CLEVELAND -- There may have been only one game involving a Cleveland sports team on Wednesday night, but there was plenty of newsworthy things that happened on the sports scene along the North Coast.
Here are the top four sports headlines for Thursday, January 28th.
CAVALIERS EARN WIN OVER SUNS
Two of the Cleveland Cavaliers’ (32-12) “Big Three,” small forward LeBron James and power forward Kevin Love, had successful shooting nights against the Phoenix Suns at Quicken Loans Arena, and that combined effort led them to a 115-93 victory, their second straight under new coach Tyronn Lue.
James converted seven of his eight attempts from the field, with his only miss coming from three-point range, and all seven of his free throws. In addition to the co-leading 21-points, James handed out nine assists and pulled down three defensive rebounds.
Like James, Love also scored 21 points. Love knocked down eight of his 17 attempts from the field and three of his eight three-point tries. To go along with the most field goals he has attempted in a game where both James and point guard Kyrie Irving also played, Love corralled 11 rebounds, handed out four assists, stole two passes and blocked a pair of shots.
In addition to James and Love, the Cavaliers got double-digit scoring efforts from shooting guard J.R. Smith (18 points, four of six from three-point range), reserve center Timofey Mozgov (10) and small forward Richard Jefferson (14).
The Cavaliers knocked down 45 of their 81 attempts (55.6 percent) and 11 of their 28 three-pointers, outscored the Suns, 48-38, in the paint and 19-8 on fast breaks.
LUE NAMED ALL-STAR HEAD COACH
Lue may have coached just three regular-season games, but he will lead the Eastern Conference at the NBA All-Star Game at Toronto’s Air Canada Centre on February 14, the league announced midway through the Cavaliers’ win over the Suns.
With the victory over Phoenix, the Cavaliers (72.7 winning percentage) clinched the best record in the Eastern Conference, thus earning their head coach the right to lead the respective league in the 65th NBA All-Star Game, the first-ever to be held outside of the United States.
BROWNS NAME VP OF PLAYER PERSONNEL
The Cleveland Browns have named Andrew Berry their new Vice President of Player Personnel, the team announced in a release Wednesday night.
Berry has spent the last seven seasons in the front office of the Indianapolis Colts, the last four of which he served as their pro scouting coordinator.
“I am truly excited about the opportunity to work with the Cleveland Browns,” Berry said in a release announcing the hire. “I look forward to collaborating with Hue, Sashi, Paul (DePodesta) and the personnel staff to make the most informed decisions to benefit our organization.
“Hue is an outstanding coach with a diversity of expertise and proven track record of success, while I think Sashi and Paul are two of the brightest minds in all of professional sports. Jimmy and Dee (Haslam) have made it clear that they are committed to providing a winning team to the most passionate fan base in the NFL and this is a fantastic opportunity to contribute to building the perennial contender that Browns fans deserve.”
The cum laude graduate of Harvard with a Bachelor’s degree in economics and Master’s in computer science in just four years, Berry started his professional career with the Colts as a scouting assistant in 2009. He became a pro scout in 2011 and was elevated to the position of pro scouting coordinator in 2012.
During Berry’s time in Indianapolis, the Colts won 67 games, four AFC South Division championships, made five trips to the playoffs and played in Super Bowl XLIV.
DONOVAN TO BE HONORED TONIGHT
WKYC Sports Anchor Jim Donovan always dreamed of being a sportscaster like the ones he grew up listening to and emulating in his hometown of Boston, Massachusetts, and that goal became a reality when he was named the radio voice of the Browns in 1999.
After wanting to be like the broadcasters he looked up to at Fenway Park and Boston Garden, Donovan will take his place among the best to have ever plied their trade in Cleveland, as he will be honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Greater Cleveland Sports Awards tonight.
“When I first came to Cleveland, I would’ve never thought I would’ve been here 31 years,” Donovan said. “I was thinking 31 days to be quite honest with you because I really didn’t know a great deal about doing television at the time.
“I was doing a lot of radio. I didn’t know that I could actually do the job. I knew the stakes were very high. There was a lot of turnover at Channel 3 at the time, so I didn’t know I was going to make it 31 days, believe it or not, but it’s a real honor.
“When you come from out of town and you come into a city, sometimes, you only think you’re going to be there a couple of years at best, and so, to be here 31 years and have everything that’s happened to me here in Cleveland, it’s just really amazing.”
