Tue, May 21, Memphis 89, San Antonio 93 (OT)

Game 3 — Sat, May 25, San Antonio at Memphis 9 PM ET

Game 4 — Mon, May 27, San Antonio at Memphis 9 PM ET

Game 5 – Wed, May 29, Memphis at San Antonio- Time TBD

Game 6*– Fri, May 31, San Antonio at Memphis- Time TBD

Game 7*– Sun, June 2, Memphis at San Antonio- Time TBD

Eastern Conference

#1 Miami vs. #3 Indiana

Game 1 — Wed, May 22, Indiana 102, Miami 103

Game 2 — Fri, May 24, Indiana at Miami 8:30 PM ET

Game 3 — Sun, May 26, Miami at Indiana 8:30 PM ET

Game 4 — Tue, May 28, Miami at Indiana 8:30 PM ET

Game 5*– Thu, May 30, Indiana at Miami- Time TBD

Game 6*– Sat, June 1, Miami at Indiana- Time TBD

Game 7*– Mon, June 3, Indiana at Miami- Time TBD

Weeden is returning to his home state this weekend to assist in any way he can in the aftermath of the deadly tornado that tore through Moore, Okla., killing 24 people and destroying thousands of homes in the Oklahoma City suburb earlier this week.

Weeden has been in contact with Oklahoma Lt. Gov. Todd Lamb and he plans to be there this weekend to help.

“I’ll do anything, whether it’s getting in the rubble and doing whatever, it doesn’t matter,” said Weeden, who is from Edmond. “I’ll be there to help.”

Weeden’s wife, Melanie, has family who in Moore. They were not injured by the monstrous twister, but sustained damage to their homes.

“It actually went right through my wife’s hometown,” Weeden said following Thursday’s practice. “Fourth Street, the path they keep talking about, my mother-in-law lives on Main, which is four blocks north of it, and my brother-in-law lives two blocks south of it. It went right over the top of them. Very, very fortunate to have no injuries and everybody’s safe.”

Weeden, who starred at Oklahoma State, said there were some frantic moments for he and his wife when they couldn’t contact family as the tornado bore down on Moore.

“There’s a park, literally there’s two blocks between my brother-in-law and my mother-in-law,” he said. “They said, ‘If you’re at that park, get out of the way.’ It was destroyed. Once we heard it was destroyed, obviously there’s no cellphone service. We couldn’t get hold of them for about an hour. So my wife’s panicked and we’re panicked. It was tough being so far away.”

Weeden said family members were able to take cover in time.

“My brother-in-law got in the car and drove away from it,” he said. “My mother-in-law works in the administration building for Moore Public Schools, so she was in a basement, fortunately. Very, very blessed, we got lucky. But being up here, seeing my wife, she was rattled and it was very tough.”

Browns wide receiver Josh Cooper, too, was affected by the tornado.

His father, Mike, works as a construction manager in Moore and was forced into an underground shelter. Cooper, who is from Mustang, Okla., said he felt helpless as he watched TV coverage of the tornado.

“It was really tough,” he said. “My heart was hurtin’ pretty good that day. I was checking in with my family and friends and hoping they were safe.”

Cooper said no one he knew was seriously injured. He’s certain Oklahomans will recover.

“Everybody is kind of helping everybody,” he said. “We’ll be fine. We get through things like this all the time. Oklahoma strong, you know?”

(© Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

By Christian S. Kohl

With the Heat set to square off against the Pacers, the question on the mind of every fan is what, if anything, can manage to topple LeBron and his quest for a second title? As the feats, and really the legend of LeBron James grows ever larger, he has begun to transcend the game itself, much to the dismay of many fans. Consequently, is he, or Commissioner David Stern, the greatest villain currently in the NBA?

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LeBron began truly ruffling the feathers of fans when he began his seemingly endless shopping trip of where best to take his talents. While his approach was undeniably abrasive, he has quieted any critics and answered all questions about his ability to perform at the highest level. In fact, he has done so to such a great extent, it is the sheer raw ability of James which not only irks rival fans, but has grown his legend into that of the Boogeyman. LeBron James is the looming figure every team must now overcome to have any hope of winning a ring. But let’s be honest. Of all outspoken and obnoxious figures in sports, James wouldn’t even make the top 10, and even if the irritating or even villainous aspects of his persona were magnified tenfold, every rival fan would donate a kidney to get him to sign with their organization. He has become so good that opposing fans simply have to vilify him.

In the debate between these two, in my mind there is no contest. David Stern is more a villain in the NBA than James could ever be. In the first place, the very job description of any Commissioner is to serve as the lightning rod for all league controversies – the common enemy fans, writers and owners alike can point to as the source of all blame. The longer one holds that post, the more demonized the Commissioner will become. David Stern has acted as NBA Commissioner since 1984, which is at least 20 years more than he needed to be the most evil figure in basketball even had he done everything right.

James also offers a tradeoff, which Stern cannot. Whether you love or hate LeBron, he still provides thrilling moments in the game, clutch shots, huge dunks, and a highlight reel that could run for an hour by the time his career ends. He brings unrivaled excitement and elevates the stakes of every contest. Stern can do no such thing. He is simply the Chief Suit of the NBA.

Worst of all, Stern’s actions of late simply terrify fans. His bungling of the Chris Paul trade, his sanctions against the Spurs, and his decision with the Kings leaves fans afraid his overreaching influence threatens the very integrity of the game they love. LeBron James is a superstar player who annually represents the possibility of ending the season of your favorite team. The series of controversial and erratic acts of Stern leaves fans frightened of the prospect that he may destroy basketball itself. There can be nothing so villainous or haunting as that notion. In a head-to-head comparison of the most reviled figure in the NBA, Stern wins by a landslide.

Christian S. Kohl is a sports contributor for CBS Local Digital Media.

Richardson has a lower leg strain – more specifically a pulled muscle in his shin which happened earlier in the week according to head coach Rob Chudzinski. He may miss the team’s mini camp which is scheduled for June 4-6.

“It’s precautionary, we’re holding [Richardson] out,” Chudzinski said. “We’ve got minicamp in a week and a half. He may miss that. I’m not sure we’ll just play it day by day.”

Richardson’s injury might explain the roster shuffle the last few days involving running backs including the addition of Brandon Jackson despite still having Chris Ogbonnaya and Montario Hardesty on the depth chart.

Jackson spent the last 2 seasons with the Browns but played in just 2 games in 2012 after missing 2011 with a toe injury.

“With Brandon, I always felt like you can’t have enough good running backs,” Chudzinski said. “He’s a proven guy who has had production in the league. He has been able to have good production catching the ball as well. Just bringing in another guy who was available at that position from my experience, you can never have enough good running backs.”

Cameron has a groin injury and like Richardson will need time to heal.

“We’re being more precautionary with these type of things and we’ll wait and see,” Chudzinski said.

With Cameron out, Gary Barnidge, Kellen Davis and Brad Smelly all took advantage of the additional reps Thursday. Barnidge caught a long touchdown over the shoulder and also made 2 nice catches on the sideline.

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However, even if Hibbert had been on the court it likely wouldn’t have made any difference in the final outcome of the game.

That was the message TNT NBA analyst Charles Barkley had for people after the game and it was echoed Thursday morning by NBA champion Bruce Bowen on ESPN Radio. The basic message was simple, Hibbert doesn’t have the speed or athleticism to get there to stop LeBron from getting to the basket.

Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra designed arguably the perfect play for LeBron and the Heat executed the play to perfection. Right before LeBron flashed to the top of the key to get the ball, Chris Bosh began to move slightly to the outside to draw his defender away from the basket.

Indiana had to respect Bosh’s ability to either hit a mid-range jump shot or flash to the basket for a pass from LeBron. That’s why Bosh’s defender moved out from the basket.

However, the two parts that made the play work were LeBron’s speed to the basket and Pacers forward Paul George overcommitting to one side allowing LeBron to go right past him to the basket.

Still, some said having Hibbert on the floor would have altered LeBron’s plan going to the basket. But, Indiana head coach Frank Vogel played the odds the way the season has broken down for the Pacers against the Heat.

During the regular season, when Hibbert was on the court, Miami hit approximately 50 percent of its shots in the paint versus just 40 percent when Hibbert was off the court. Plus, in the mid-range area, Miami struggled much more with Hibbert off the court, 27 percent, than when he was on the court, 47 percent.

In Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals, Indiana gave Miami everything they could handle and the Heat allowed the Pacers to stay in the game with horrendous free throw shooting. Still, in the end when it counted most, the Heat and Coach Spoelstra simply outexecuted Indiana.

It’s a great start to a series that will test Miami’s ability to not only win the Eastern Conference, but also how the Heat can match up against the likely Western Conference champion San Antonio Spurs.

Game 2 is set for Friday night at the AmericanAirlines Arena.

MIAMI (AP) — LeBron James caught the inbounds pass, changed direction and immediately attacked the rim.

There was no one in his way.

There was no stopping him, either.

James made a layup as time expired in overtime, capping a 30-point, 10-rebound, 10-assist effort as the Miami Heat found a way to outlast the Indiana Pacers 103-102 in a wildly back-and-forth Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals Wednesday night. There were 18 ties and 17 lead changes, the last two of those coming in the final 2.2 seconds.

“Two teams fought hard,” James said. “We were able to make one more play.”

If this is how this series is going to go, then get ready for a classic between teams that absolutely wanted to face the other with a trip to the NBA Finals on the line.

Paul George saved the Pacers at the end of regulation with a 32-footer with 0.7 seconds left, and then made three free throws with 2.2 ticks left in overtime to give Indiana a one-point lead. George pumped his fist gently after the third free throw, then extended his index finger skyward as the teams retreated to their benches to get ready for the final play.

He just left James too much time, and the Pacers left their best shot-blocking option on the bench. Roy Hibbert wasn’t on the floor for the final play, and without a 7-foot-2 barrier to contest him, James made the winner look easy.

“Two great teams just throwing punch for punch,” Indiana coach Frank Vogel said. “Our spirit is very high, very confident. We know we can play with this basketball team.”

Vogel said he left Hibbert off the floor for the final play out of concern of what defending champion Miami would do with Chris Bosh in that scenario. Afterward, he acknowledged he might have different thinking next time.

“I would say we would probably have him in next time,” Vogel said.

Game 2 is Friday night in Miami.

Officials reviewed James’ play at the end, though it was clear he beat the clock, and the Pacers walked slowly toward their locker room, lamenting one that got away — by no fault of George’s.

“Gut-wrenching,” Hibbert said.

George was fouled by Dwyane Wade on the play where the Pacers had to think they had stolen the series opener. Referee Jason Phillips said Wade hit George, and the Pacers’ star made all three free throws for the 16th lead change of the night.

The final lead change came moments later.

“Welcome to the Eastern Conference finals,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “Back and forth the whole way.”

Wade scored 19 points, Bosh had 17 and Chris Andersen had 16 on 7-for-7 shooting for Miami.

George scored 27 for the Pacers, who got 26 from David West and 19 from Hibbert. The Pacers have won only two series in NBA franchise history after dropping a Game 1.

“It just felt like everything was in our favor,” George said.

The final few seconds of regulation were stunning, with Ray Allen — the sixth-best free-throw shooter in NBA history — missing one that proved big, and George making a miracle happen.

Trailing by two with 17.7 seconds left, the Pacers had to foul Allen, who surely would have been their last choice. But he missed one of the two free throws, and it remained a one-possession game. Indiana brought the ball into the frontcourt, called time, and then seemed to have nothing really working as the final seconds of regulation ticked away.

So George simply made something happen.

From 32 feet — from the newly applied Eastern Conference finals sticker on the side of the court, technically — George connected with 0.7 seconds left, tying the game and giving Indiana life.

Allen didn’t get much of a desperation shot off at the end of regulation, and to overtime the teams went.

“It took an overtime to get it done,” Spoelstra said. “Glad to get that one.”

The Pacers kept landing the first punches in the extra session. George made a pair of free throws to open the OT, and Andersen tied it with a pair of his own. Hibbert scored from close range, and Wade answered with an easy one after a runout for the 16th tie of the night.

George was far from done. He went past James, got into the lane, tossed up a shot after contact and started what became a three-point play that put the Pacers up 99-96. Miami had three chances at the tie — a desperation 3-pointer by Shane Battier as the shot clock was expiring, then a 3-point try by Bosh and another 3 attempt by Battier.

All missed.

But Bosh grabbed the rebound of the last Battier shot that bounced off the rim in that sequence, scored while being fouled by George with 49.7 seconds left, calmly swished the free throw and the teams were — what else? — tied again at 99-all.

James scored on a drive with 10.8 seconds left in the overtime, and George answered with the three free throws. With Hibbert on the bench, Indiana had one plan for James on the last play.

“We wanted LeBron to shoot a jumper right there,” George said.

He was just better.

And after 3 hours, 18 minutes, it was over.

“We’re excited about the win,” James said. “But we have to get better going into Game 2.”

NOTES: Celebrities in attendance included Jimmy Buffett and Anna Kournikova. … James picked up two first-quarter fouls for just the ninth time in 125 career playoff games. … West’s 18 first-half points were his most before halftime since March 24, 2011, when he had 20 through two quarters against Utah. … From the not-often-seen department, a lane violation against the Pacers that led to James getting a second (and successful) chance on a missed free throw, and a 5-second call against Wade, both of those coming in the first half.

Copyright 2013 The Associated Press.

Podcast:

Tuesday’s top seed for Cleveland marks the second time in three years that the team has won the lottery; point guard Kyrie Irving was their top selection in 2011.

Although the Orlando Magic entered the lottery with the best chances of securing the top pick, they ended up with the second pick.

The rest of the NBA lottery order held to form for the most part with the Charlotte Bobcats dropping from two to four.

As the NBA lottery has been set, the following list below is the complete order for the 2013 NBA Draft:

First Round:

1. Cleveland Cavaliers
2. Orlando Magic
3. Washington Wizards
4. Charlotte Bobcats
5. Phoenix Suns
6. New Orleans Pelicans
7. Sacramento Kings
8. Detroit Pistons
9. Minnesota Timberwolves
10. Portland Trail Blazers
11. Philadelphia 76ers
12. Oklahoma City Thunder (via Toronto)
13. Dallas Mavericks
14. Utah Jazz
15. Milwaukee Bucks
16. Boston Celtics
17. Atlanta Hawks
18. Atlanta Hawks (from Houston via Brooklyn)
19. Cleveland Cavaliers (from Los Angeles)
20. Chicago Bulls
21. Utah Jazz (from Golden State via Brooklyn)
22. Brooklyn Nets
23. Indiana Pacers
24. New York Knicks
25. Los Angeles Clippers
26. Minnesota Timberwolves (from Memphis via Houston)
27. Denver Nuggets
28. San Antonio Spurs
29. Oklahoma City Thunder
30. Phoenix Suns (from Miami via L.A. and Cleveland)

Second Round:

31. Cleveland Cavaliers (from Orlando)
32. Oklahoma City Thunder (from Charlotte)
33. Cleveland Cavaliers
34. Houston Rockets (from Phoenix)
35. Philadelphia 76ers (from New Orleans)
36. Sacramento Kings
37. Detroit Pistons
38. Washington Wizards
39. Portland Trail Blazers (from Minnesota via Boston & Cleveland)
40. Portland Trail Blazers
41. Memphis Grizzlies (from Toronto)
42. Philadelphia 76ers
43. Milwaukee Bucks
44. Dallas Mavericks (pick may be conveyed to Lakers)
45. Portland Trail Blazers (from Boston)
46. Utah Jazz
47. Atlanta Hawks
48. Los Angeles Lakers (pick may be conveyed to Dallas)
49. Chicago Bulls
50. Atlanta Hawks (from Houston)
51. Orlando Magic (from Golden State via Denver & New York)
52. Minnesota Timberwolves (from Brooklyn)
53. Indiana Pacers
54. Washington Wizards (from New York)
55. Memphis Grizzlies
56. Detroit Pistons (from Clippers)
57. Phoenix Suns (from Denver via. Lakers)
58. San Antonio Spurs
59. Minnesota Timberwolves (from Oklahoma City)
60. Memphis Grizzlies (from Miami)

But given their recent track record in close-out games, the Rangers may have a few more days left in their playoff lives.

The Bruins may be up 3-0 in the series, but have struggled to close things out under head coach Claude Julien. Just last series they let a pair of potential clinchers get away after jumping out to a 3-1 series lead against the Toronto Maple Leafs, and needed a miracle comeback in the final 10 minutes of Game 7 to get to the Eastern Semis.

Read: Bruins-Rangers Game 4 Preview

Then of course, there is that 2010 collapse against the Philadelphia Flyers, when the Bruins blew a 3-0 series lead.

But the 2013 Boston Bruins aren’t living in the past. They’re focused on the task at hand.

“I think we live in the moment. You learn from the past and you live in the moment, but you don’t live in the past,” head coach Claude Julien said on Wednesday. “Right now, we’re living in the moment and I like where our team is right now; the attitude and the approach.”

“We’re not looking at it the way other people are going to look at it and try to find reasons to give New York some hope,” the coach continued. “We’re not even going there. We’re looking at the present right now, and the present is getting prepared to play a real good game (in Game 4).”

CBS New York: Rangers Focusing On First Step

The Bruins have held a 3-0 advantage 18 times in their storied history, winning all but that 2010 series against Philadelphia. Boston is 13-5 in Game 4′s when going for the sweep, and they won’t be changing much as they look to accomplish that Thursday night.

“Same as always; we’re going to have to come out hard, get up early and get some momentum going,” said forward Shawn Thornton, whose fourth line scored both of Boston’s goals in Tuesday’s Game 3 win. “We have to play the full game; it’s not over until we finish it off. They’re going to give us their best and we’re going to have to be ready for that.”

Closing out the Rangers Thursday night would give the Bruins some much-needed rest before the Eastern Conference Finals, but they aren’t thinking about any potential rest. All they’re looking at is putting together a winning effort in the next game on the schedule.

Read: Seidenberg Says ‘There’s A Chance’ He Returns In Game 4

“(Rest) would be nice but we know and we’ve learned as a team that the last one is the hardest in past years, even the last series,” said forward David Krejci. “We’ve got to get ready for tomorrow and play it just like a Game 1.”

“It’s only been three games, and these last couple – (Game 3) could have went either way,” said Thornton. “We still have some work to do; the last one is always the toughest one.”

Tune in to every Bruins playoff game on 98.5 The Sports Hub — the flagship station of the Boston Bruins. Pregame coverage begins 30 minutes before every game!

Howard has held top-seeded Chicago to only one goal in two straight games, lifting seventh-seeded Detroit to a 2-1 series lead. He was the star of the end-to-end, high-paced Game 3 the Red Wings won 4-1 on Monday night, when he became their first goalie to face at least 40 shots without giving up more than a goal in the playoffs since Greg Stefan did it 1987.

“That was probably the fastest playoff game I’ve ever been a part of,” Howard said. “I expect it just to get faster Thursday night. They’re going to step it up. We need to come even harder.”

Detroit will host Game 4 on Thursday night, shooting for a surprising win that would put Chicago on the brink of elimination.

Howard’s glove, pads and mindset give the Red Wings a shot to win every time they put on sweaters with winged wheels. Since Detroit trailed second-seeded Anaheim 3-2 in the first round, Howard has won four of five games and is averaging two goals against and 34-plus saves.

“You have to have a good goalie to go anywhere in the playoffs and we have it,” Red Wings captain Henrik Zetterberg said.

The Blackhawks seem confident they also have a netminder good enough to finish their season as strong as it started. Lately though, Corey Crawford has been shaky – or at least he hasn’t been able to overcome enough of his teammates’ mistakes in front of him.

Crawford won five of his first six games in the playoffs, shutting out Minnesota once and allowing a total of eight goals during his strong start. But he has given up a combined seven goals over the last two games after allowing one goal in the first period of the series opener.

When Chicago began its season-opening run of 24 games with at least a point backup goalie Ray Emery was 10-0 during the NHL record-breaking stretch while Crawford was injured. Emery finished the regular season 17-1 with a 1.94 goals-against average, leaving his last outing early because of a lower-body injury nearly a month ago at Edmonton.

Is Emery an option for Game 4?

“We’re not talking about that right now,” Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville said Monday night. And the next day, he was succinct when asked to assess how Crawford has played the past few games.

“He’s been fine,” Quenneville said.

The Blackhawks probably don’t want to put more pressure on Crawford, but they were likely looking for more than him being “fine” in his third postseason as their No. 1 goalie.

Chicago couldn’t afford to keep Antti Niemi after he was the franchise’s backstop when it hoisted the Stanley Cup in 2010 and he beat out Marty Turco for the job the next season.

Crawford has been an impressive 82-40-18 the last three regular seasons, but a lackluster 10-11 in the playoffs. The Montreal native sounds as if he’s ready to bounce back to help the team respond well enough to avoid their first three-game losing streak since the 2011-12 season.

“We haven’t had a lot of adversity this year,” Crawford said. “We just have to dig deep and battle.”

The Red Wings, meanwhile, barely made the playoffs and they leaned on Howard a lot because their team was challenged offensively because of injuries and the retirement of Nicklas Lidstrom.

Howard had to play in 42 of 48 games during the lockout-shortened season because he didn’t have a healthy, or capable, backup for much of the season. He was 21-13-7 and tied for the league lead with five shutouts, leading to him getting a $31.8 million, six-year contract to keep him off the market as a free agent this summer.

Like Crawford, Howard has been really good during the regular season – for four seasons as a No. 1 goalie – and average in the playoffs with a .500 record going into Game 4.

In a town where the goalie is in the spotlight, win or lose, Zetterberg said Howard has the perfect temperament for the job.

“Nothing really bothers him,” Zetterberg said. “If he lets in a goal, he just flushes it and moves on.”

Copyright 2013 by STATS LLC and The Associated Press. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of STATS LLC and The Associated Press is strictly prohibited.

Sidney Crosby, Chris Kunitz and Pascal Dupuis also scored for Pittsburgh, and Tomas Vokoun made 30 saves. Down 2-1 after the first period, the Penguins scored twice in a 40-second span early in the second and added four goals in the first 10 minutes in the third.

Milan Michalek, Kyle Turris and Daniel Alfredsson scored for Ottawa. Senators goalie Craig Anderson was benched after Pittsburgh’s sixth goal, and Robin Lehner finished the game.

Game 5 is Friday night in Pittsburgh.

The Senators, coming off a double-overtime victory Sunday night in Game 3, opened the scoring on Michalek’s short-handed goal at 2:29 of the first period. With defenseman Sergei Gonchar in the penalty box, Alfredsson fed the puck up the middle to a streaking Michalek, who broke through the defense and beat Vokoun low on the glove side for Ottawa’s second short-handed goal of the series.

It was the Senators’ first lead of the series. It wouldn’t last.

Neal tied it with 5:04 left in the period, picking up the loose puck in the slot and putting it in the back of the net. Turris put Ottawa back in front off a rebound with 3:45 left in the first.

Pittsburgh tied it early in the second when Kunitz got behind the defense and went in alone to beat Anderson. Less than a minute later, Anderson gave up a rebound on Kris Letang’s shot that landed on the tape of Iginla’s stick to make it 3-2.

Neal started the third-period flurry with a power-play goal at 1:59. Dupuis added a short-handed goal at 8:07, Crosby followed at 8:39, and Iginla scored on a power play at 9:53.

Alfredsson finished the scoring with a late power-play goal for his 100th career playoff point.

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(© Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

They have outclassed the New York Rangers all over the ice in surging to a 3-0 lead in a series that could be over Thursday.

If the Bruins start firing on all cylinders, the Rangers will have little hope of even forcing a Game 5 let alone entertaining thoughts of matching the greatest comeback in sports.

The Bruins could afford to relax Wednesday, and many of them did, as the team held an optional practice at Madison Square Garden — the site of Boston’s 2-1 comeback win a night earlier that pushed the Rangers within one loss of elimination.

HARTNETT: RICHARDS REDUCED TO PASSENGER ROLE

New York also got back on the ice at its suburban practice facility, and it was clear the sting of Tuesday night’s disheartening defeat lingered.

The Rangers are just over one week removed from back-to-back shutouts by Henrik Lundqvist in Games 6 and 7 against the Washington Capitals in the first round, but those good times feel a whole lot longer ago now.

Any kind of comeback now starts with Game 4 in New York. Three teams have recovered from an 0-3 hole to win an NHL series.

“We’re not looking at odds or anything like that,” Rangers captain Ryan Callahan said. “We’re looking at one game at home, and we’ll try to bring this thing back to Boston. That’s the only way we can look at it, to try to win one game in our building.”

The Bruins want to cut this short and not give the Rangers any reason to believe. New York trailed Washington 2-0 in the opening round and then 3-2 before advancing.

There is history hanging over Boston, including a blown 3-0 lead to Philadelphia in a series loss in 2010 and a squandered 3-1 edge in this year’s first round to Toronto before the Bruins rallied to win Game 7.

“You learn from the past, but you live in the moment. You don’t live in the past,” Bruins coach Claude Julien said. “I like where our team is right now. We’re certainly not looking at it the way other people will look at it — trying to find reasons to give New York some hope, saying ‘These guys have done this, these guys have had trouble doing this.’

“We’re certainly not even going there.”

Rangers forwards Darroll Powe and Arron Asham were on that Philadelphia team that stunned the Bruins with an epic comeback in 2010.

CBS BOSTON: BRUINS’ SEIDENBERG COULD RETURN

While several players said Wednesday they believe this series can still be won, the mantra was the same as it has been all season — following the words of coach John Tortorella that the focus must be completely on the next game.

“Obviously, we can’t win four games (Thursday) night. We have to focus on just the task at hand, which is coming out strong on our first shift,” said Powe, who is currently sidelined by injury. “We go shift by shift, we just chip away. You’ve got to try to win every shift. That’s how we’re going to get back in the series.”

The Rangers had been 3-0 at home in the playoffs and had won nine straight at Madison Square Garden, dating to the regular season.

Tuesday’s loss was their first in regulation in which they led going into the third period since February 2010.

A fluke goal with 3:31 remaining by fourth-liner Daniel Paille, who put in a puck Lundqvist never saw, made the disappointment that much greater. Boston defenseman Johnny Boychuk scored his fourth goal of the postseason earlier in the third with a shot that might have clipped forward Shawn Thornton — Paille’s bruising linemate along with Gregory Campbell.

That was enough to give the Bruins their second one-goal win of the series.

Paille had a goal and assist in Game 3 for his first points of the series. Thornton assisted on both goals, to get himself on the score sheet for the first time against the Rangers, and Campbell had an assist on the game-winner to go along with a goal he scored in Game 2.

“Hopefully it keeps going,” Thornton said of the production from the line that was put together during the 2010-11 season. “We’re trying to get back out there so we’ve got to give it everything we have. I have said it a million times, I am very fortunate to play with those two guys. They are extremely good hockey players and they would probably be on better lines than the fourth line on other teams.”

The Rangers would be happy to get offense from anywhere. After busting out in a 5-0 win in Game 7 against the Capitals, New York has been held to five total goals in three games against goalie Tuukka Rask and the rest of the Bruins.

New York seemed to lack the required energy and urgency to take advantage in Game 4. The Rangers have also failed to capitalize on an injured Boston defense that is using three rookies with success.

“I like our team,” Rangers coach John Tortorella said. “We’ve got good people. We need to have more people playing more minutes, consistently. We’ll be ready to play. I hope we get to another level of desperation. That’s not just running around all over the place, it’s about winning those battles at key times.”

While injured Bruins defensemen Dennis Seidenberg and Wade Redden continue to practice and move closer to returning, the Rangers are dealing with the loss of defenseman Anton Stralman, who got hurt when he was checked hard Tuesday night by Milan Lucic and left the game in the second period.

“Losing Stralsy is a big blow,” said Tortorella. “He puts himself in a situation there where he’s trying to make a play and gets hurt. He’s done that really through the playoffs here.”

His status for Game 4 is questionable at best. If he sits out, the Rangers could turn to Roman Hamrlik or Matt Gilroy. Marc Staal doesn’t appear ready to play because of an eye injury.

“To a defense that I think is lacking a little depth right now, it hurts us,” Tortorella said of Stralman’s injury. “We’re down 0-3. There’s no sense of feeling pressure. Players that get to play … grab a hold of it and let it happen.”

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(TM and © Copyright 2013 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2013 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

And if Quick needed any extra motivation to stop the Sharks again in the pivotal Game 5 on Thursday night, TJ Galiardi provided it.

Galiardi accused the Conn Smythe Trophy-winning goalie of exaggerating contact with opposing players Wednesday, claiming Quick attempts to draw undeserved penalties.

“What kind of bugs me about him, I don’t know if I should say it, but a little embellishment every now and then,” Galiardi said after the Sharks’ workout in San Jose. “You skate by and you don’t even touch him, or you barely even touch him, and he’s throwing his hands in the air. So that’s one of those things. It’s playoffs. Everyone is trying to draw a penalty. Whatever.”

Galiardi apparently was displeased by Quick’s reaction to an encounter during the Sharks’ 2-1 victory in Game 4 on Tuesday night, with Quick fruitlessly arguing for an interference call after Galiardi made contact with him. Galiardi’s comments added even more spice to this lively series heading back to Staples Center, where the Kings have won 12 straight games since March.

“The thing is, with video, something we like to say around here is, `Ball don’t lie,’” Galiardi said. “It’s an old basketball term, but when you watch the video, the video doesn’t lie. So I’m skating by and I barely touch him, and he’s throwing his hands in the air. It’s kind of one of those things. He looks bad on video, not me.”

Galiardi has never scored a playoff goal in his five-year NHL career, so he’s hardly the most likely candidate to challenge Quick’s postseason sportsmanship. Quick wasn’t in the Kings’ dressing room after practice at their training complex Wednesday.

The Los Angeles goalie turned in one of the most dominant playoff performances in recent hockey history for the Kings last year before following it up with another stellar postseason effort this spring. After holding St. Louis to 10 goals in the six-game first round, Quick has allowed just seven goals in four games against San Jose, stopping 122 of 129 shots in an otherwise frequently one-sided series.

Quick clearly hasn’t the problem during the Kings’ difficult defense, which now includes as many playoff losses as they took during the entire 2012 postseason. After consecutive 2-1 losses in San Jose, the Kings clearly haven’t backed up their star goalie’s efforts with consistent goal-scoring from their stars or contributions from all four lines, the offensive hallmarks of last season’s surge to the franchise’s first title.

“Recently, we all haven’t done the necessary things to score goals in the playoffs,” said first-line right wing Justin Williams, who has two goals in the postseason. “It’s pure broken record is all it is. Scorers have got to score. If they don’t score, they’ve got to create more offense. We’ve been outplayed so far, top line to top line, I feel in this series. We’re a proud bunch, but it’s still 2-2. We’re still in a good spot.”

Los Angeles has scored just one goal apiece in five of its 10 playoff games, and the Kings have managed just two even-strength goals in the last three games against San Jose. The Kings’ putative top line is struggling mightily: Captain Dustin Brown has just two goals – both on power plays – in the playoffs, and leading scorer Anze Kopitar has just one goal while getting outplayed by San Jose’s Joe Thornton.

“There’s a fine line between desperation and panic, and I’m thinking the guys we have in here will be a desperate group,” said Kings defenseman Rob Scuderi, a two-time Stanley Cup winner. “But we’re not going to do anything out of the ordinary or try to do it ourselves. … We were down 2-0 in the St. Louis series. I know it’s not as easy as everyone thinks it was last year, being up 3-0 in every series, but we have a good mentality in here, and we’re trying to stay upbeat and confident, and realize our best 60 minutes are ahead of us.”

The Kings figure they’re due to break out of their offensive skid, but Los Angeles coach Darryl Sutter also is contemplating line switches to create more offense, shuffling the mix in practice Wednesday. Los Angeles has spent much of the series barely surviving against San Jose’s forecheck and high-volume offense, frequently pinned in its own end for long stretches of all four games, particularly in the opening period.

“We’ve got to come out and have a great start,” Kings defenseman Robyn Regehr said. “That’s where it all needs to be focused for us. Just come out and have a good start, play the way we know we can right off the bat, and go from there.”

The Sharks are radiating confidence with two straight wins following Los Angeles’ late heist of Game 2 with two power-play goals in the waning seconds. San Jose is two wins away from its third conference finals appearance in four years, but only if the Sharks manage to crack the Kings’ formidable advantage at Staples Center.

“They’re a great team. They’re the champs,” Thornton said. “They’ve been good on home ice all year, but we feel like our game is getting better and better, and each series keeps getting better. I don’t know if there’s an advantage or not. It’s just we’ve got to go into L.A. now and win one.”

While the Kings’ sellout crowds can be tough, the Sharks are confident they can pick up right where they left off with a few minutes to go in Game 2 before Los Angeles’ electric comeback.

“They stick around,” San Jose defenseman Dan Boyle said of the Kings. “That’s why going after that second and third goal is really important. It’s one of those teams where sitting on a one-goal lead is probably not going to cut it. We need to do a better job of scoring the next one, and the next one after that.”

AP Sports Writer Josh Dubow in San Jose, Calif., contributed to this report.

An MRI revealed the tear, the Daily News reported. The team previously announced Anthony would have the shoulder examined.

Anthony first hurt his shoulder on April 14 against the Indiana Pacers. Now it seems he played the entire Knicks playoff run — 12 games — with a partial tear.

SIMS: SHOULDER WOES MORE THAN WARNING SIGN

“It was bothering me since it happened,” Anthony said Monday. “To be able to play with that and get through the pain, it just came a point where you just try not to think about it. That’s where I was at mentally.”

He aggravated the injury in the first round against Boston. After the Celtics series, a banged-up Anthony said his arm “just kind of popped in and out a little bit.”

The team is “hopeful” that Anthony won’t need surgery, telling the NBA’s scoring champ to take it easy “for the next three to four weeks” until he can be reevaluated, the Daily News reported.

New York was eliminated Saturday by the Pacers.

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On the May 26, 2013, edition of Cleveland Connection host Katherine Boyd talks with Rick DeChant, Executive Director of Veterans  Services and Programs at Tri-C, about the 2013 Hiring Our Heros Veterans Event.

The event will be held June 21 at the Tri-C Metro Campus in the Advanced Technology Training Center, located at 3409 Woodland Avenue in downtown Cleveland, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

There will also be an employment workshop before the event at 8 a.m.

To register for the Hiring Our Heros Employment Workshop, go to hohworks.eventbrite.com/

This hiring event is being conducted by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, the Cuyahoga County Veterans Service Commission, Tri-C, the Ohio Department of Veterans Services, the Department of Labor Veterans’ Employment and Training Service, the Ohio Committee of the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, The American Legion, NBC News and other local partners.

Employers that would like to take part in the event can register at HOH.GreatJob.net

Job seekers can register for the event at HOH.GreatJob.net

On the May 26, 2013, edition of Cleveland Connection host Katherine Boyd talks with Rob and Ellen Snow, the co-founders of Stand Up for Downs.

The mission of Stand Up For Doens is to enhance the world of Down syndrome through humor.

Stand Up for Downs is hosting a comedy night June 15th at The Tangier in Akron. It’ll feature Mike Polk Jr, as well as nationally known headliner Gary Gulman.  Cleveland comedians Josh Womack and Rob Snow are MCing the event.

To learn more about Stand Up For Downs or order your tickets here.  

The history of Stand Up For Downs

From Rob and Ellen Snow:

Our son, Henry, has been one of the biggest joys of our lives, and we realized how happy and uplifting the Down syndrome community can be, as we become more involved.  We also realized there is a big need for money to help with research, adoption efforts, legislation advocacy, and other programs.  The comedy community works to deliver joy and laughs.  I couldn’t think of a better group to partner with to make the lives of those with Down syndrome and their communities even better.

Learn more About Stand Up for Downs at www.StandUpForDowns.org

You can also “like” Stand Up For Downs on Facebook.

7:05 - The Indians lost again last night, losing both games in the two-game series against Detroit. The Tigers beat up on Ubaldo Jimenez and won 11-7. Kiley and Booms discussed the Tigers slugger and reigning triple-crown winner Miguel Cabrera, and discussed if the Indians have a counter to Cabrera and whether or not the team should pitch to him.

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7:44 - Every Tuesday and Thursday at 7:40 on Kiley and Booms, it’s the game show that is sweeping the nation: Ahead or Behind! You can see today’s list used in the game here.

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8:06 - Cavs coach Mike Brown and Chris Grant stopped by TheFan’s studio for the 8 o’clock hour this morning and talked with Kiley and Booms about Mike’s return to Cleveland, the NBA draft and roster decisions. You can listen to the entire interview here:

• Part 1
• Part 2
• Part 3

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9:23 - Jimmy Haslam apologized to NFL owners for the Pilot Flying J rebate scandal the Browns owner is immersed in, a gesture that Kiley said is “winning him over.”

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[RELATED: Mike Brown & Chris Grant - Part 1]

[RELATED: Mike Brown & Chris Grant - Part 2]

[RELATED: Mike Brown & Chris Grant - Part 1]

[RELATED: Mike Brown & Chris Grant - Part 3]

[RELATED: Mike Brown & Chris Grant - Part 2]

[RELATED: Mike Brown & Chris Grant - Part 3]

The game was supposed to feature a pitcher in Ubaldo Jimenez who it looked had turned the corner, and one of the best in the game for Detroit in Justin Verlander.

Instead, it was who could hit the most, as Jimenez was back to being awful, and Verlander clearly still has big issues, allowing five runs on 10 hits in five innings.

For Jimenez, he struggled from the start, giving up two runs in the first, and then after a 1-2-3 second, he was blasted for four runs in the third as Detroit led 6-2.

David Huff came in for Jimenez, and he was beat up for three runs, allowing the Tigers to take a 9-3 lead in the fifth inning.

With Verlander settling down, it seemed like it was going to be a runaway. That’s when the Tribe found their bats, with Michael Brantley getting a single to make it 9-4, and then Carlos Santana hitting a homer to center to draw the Indians to 9-5.

That’s when rain delay one began, lasting 62 minutes in the middle of what appeared to be an Indians rally.

Verlander, clearly wanting to get the last two outs of the inning to get the win, came back out at 100 pitches already, and got two more outs to be able to walk away with the five inning win.

The closest the Indians got from there was 9-7, as they scored two in the 6th when Yan Gomes homered to make it 9-6, and then Brantley singled in Mike Aviles with two outs to get the Tribe within two.

Rain delay number two hit at that point, right at 11:00pm, and lasted 48 minutes.

“It was a tough night staying in the flow of things, a couple of rain delays, but we will move on,” Indians 3B Mark Reynolds said.

Detroit was able to close out the wild affair with one of the craziest plays of the season in the 8th, adding two more insurance runs.

With Andy Dirks on base and Rich Hill pitching, Miguel Cabrera drove Indians CF Michael Bourn to the wall in center.

Bourn put his mitt up to make the catch, and it appeared the ball bounced into and out of his glove, and the ball went over the wall for a homer that put the Tigers up 11-7.

The play was somewhat like when former Texas OF Jose Canseco had a ball hit off his head at Cleveland Stadium back in the 90′s for a homer.

This time around though it wasn’t so funny for Indians fans, as Bourn looked stunned as he realized the ball went over the fence.

“I’ve never had it happen, I guess they say there’s a first time for everything,” Bourn said after the game.

Jimenez takes the loss to fall to 3-3 with a 6.04 ERA. The Indians will head to Boston with a half game lead on Detroit, who heads home to play Minnesota.

The Indians are now 26-19 on the season.

Zach McAllister (3-3, 2.65) goes for the Indians on Thursday against Ryan Dempster (2-4, 4.27) for Boston.

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James finished with 30 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists for the Heat — his ninth postseason triple-double, and barely anyone noticed. All that mattered was the last shot, which simply saved the Heat.

Paul George made three free throws with 2.2 seconds left in the overtime, which he forced with a miracle 3-pointer, to give the Pacers the lead. But James — with Indiana shot-blocking center Roy Hibbert curiously on the bench — just drove down the left side of the lane, scored with ease and the Heat escaped.

Game 2 is Friday night in Miami.

Officials reviewed James’ play at the end, though it was clear he beat the clock, and the Pacers walked slowly toward their locker room, lamenting one that got away — by no fault of George’s.

George was fouled by Dwyane Wade on the play where the Pacers had to think they had stolen the series opener.

George saved the Pacers in regulation with a 32-footer with 0.7 seconds left in regulation that tied the game, and tried a shot from a similar distance as time was expiring in the extra session.

Referee Jason Phillips said Wade hit George, and the Pacers’ star made all three free throws for the 16th lead change of the night.

The final lead change came moments later, and Miami survived a game that had 18 ties and neither team ever leading by more than seven points.

Wade scored 19 points, Chris Bosh had 17 and Chris Andersen had 16 on 7 for 7 shooting for Miami.

George scored 27 for the Pacers, who got 26 from David West, 19 from Hibbert. The Pacers have won only two series in franchise history after dropping a Game 1.

The final few seconds of regulation were stunning, with Ray Allen — the sixth-best free-throw shooter in NBA history — missing one that proved big, and George making a miracle happen.

Trailing by two with 17.7 seconds left, the Pacers had to foul Allen, who surely would have been their last choice. But he missed one of the two free throws, and it remained a one-possession game. Indiana brought the ball into the frontcourt, called time, and then seemed to have nothing really working as the final seconds of regulation ticked away.

So George simply made something happen.

From 32 feet — from the newly applied Eastern Conference finals sticker on the side of the court, technically — George connected with 0.7 seconds left, tying the game and giving Indiana life.

Allen didn’t get much of a desperation shot off at the end of regulation, and to overtime the teams went.

The Pacers kept landing the first punches. George made a pair of free throws to open the extra session, and Andersen tied it with a pair of his own. Hibbert scored from close range, and Wade answered with an easy one after a runout for the 16th tie of the night.

George was far from done. He went past James, got into the lane, tossed up a shot after contact and started what became a three-point play that put the Pacers up 99-96. Miami had three chances at the tie — a desperation 3-pointer by Shane Battier as the shot clock was expiring, then a 3-point try by Battier and another 3 attempt by Battier.

All missed.

But Bosh grabbed the rebound of the last Battier shot that bounced off the rim in that sequence, scored while being fouled by George with 49.7 seconds left, calmly swished the free throw and the teams were — what else? — tied again at 99-all.

NOTES: Celebrities in attendance included Jimmy Buffett and Anna Kournikova. … James picked up two first-quarter fouls for just the ninth time in 125 career playoff games. … West’s 18 first-half points were his most before halftime since March 24, 2011, when he had 20 through two quarters against Utah. … From the not-often-seen department, a lane violation against the Pacers that led to James getting a second (and successful) chance on a missed free throw, and a 5-second call against Wade, both of those coming in the first half.

(© Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

Krzyzewski will try to lead the Americans to a third straight gold medal, a person with knowledge of the decision said Wednesday. Originally expected to step down, Krzyzewski will hold a news conference to confirm his return Thursday at Duke, the person told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because no official announcement has been made.

The Hall of Fame coach has led the Americans since 2005, winning gold at the 2008 and 2012 Olympics, and the 2010 world basketball championship. His return was first reported by Sports Illustrated.

“I think it’s great,” said two-time gold medalist LeBron James, when told of the news Wednesday night before the Miami Heat faced Indiana. “What he means to USA Basketball is beyond just what we do on the court. It’s what we stand for as Americans and being proud of the red, white and blue every time we step off the bus or practice or talk to the media or whatever the case may be. I think it’s great.”

Krzyzewski repeatedly said he planned to end his international coaching career following the Americans’ victory last summer in London. Yet USA Basketball chairman Jerry Colangelo preferred to hold off any discussion until after Coach K finished his season with the Blue Devils, and he got the answer he wanted.

The 66-year-old Krzyzewski will lead the Americans next summer at the renamed World Cup of Basketball in Spain, where a victory would qualify them for the 2016 Summer Games in Brazil. They are 62-1 over the last seven years.

Krzyzewski’s return could help land commitments from some of the top NBA stars who have enjoyed playing in the program he and Colangelo revamped in 2005. James, Kobe Bryant, Chris Paul and Carmelo Anthony are among the All-Stars who have won multiple gold medals under Krzyzewski.

“I’ve got the utmost respect and trust in Coach K,” James said. “And whatever he decision was going to be, I think we all would support that.”

James has said he would like to be there in 2016 as well.

“It would be great,” James said. “First, I’ve got to make sure I stay healthy. If I’m fortunate enough to be healthy I would love to represent my country again, but that’s a long time from now. So we’ll see.”

The U.S. team had been led by an NBA coach from the time NBA players were first used in the 1992 Olympics through the 2004 Games, when the Americans lost three times and finished third.

They managed only another bronze in their first tournament under Krzyzewski, the 2006 world championship, but haven’t lost a game since while restoring the U.S. as the top team in the world.

Krzyzewski said he expected the Americans to name a successor this summer, but Colangelo believed Coach K wanted to stay if his family and Duke were comfortable with it. Krzyzewski, a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy, has been on the staff of 13 U.S. teams since 1979 and joined Henry Iba as the only coaches in Olympic history to win back-to-back men’s basketball gold medals.

Heat forward Shane Battier, who played for Krzyzewski at Duke, said he wasn’t surprised that his former coach decided to head back to the USA Basketball sideline.

“He’s one of the most competitive people I’ve ever been around,” Battier said. “That’s what makes him great.”

Colangelo never even talked to another candidate, insisting Krzyzewski had earned the right to take as much time as needed. The Americans wanted to have a coach in place before holding a minicamp in July in Las Vegas.

The person said there were expected changes to Krzyzewski’s staff, which had included NBA coaches Mike D’Antoni and Nate McMillan, and Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim.

(© Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

The departure of Lewis is not a surprise after the team signed quarterback Brian Hoyer on May 17. He is expected to be the third on the depth chart behind incumbent starter Brandon Weeden and Jason Campbell, who signed a 2-year free agent deal this offseason.

Lewis started the 2012 season finale Dec. 30 at Pittsburgh and completed 22-of-32 passes for 204 yards, a touchdown and an interception in the Browns’ 24-10 loss to the Steelers.

The St. Louis Rams originally signed Lewis as an undrafted free agent in 2010 and released him at the end of their training camp in 2011. The Browns quickly claimed and he spent time on both the active roster as well as practice squad in his 2 seasons in Cleveland.

Originally signed by Green Bay as an undrafted free agent in 2011, Gurley spent the entire 2011 season on the Packers’ practice squad. In 2012, he spent time on the practice squads of Minnesota (three weeks), Oakland (one week), Tampa Bay (two weeks) and San Diego (three weeks). He signed with Baltimore on January 1, 2013 and was waived on May 13.

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The old Cleveland Browns Stadium signs are coming down and the new FirstEnergy Stadium signs are on the way.

Akron based FirstEnergy and the Browns announced a new naming rights deal on Jan. 15 for the 73,200 seat stadium – a first in franchise history. Although financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed, it is worth in excess of $100 million over 17 years.

The Browns received City Council’s approval for the new signage, which is currently being fabricated and will be installed in time for the Browns first preseason game Aug. 8 vs. St. Louis, in March.

An artists rendering of exterior signage to be place on the facade of FirstEnergy Stadium / (Photo courtesy FirstEnergy/Cleveland Browns/NFL)

FirstEnergy Stadium signage will adorn the facade on the north and south side of the stadium where the previous signs were, the light ring above the seating bowl as well as be painted on the canopy that covers part of the upper deck on both sides of the stadium so it is viewable from the air.

Old Cleveland Browns Stadium signs throughout the concourses and around the stadium are also in the process of being replaced with new FirstEnergy Stadium signs as well.

The cost of replacing all of the signage at the stadium is approximately $1 million and it is being paid for by FirstEnergy and the Browns.

ODOT has already replaced highway signage directing traffic to the stadium on local highways.

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Myers made his first rehab start with Akron on May 17 vs. Erie tossing 3.0 scoreless innings (1 H, 1 BB). His last start with the Indians came on April 19th at Houston before being placed on the Disabled List on April 21 (retroactive to April 20).

Myers is 0-3 with a 8.02 ERA with the Tribe this season in 4 appearances and 3 starts.

SWISH ENJOYING FATHERHOOD: Indians skipper Terry Francona said that INF Nick Swisher will rejoin the team Friday when the club is in Boston to take on the Red Sox.

Swisher’s wife Joanna had a baby girl yesterday morning, the first child for the couple. Swisher is on the teams Paternity List, and can miss anywhere from one to three games.

In his place, the team does have the services of Cord Phelps, who was called up from AAA Columbus to take Swisher’s place while on Paternity Leave.

ON THE ROAD AGAIN: The Indians will travel to Boston after tonight’s game, and it’s sure to be an emotional trip for Francona, as the Indians travel to play his old team, the Red Sox.

Francona won two World Series titles with Boston, and helped the Sox knock the Indians out of the ALCS in 2007. It will be his first trip to Boston in another uniform.

“I’m sure I will have a lot of emotions,” Francona said. “I’m proud to go back there as an Indian, I don’t want that to ever get lost in the shuffle.”

For now, here’s the slated pitching matchups for the four game set: Thursday, May 23 @ 7:10PM ET RHP Zach McAllister vs. RHP Ryan Dempster. Friday, May 24 @ 7:10PM ET RHP Justin Masterson vs. RHP John Lackey.

Saturday, May 25 @ 1:35PM ET LHP Scott Kazmir vs. LHP Jon Lester. Sunday, May 26 @ 1:35PM ET RHP Corey Kluber vs. LHP Felix Doubront.

HISTORY: Back in 1999 on this day, Indians pitcher Johnny Allen had his American League record for consecutive victories (18, 1936-37) broken by Roger Clemens.

May 22, 1999 Clemens threw a 10-2 win over the White Sox in Chicago to break Allen’s mark, shared with Orioles lefty Dave McNally.

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With Game 3 tied 1-1 in the third period, Boston turned to it’s fourth line — dubbed the “merlot line” — for an injection of energy. The line’s havoc had already led to Boston’s first goal — a rocket off the stick of defenseman Johnny Boychuk — and their strong forecheck and desire to cause a downtown-like traffic jam in front of the net put Boston on top for good with just 3:31 left to play.

Gregory Campbell stepped up and delivered a slapper on Henrik Lundqvist, which deflected off the netminders mask and straight up in the air. When the puck returned to the ice it danced along the line, but changed directions before crossing into the goal. It looked as though it had taken a Rangers’ bounce, as Lundqvist had no idea where the puck was.

It nearly trickled out of harm’s way.

That was until Daniel Paille rushed in and took a swing at it, sending it to the back of the net and putting Boston on top 2-1.

“I felt the pressure when we were on them and had a perfect view of it from the corner. I thought it was going to bounce in but it went the other way somehow,” Paille explained after the game. “Lundqvist didn’t know where it was and I was able to come around the net and out-battle the player with it; I think we hit at the same time and it hit off my stick and went in.”

After less-than-stellar showings in Games 1 and 2, Lundqvist was on his game Tuesday night. He was stuffing breakaway bids and turned away nearly all rebounds, so those funky goals were Boston’s best chance to put one — or two — past him.

“It was one of those nights where he was on his game and you could see the confidence he had throughout the game,” said Paille. “The goals that went in, there really wasn’t much he could do; there was a screen on one and a redirect on another. We tried to do as much as we could but it wasn’t going to be one of those where you beat him clean.”

Now Boston finds themselves one win away from returning to the Eastern Conference Finals for the second time in the last three seasons. But after nearly letting a 3-1 lead slip away last series to the Toronto Maple Leafs, and that 2010 collapse against the Philadelphia Flyers still in the back of their minds, the Bruins know their work is far from over.

“We’re confident going in for the series, but it’s not over. I’ve been in this situation before and seen it go the other way,” said Paille. “For us, we have to have the instinct to play as hard as we did tonight. They’re going to be a team that does not want to lose that way.”

Game 4 is Thursday night in New York.

Tune in to every Bruins playoff game on 98.5 The Sports Hub — the flagship station of the Boston Bruins! Pregame coverage begins 30 minutes prior to each game.