Sports Buzz: Miami Cheers LeBron James, Heat Beat Cavs
Plus, Clippers have Warriors' number.
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Miami Gives LeBron James Standing Ovation - The Miami Heat crowd and players thanked LeBron James on Christmas day with a standing ovation for his four years—and two NBA titles—with the team from 2010-2014. Then Dwyane Wade showed King James what he's missing in South Beach, dropping 24 of his 31 points in the first half and leading the Heat to a 101-91 home win over the Cleveland Cavaliers. James had 30 points in the loss.fr (Photo: David Santiago/El Nuevo Herald/TNS) Miami Herald/ TNS /LANDOV)
2 / 29
Clippers Have Warriors' Number - Chris Paul used Christmas night to prove that he's still the standard of NBA point guards, totaling 22 points, seven rebounds and four assists in the Los Angeles Clippers' 100-86 home win over the Golden State Warriors. Although neither team shot the ball well, the Clippers were able to avenge an early-season loss to the Warriors. After scoring a seven-game playoff series win over the Warriors last season, the Clippers may have the mental edge against their rivals as well. (Photo: Victor Decolongon/Getty Images)
3 / 29
John Wall-Quincy Acy Get Into Scuffle During Knicks-Wizards Game - After dominating the New York Knicks for over three quarters, the Knicks had enough with John Wall. Knicks forward Quincy Acy knocked the Washington Wizards point guard to the floor and Wall bounced right up to push Acy back. Acy responded with what looked like a thrown forearm and was ejected. Wall was slapped with a technical foul, but the damage via his 24 points, 11 assists and six rebounds in a 102-91 Wizards' road win was done.(Photo: Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images)
4 / 29
Kobe Bryant Misses Second Straight Game - Kobe Bryant rested his sore knees for the second straight game, watching his Los Angeles Lakers fall to the Chicago Bulls on the road, 113-93, on Christmas. "Old age. My knees are sore at this stage of the season," Bryant told ESPN afterwards about why he didn't play. "My Achilles are sore—both of them. My metatarsals are tight, back is tight. I just need to kind of hit the re-set button."(Photo: David Banks/Getty Images)
5 / 29
Marshawn Lynch Fined $11,000 For Obscene Gesture - Remember that career-long 79-yard touchdown run from Marshawn Lynch against the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday? Well, the end of the run, when he grabbed his crotch, cost him $11,000 in a fine by the NFL, as reported by ESPN. (Photo: Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
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6 / 29
Westbrook Runs Wild in Thunder's Upset of Spurs - No Kevin Durant? No problem. With KD out the lineup due to a sprained ankle, Russell Westbrook had 34 points and 11 assists to lead the Oklahoma City Thunder past the San Antonio Spurs, 114-106, on Christmas day in Texas. (Photo: AP Photo/Darren Abate)
7 / 29
Denver Broncos Have Most Players in Pro Bowl - Peyton Manning and his star wide receiver Demaryius Thomas lead a list of nine Denver Broncos players selected to the Pro Bowl. Other Broncos tabbed for the Pro Bowl are offensive lineman Ryan Clady, tight end Julius Thomas and defensive players Chris Harris, Von Miller, Aqib Talib, T.J. Ward and DeMarcus Ware. (Photo: Scott Halleran/Getty Images)
8 / 29
Derrick Rose Leads Bulls Over John Wall and Wizards - Derrick Rose scored a game-high 25 points to lead the Chicago Bulls to a big 99-91 road win over John Wall and the Washington Wizards on Tuesday night. The game marks Chicago's fourth consecutive victory and a second straight solid performance from Rose, who seems to be getting his footing back after recovering from two knee surgeries. The Bulls will host Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers on Christmas day. (Photo: Rob Carr/Getty Images)
9 / 29
Lakers Without Kobe Bryant Shock Warriors - Who expected this? Playing without Kobe Bryant, who took the night off to rest, the Los Angeles Lakers stunned the Golden State Warriors, 115-105, on Tuesday night. Lakers power forward Carlos Boozer scored 18 points off the bench in the upset win. (Photo: Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)
10 / 29
Manti Te'o is Tired of Fake Girlfriend Jokes - Got jokes? Manti Te'o is tired of players teasing him about his notorious catfishing, in which a man pretended to be his girlfriend online, during his college days at Notre Dame. The San Diego Chargers linebacker told San Francisco 49ers' Anthony Davis to "find a new joke," according to TMZ Sports, when Davis joked about his fake girlfriend during the Chargers-49ers game this past Saturday. Te'o's Chargers won the game, though, so who's laughing last?(Photos from left: J. Meric/Getty Images, Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
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11 / 29
Cowboys Will Franchise-Tag Dez Bryant if Need Be - If they can't reach a contract-extension agreement with Dez Bryant, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones says the team is prepared to slap the franchise tag on its star wide receiver. No matter what transpires, though, Jones tells the Fort Worth Star-Telegram that Bryant will play for the Cowboys in 2015. Bryant has 1,221 receiving yards and an NFL-high 14 touchdown receptions this season.(Photos from left: Ronald Martinez/Getty Images, Rick Diamond/Getty Images for Essential Broadcast Media)
12 / 29
Damian Lillard Drops 40 Points, Blazers Top Thunder - Damian Lillard has been playing a like a point guard possessed as of late. The Portland Trail Blazers star point guard not only forced overtime, but made sure his squad edged the Oklahoma City Thunder on the road Thursday night, 115-111. Lillard finished with 40 points, 11 assists and six rebounds in his second 40-point-plus effort in the past four games. (Photo: Alex Goodlett/Getty Images)
13 / 29
Bench-Clearing Brawl Erupts Between Memphis and BYU - The Miami Beach Bowl between Memphis and BYU got ugly after Memphis intercepted a pass to secure the win. That’s when both teams’ benches cleared and an all-out bloody brawl ensued. One Memphis player could be seen swinging his helmet as a weapon, and players had cuts and bruises. The brawl overshadowed an unbelievable 55-48 double-overtime Memphis win.(Photo: Rob Foldy/Getty Images)
14 / 29
San Diego State Basketball Player Collapses on Court - Scary moment Monday night, when San Diego State forward Dwayne Polee II suddenly collapsed on the court against UC Riverside. Polee's parents watched as paramedics tended to him for several minutes as he lay motionless on the hardwood. The crowd at Viejas Arena went silent, until the senior forward regained consciousness and raised his arms to acknowledge the fans as he was taken off the court on a stretcher. Polee will be put through a series of tests Tuesday, according to ESPN. (Photo: AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
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Timberwolves Coach Says Kevin Love Will Get Icy Reception in Minnesota - If there’s anyone who knows the climate of Minnesota Timberwolves’ fans, it’s Flip Saunders. The T-Wolves' part-owner, president and coach will lead Minnesota into Quicken Loans Arena on Tuesday night to face the Cleveland Cavaliers and ex-Timberwolves power forward Kevin Love for the first time since trading him this past off-season. Although Saunders says he doesn’t hold a grudge against Love for wanting out of Minnesota, he thinks Timberwolves' fans are a different story. "Minnesota people are pretty loyal. You turn on Minnesota, they don't forgive you," Saunders told ESPN. "So I think people probably appreciated him while he was here. But you leave under the terms that he did, just the way Minnesota people are, they're not pretty forgiving along those lines." After visiting the Cavalie...
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16 / 29
Geno Smith Says a Jets Coaching Change Could Be Good - Relating going through a coaching change at West Virginia to possibly going through one with the New York Jets, Geno Smith told ESPN that change could be a positive thing. "To reset and readjust is a tough thing to do, but we're professionals and we have to do it," Smith said. "A change could be good for us all, so if it happens — when it happens — then we'll see." Smith was asked the question because all speculation leads to Jets coach Rex Ryan and possibly general manager John Idzik being fired once the season ends this weekend. The Jets are 3-12 in one of their worst seasons in franchise history.(Photo: Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images)
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Bengals Edge Broncos - Cincinnati Bengals rookie running back Jeremy Hill rushed for 147 yards and a touchdown to lead the Bengals to a 37-28 home victory over the Denver Broncos on Monday Night Football. The Bengals secured the big win with cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick's late interception return for a touchdown. The Bengals' defense recorded three interceptions of Peyton Manning. (Photo: Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
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Byron Scott Wants to Reduce Kobe Bryant's Playing Time - Byron Scott wants to come up with a plan to reduce Kobe Bryant's minutes and preserve the 36-year-old shooting guard over the course of the full 2014-15 season. "You know him," Scott told ESPN. "It's real difficult. He's such a competitor. He wants to go out there and play every minute that he can. The mind is willing, but sometimes the body is not." Despite being one of the oldest players in the NBA, Bryant remains effective, averaging 24.6 points in 35 minutes per game. (Photo: Hannah Foslien/Getty Images)
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Tony Parker Returns, Leads Spurs to Win Over Clippers - After missing the past five games with a strained left hamstring, Tony Parker scored 26 points to lead the San Antonio Spurs to a 125-118 home victory over the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday night. The defending champion Spurs also got 19 points and 10 assists off the bench from Manu Ginobili. (Photo: AP Photo/Darren Abate)
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James Harden Pours in 44 Points - James Harden made a statement Monday night against the Portland Trail Blazers, the same team that eliminated his Houston Rockets from last season's playoffs. Harden looked like a man possessed, scoring 31 points by halftime and winding up with 44 to lead the Rockets to a 110-95 home win over the Blazers. (Photo: Scott Halleran/Getty Images)
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21 / 29
Detroit Pistons Release Josh Smith - In a shocking move, the Detroit Pistons waived forward Josh Smith on Monday. "Our team has not performed the way we had expected throughout the first third of the season and adjustments need to be made in terms of our focus and direction," Pistons coach Stan Van Gundy said in a release, as reported by MLive.com. "We are shifting priorities to aggressively develop our younger players while also expanding the roles of other players in the current rotation to improve performance and build for our future. As we expand certain roles, others will be reduced. "In fairness to Josh, being a highly versatile 10-year veteran in this league, we feel it's best to give him his freedom to move forward, he added. "We have full respect for Josh as a player and a person." Smith had j...
22 / 29
Florida State Clears Jameis Winston of School Code Violation - Now, Jameis Winston can concentrate on football only. Florida State University ruled Sunday that its star quarterback didn’t violate the school’s student conduct code during his alleged involvement in a sexual assault stemming from December 2012. According to ESPN, Florida Supreme Court Justice Major Harding wrote that the evidence was "insufficient to satisfy the burden of proof," thus clearing Winston of any possible violation. "We will consider an appeal but right now we feel a little duped," said Baine Kerr, one of the victims attorneys, in an emailed statement to ESPN. "At some point we have to recognize that Florida State is never going to hold [Jameis] Winston responsible." Winston and the second-ranked Seminoles will face No. 3 Oregon in the Rose Bowl on New Year’s Day in Pasadena,...
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Seahawks Move Into First Place in NFC West - After a rocky 3-3 start, the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks have gotten their swagger back. The Seahawks scored a huge 35-6 road victory over the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday Night Football, tying the Cards’ 11-4 record for first in the NFC West division. Seattle also owns the tiebreaker for the division crown via its two wins over Arizona and can clinch the NFC’s No. 1 seed with a win over the St. Louis Rams next weekend. The Seahawks piled up a franchise-record 596 yards against the Cardinals on Sunday night, including 113 on the ground from running back Marshawn Lynch and 339 via the air from quarterback Russell Wilson. (Photo: Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
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Cowboys Thrash Colts, Clinch NFC East - No choking this time. The Dallas Cowboys thrashed the Indianapolis Colts 42-7 on Sunday to clinch the NFC East division title. Tony Romo threw for 218 yards and four touchdowns, prompting pleads for MVP consideration from Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and star wide receiver Dez Bryant. "Hell yeah, he is. He's the MVP," Bryant told ESPN of Romo. "Look at the performance. He's giving 'em hell in December. Icing on the cake. Give it to him. He's doing a hell of a job." (Photo: Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
25 / 29
Cavaliers Pick Up Win Over Grizzlies - LeBron James led the Cleveland Cavaliers with 25 points and 11 assists Sunday, but got the helping hand from teammate Dion Waiters when the Cavs needed scoring most. Waiters dropped 13 of his 21 points in the fourth quarter to lead the Cavs to a big 105-91 home victory over the Memphis Grizzlies, who were without star power forward Zach Randolph (sore right knee). With the win, the Cavs improved to 16-10 on the season, handing the Grizzlies (21-6) their sixth loss of the year. (Photo: Jason Miller/Getty Images)
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26 / 29
Paul Pierce Says Wizards Need to Build Better Habits - With 16 years in the NBA, Paul Pierce has seen it all. After the Washington Wizards’ 105-103 win over the Miami Heat on Friday night, Pierce told the Washington Post that the Wiz need to tighten up on the defensive end. "We got to build ourselves on great habits," Pierce said. "Tonight I wasn't happy with the defense, especially against a team struggling to score 100 points. We allowed them to shoot too high of a percentage. So them aren't the habits we want to have throughout the course [of the season]." “The Truth” is definitely striving for perfection, as Washington is allowing 97.1 points per game, which makes it a Top 10 defensive team in the NBA. (Photo: Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
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Dikembe Mutombo Talks Passing the Finger-Wag to J.J. Watt - Dikembe Mutombo made his finger-wag famous after blocking shots throughout his NBA career. Houston Texans star defensive end J.J. Watt has continued the tradition by using the finger-wag after batting down quarterbacks’ passes. On Sunday, when Mutombo met with Watt before the Texans-Baltimore Ravens game, the NBA legend had a special message for the NFL star. “I was just telling him that he's just a copycat and I'm the original," Mutombo joked to ESPN. “I cannot pass all of my recipe to him. I want him to pay some royalty for using my finger wag." Watt’s Texans scored a 25-13 home win over the Ravens on Sunday to keep Houston's AFC playoff hopes alive. (Photo: Bob Levey/Getty Images)
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NBA Commissioner Says No Team Is Trying to Tank - Despite the Philadelphia 76ers being one of the worst teams in the NBA last season and the worst team in the league right now at 2-23, Adam Silver doesn’t think the franchise is tanking their games. "I absolutely don't think any team is trying to lose," the league’s commissioner told ESPN. "No player is going out there to lose. In terms of management, I think there's an absolute legitimate rebuilding process that goes on. It's so hard to win in this league, and it's so complex. I think what's happened in the case of Philadelphia — their strategy has been reduced into a tweet. This notion, 'be bad to be good.' When it gets reduced into a headline, I understand the reaction." (Photo: Michael Loccisano/Getty Images for Sports Illustrated)