Cavs with a 12-0 Run | Raptors vs Cavaliers | Game 1 | May 17, 2016 | 2016 NBA Playoffs
By: Nate Scott| May 19, 2016 9:42 amFollow @aNateScott
The Eastern Conference playoffs this year havent been nearly as exciting as the Western Conference, so its understandable that a lot of the focus has been on the Warriors, Spurs and Thunder.
But LeBron James and the Cavaliers are sneakily putting together one of the greatest starts to a postseason ever.
The Cavaliers have started the playoffs 9-0, something no Michael Jordan Bulls team ever accomplished. The 1990-91 Bulls did go 15-2 in the playoffs on the road to a title, but stumbled in the second round, dropping a game to the 76ers.
Similarly, the 1995-96 Bulls went 15-3 in the playoffs, but dropped a second round game to the New York Knicks.
Mike Powell / Getty Images
Both the 1989 and 2001 Lakers playoff runs went longerthan this years Cavaliers start, with the 1989 Lakers run made strange by the fact that they started the playoffs 11-0 before being swept in the Finals by the Detroit Pistons.
The 2001 Lakers set the gold standard for playoff runs, sweeping the first three rounds and only dropping one game in the Finals to the 76ers.
The longest NBA playoff win streak ever belongs to the 1999 Spurs team, which won 12 straight, but did so after dropping a game in their opening series to the Timberwolves.
Cavaliers dancers videobomb ESPNs live shot again, this time Steve Levy joins the party5hr agoCory Joseph airballs 3-pointer after Cavs bench players scream and wave behind him5hr agoLeBron James goes sky high for two-handed reverse slam dunk6hr ago
Chicago Bulls, Cleveland, Cleveland Cavaliers, LeBron James, Michael Jordan, NBA Playoffs, Streaks, NBA
"Well, it"s not daytime television anymore," Ellen DeGeneres said Thursday on her show after a rambling, nearly unbroken, nearly 6-minute oration by her guest, Kanye West.
"We"re gonna take a break," she added, looking for the right words after she"d managed to sneak in only a few dozen of them during West"s lengthy monologue.
After working to pry more than a few words out of the rapper as she quizzed him about his kids and whether he regretted anything he"d ever tweeted, the host brought up his appeal to Mark Zuckerberg for $1 billion in funding, which West acknowledged might have been more successful had he approached the Facebook founder on, well, Facebook, instead of Twitter.
"Give me one example, the ideas," DeGeneres said, "because maybe someone watching will give you the money."
And Kanye was off to the races.
We"re in a Renaissance period where people have multiple talents, he said, name-checking "12 Years a Slave" director Steve McQueen. He brought up his parents and their credentials, saying he was raised to make a difference. He quoted Rakim and said he was raised on Phife Dawg and hip-hop.
"Are you connecting?," the shoe designer asked after dismissing those who measure contributions to society by tracking sales and radio play. "Picasso is dead. Steve Jobs is dead. Walt Disney is dead. Name somebody living that you can name in the same breath as them.
"Don"t tell me about being likeable. We"ve got a hundred years here. We"re one race, the human race, one civilization. We"re a blip in the existence of the universe, and we"re constantly trying to pull each other down. Not doing things to help each other. That"s my point. It"s like I"m shaking talking about it. I know it"s daytime TV, but I feel that I can make a difference while I"m here. I feel that I can make things better through my skill set. I"m an artist, and I feel that I can make things better through my skill set. I"m a artist. Five years old, art school. PhD, Art Institute of Chicago."
He has a condition where he sees sound, he said. "Everything that I sonically make is a painting. I see it. I see the importance I see the importance and the value of everyone being able to experience a more beautiful life."
West dropped more names, mentioning a dinner with President Obama and Leonardo DiCaprio, the latter of whose conservation efforts were apparently taken more seriously than West"s work in the world of fashion design.
"But," Mr. Kim Kardashian said, "I remember going to school, like, in fifth grade, and wanting to have a cool outfit ....
"I called the head of Payless [ShoeSource]. I"m like, "I want to work with you. I want to take all this information that I"ve learned from sitting at all these fashion shows and knocking on all these doors and buying all these expensive clothes and I want to take away bullying." "
It"s like I"m shaking, talking about it. I know it"s daytime TV, but I feel that I can make a difference while I"m here.
Kanye West
At this point, someone in the control booth apparently remembered to hit the "applause" button, because the audience had basically been taking it all in silently for a while.
"There was a time Michael Jackson couldn"t get his video on MTV because he was considered to be "urban." The Michael Jackson," West said. "So I literally have to be the Michael Jackson of apparel in order to break down the doors for everyone who will come after I"m gone, after I"m dead. After they call me Wacko Kanye. Isn"t that so funny, that people point fingers at the people who have influenced us the most?"
At this point, DeGeneres was as she had been for an eternity in talk-show time sitting motionless except for blinking and occasionally wetting her lips as if to speak. But there had been no room to speak.
"I"m sorry, daytime television," West said to the audience. "I"m sorry for the realness."
Cue applause. Time to go to commercial.
Follow Christie D"Zurilla on Twitter @theCDZ.
ALSO:
Kanye West"s Twitter rants causing "friction in the marriage"? We can"t imagine why
Kanye West"s "SNL" tirade: Is it a "50% more influential" moment, or just a tantrum on tape?
Kanye West asks Mark Zuckerberg for $1 billion, says he"s practicing his Grammys speech
OKC Thunder vs San Antonio Spurs - Game 5 - Full Highlights - May 10, 2016 - 2016 NBA Playoffs
Dion Waiters, Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry
Oklahoma City Thunder guard Dion Waiters (3) smiles next to forward Kevin Durant (35) and Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) during the first half of Game 2 of the NBA basketball Western Conference finals in Oakland, Calif., Wednesday, May 18, 2016. (AP)
Kevin Durant and Dion Waiters seemed to have a little disagreement during Oklahoma City"s 118-91 loss to the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday night.
During the second quarter, Durant appeared to be mouthing an expletive to the former Syracuse University star player as they walked over to a team huddle during a timeout.
Durant signaled for a pass as he cut under the basket, but Waiters didn"t pass him the ball.
A smiling Durant was acknowledging the fact Waiters passed him the ball late, leading to a contested jumper that went in, so he let him hear about it.
"Hey man, f*** you. F** you. Pass me the f***ing ball," Durant appears to tell Waiters.
The exchange may have been light-hearted as Durant later put his arm around Waiters once they reached the huddle.
With that bucket, Durant had 21 points on 8-of-12 shooting, and Oklahoma City was only down two, but he would add just eight more points as the Thunder got blown out.
When Steph Curry scores 15 points in the span of two minutes, there isn"t much you can do about that (and might inspire a few more curse words).
Durant finished with 29 points. Waiters had seven points and three assists in 29 minutes against the Warriors.
Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals is Sunday at Oklahoma City. The series is tied at 1-1.
Long before he joined the Jaguars and promised to make an instant impact, Jalen Ramsey did the same upon arriving at Florida State before the 2013 season.
He said, Coach, Im going to start from Day One, Seminoles coach Jimbo Fisher said. I said, If youre the best player, you will [start], but realize Deion [Sanders] took four games to start. Jalen said, I dont care.
Ramsey started at cornerback as a freshman before moving to free safety on a Florida State defense that led the nation in fewest points allowed (12.1 per game) and won the national championship.
Twenty-eight years after Sanders was drafted fifth overall by Atlanta, Ramsey, who moved back to cornerback in 2014-15, went No. 5 to the Jaguars.
Fisher (in place of defensive backs coach Charles Kelly) spoke with the Times-Union about Ramsey.
Question: Ramsey was a true freshman playing free safety on a defense laden with future NFL players (Telvin Smith, Lamarcus Joyner, Timmy Jernigan, Terrence Brooks, Ronald Darby and Christian Jones) that eventually won the national title. Was the moment ever too big for him in 2013?
Answer: No, it really wasnt. Theres a difference between arrogance and confidence. He carried himself with a lot of confidence and he believed in his ability. The thing I thought always separated him was his ability to mentally compartmentalize everything that was happening and then learn from it and process it during the game. He did that from the get-go.
The Jaguars coaches have raved about Ramseys football smarts. How rare was that aspect of his game when he arrived at Florida State?
Instincts are something you naturally have. He has the football instincts/IQ, but he also has pure intelligence. Darby was banged up early [in 2013] and that was one of the reasons Jalen got to start at corner, but he would have been on the field somehow anyway. We put him at corner, he starts there and then he moves positions..
After playing free safety as a freshman, what was the reasoning behind moving Ramsey to covering the slot receiver in 2014?
We felt we could use his versatility more [inside]. Sometimes, tall guys [Ramsey is 6-foot-1] have a tough time there, but he had the quickness and agility to cover the little guys. And he was very physical at the point of attack on run plays because he was playing like an outside linebacker and teams liked to run at him. The other thing he was a very dynamic blitzer.
Playing in that new role, did Ramsey pick things up quicker than you and the coaches thought he would?
Yes, he did. But everything hes ever done, hes [adjusted quickly]. He will embarrass guys in practice if theyre not ready.
Ramsey said he got his practice habits from current Jaguars linebacker Telvin Smith. Sound right?
Theres no doubt. The way that 2013 team practiced with Telvin, Lamarcus and that whole group of guys on defense and then there was Jameis [Winston], Rashad [Greene], Devonta [Freeman] and [Kelvin] Benjamin on offense practice was crazy.
Ramsey was on the move again as a junior, playing outside corner. Is that his ideal home in the NFL?
It starts there because if you have a true cornerback with his size who can match up against big receivers, thats a huge advantage. Most big guys dont have his strength or agility. And then if you want to match him up in nickel, he can play the little guy. His ability to play corner at this size makes him special.
Wednesday: UCLA linebackers coach Scott White on second-round pick Myles Jack.
If you"re like a lot of people on the internet, you probably had a reaction like this when you first saw #NationalSendANudeDay trending:
If you didn"t react with sheer horror, then maybe you just looked at the hashtag with blatant disregard. Ignorance is bliss, right?
There isn"t always a clear-cut reason why certain days trend on Twitter. #NationalSendANudeDay is a prime example of this. But what was probably intended to be a raunchy holiday shared between lovers has transformed into an epic social media trolling session.
Take these witty, well-thought-out (and safe-for-work) #NationalSendANudeDay tweets, for instance.
Houston Flood: Hundreds of Cars Lost, Homes Damaged by Severe Weather
KHOU 11 Chief Meteorologist David Paul says Friday will be sunny and beautiful. The weekend will be also be sunny and clear with high temps in the 80s.
KHOU11 Weather Team , KHOU 11:22 PM. EST May 19, 2016
HOUSTON - KHOU 11 Chief Meteorologist David Paul says the rain has come to an end and cool temperatures will stick around overnight.
Strong storms caused street flooding and high winds on Thursday afternoon but have since moved out of the Houston area.
There is no rain chance on the forecast for the next few days. The weekend will be sunny and clear with high temps in the 80s.
There is a slight chance for scattered showers on Monday and throughout next week, but it is nothing to be concerned about.
A Flash Flood Watch is in effect until 12 a.m. Friday for Austin, Brazoria, Chambers, Colorado, Fort Bend, Galveston, Grimes, Harris, Jackson, Liberty, Matagorda, Montgomery, San Jacinto, Walker, Waller, Washington & Wharton counties.
Atlanta Hawks vs Cleveland Cavaliers - Full Game Highlights | Game 1 | May 2, 2016 | NBA Playoffs
Q: Ira, after watching the Cavaliers on Tuesday, perhaps we were better escaping with our dignity. -- Graham.
A: Perhaps. But what bothers me is the insinuation is that the Eastern Conference never was going to produce competition for the Cavaliers this season. Yes, had the Heat moved on from a Game 7 victory in Toronto and then played the Cavaliers on one day of rest, I agree the result would have been similar to what the Raptors endured in Game 1. But. And there is a big but there (and sometimes I like big buts and I cannot lie), because when assessing what could have been you also have to assess what Heat-Cavaliers could have looked like if at least Hassan Whiteside was available, and perhaps even Chris Bosh. With Whiteside, the Heat would have had the type of second line of defense that dunk-at-will LeBron James never had to face in Game 1 against the Raptors (and even if Jonas Valanciunas was available for Toronto, he is not the deterrent that Whiteside has been). And if the Cavaliers stayed with Tristan Thompson at center in a theoretical series against the Heat, it would have allowed the Whiteside to essentially park himself in the paint. Factor in Bosh, had he been available, and you also would have had somewhat of a counter for Kevin Love. Look, these Cavaliers are on a mission, and they were overwhelming in Game 1, but to see the East again is down and there never was going to be competition for the Cavaliers is B.S. A Heat team with Whiteside and Bosh would have offered something far more compelling than we likely will see at any point of Cavaliers-Raptors until it comes to its merciful end.
Q: If we lose Hassan Whiteside, I think the Heat should pursue Al Horford and/or Pau Gasol. What do you think? -- Pablo, Harrisonburg, Va.
A: First, we won"t know about Hassan until we know in July. But if Whiteside does move on, then I think the Heat will find themselves at a major crossroads: Do they remain in something close to win-now mode to maximize Dwyane Wade"s final years? Or do they either turn to youth or even put off a major free-agency strike until the 2017 offseason, when it is possible that Chris Bosh"s salary comes off their luxury tax? The 2017 free-agency pool is far more compelling than what is available this summer beyond the Kevin Durant pipe dream. But Wade, even with his rejuvenated play this season, only has so many miles left in those knees. That"s why I believe it is so important to retain Hassan, since you still could deal him in the 2017 offseason, if that is when you decide to instead maximize cap space.
Q: If the Heat are still in the win-now mode (and why would they not be?), wouldn"t Micky Arison be willing to open his wallet and pay Dwyane Wade, Hassan Whiteside and Kevin Durant? A lot of talk has been about staying under the cap, but I never heard any talk about possibly paying a luxury tax. Is that completely off the table? -- David, Plantation.
A: You are confusing the salary cap with the luxury tax, which basically is a mechanism that comes into play when you are re-signing your own free agents who have Bird Rights. Because Whiteside does not have full Bird Rights, he basically counts, for cap purposes, as an outside free agent. And when signing someone in Whiteside"s position or a Kevin Durant or other outside free agent, you have to make you entire roster mostly work under the salary cap, which is expected to fall in the $92 million range for 2016-17. And that"s that. There is no spending over the cap in that situation because you are willing to pay the tax. Apples and oranges. So, for the purposes of your question, if Whiteside or Durant (or another outside free agent) is part of the Heat"s plans, then the Heat have to wind up around that $92 million cap (there is a small degree of wiggle room because the NBA has a "soft" cap). Now, if the Heat decide this offseason to only lock up Wade, Luol Deng, Joe Johnson and the team"s free agents from the 2015-16 roster (including Udonis Haslem), then, yes, they could spend into the luxury-tax stratosphere for 2016-17. But it also would mean no incoming outside talent and no Whiteside.
