also taught him much.OK, now I get it, Johnson said of Federer. You realize when he hits these shots and

CLEVELAND -- LeBron James pulled down a full-court pass from Kevin Love, threw down a dunk and gave the touchdown signal on his way up the court.Times are good for the defending NBA champions.Love scored 27 points, Kyrie Irving added 25 and the Cleveland Cavaliers led by as many as 45 points in a 128-90 rout of the Dallas Mavericks on Friday night.Love hit seven 3-pointers while Irving, who made his first 10 shots, scored 19 points in the first quarter. Irvings big quarter came two nights after Love scored an NBA-record 34 in the first against Portland.James, playing in his 1,000th regular-season game, had 19 points and 11 assists. The games signature moment came when Love found James streaking down the right side of the court for the play that thrilled the crowd.Ive been in that position quite a lot, said James, who played wide receiver in high school. Kevs been doing those outlet passes. Its up to him. Hes the quarterback. Im just the receiver.The highlight-reel play came the day before the entire Cavaliers team will attend the college football game between Ohio State and Michigan.The Cavs faced little resistance from the team with the leagues worst record. Dallas scored the games first basket before the Cavaliers turned the game into a rout. Cleveland led 36-16 after one quarter and was ahead 68-28 late in the second.It was a horrible performance by us and a great performance by them, Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle said. We simply must be better and compete better. Its very disappointing.Cleveland led 110-65 early in the fourth quarter. The Cavaliers made 20 of 43 3-point attempts and have made at least 10 3-pointers in every game this season.Guys are really starting to come along, coach Tyronn Lue said. When we shoot the ball like this were hard to beat.Cleveland scored 137 points Wednesday, hitting a team-record 21 3-pointers. Love has made 15 of 21 3-point attempts in the last two games.Im shooting the shots that are there, not hesitating and catching a rhythm, he said. Its been there the last two games and all season long.Dirk Nowitzki, who appeared in only his fifth game of the season because of an injured right Achilles, scored 15 points for Dallas. The Mavericks (2-13) have lost eight straight.Mavericks guard Deron Williams (strained left calf) returned after missing the last four games. He scored four points in 15 minutes and didnt play in the second half.Cavaliers forward Channing Frye has been excused from the team following the death of his father, Thomas, on Thanksgiving. Fryes mother, Karen Mulzac-Frye, passed away last month following a battle with cancer.TIP-INSMavericks: The game marked only the third time this season Dallas has started its projected lineup. ... G Seth Curry was booed when he entered the game in the first quarter. Currys brother, Stephen, has been booed frequently during the NBA Finals when Cleveland played Golden State the last two seasons.Cavaliers: James became the 11th active player to appear in 1,000 games, with 706 coming with Cleveland. ... Love fell on top of a fan chasing a loose ball in the third quarter. He slapped hands with the fan during the next stoppage of play.TOUGH STRETCHNot only have the Mavericks been riddled by injuries, their recent schedule has added to the problems. Dallas played San Antonio (13-3) on Sunday and the Los Angeles Clippers (14-3) on Tuesday before losing to the Cavaliers (12-2). After playing New Orleans on Sunday, the Mavericks meet the Spurs again on Wednesday.UP NEXTMavericks: Host New Orleans on Sunday. Dallas is 22-3 all-time against the Pelicans at home, but lost their last meeting by a 105-98 score on Jan. 2.Cavaliers: Travel to Philadelphia for the second time this season Sunday. Cleveland edged the 76ers 102-101 in Philly on Nov. 5.Oscar Gamble Jersey . -- Charlie Graham stopped 67 shots as the Belleville Bulls edged the visiting Guelph Storm 6-5 on Saturday in Ontario Hockey League action. Jefry Rodriguez Indians Jersey . The Croatian served 21 aces and hit 42 winners against Sijsling, who double-faulted to give Cilic a 4-3 lead in the deciding set. "All the players, they know me and they were really happy to see me and they were really happy that this is over for me," Cilic said. https://www.cheapindiansonline.com/ . Now, with Game 6 set for Fenway Park and an 8:07 p.m. ET first pitch, the Detroit Tigers face the unenviable task of having to beat the Boston Red Sox twice, on the road, to advance to the World Series. John Lowenstein Indians Jersey . Scott Kazmir allowed four hits in seven shutout innings, Michael Brantley hit a two-run homer in a three-run first inning and the Indians maintained their hold on an AL wild-card spot with a 4-1 win over the Houston Astros on Saturday night. Adam Plutko Indians Jersey .05 million next season unless Graham and the Saints subsequently agree on a long-term deal. The designation was released Monday after the deadline passed for NFL teams to use franchise or transition tags on players becoming free agents.RIO DE JANEIRO -- If youre a casual sports fan, aware of tennis only through the likes of Serena, Roger or Novak, you hear the name Steve Johnson and one word springs to mind: Who?But as the Olympic tennis tournament heads toward its final stretch here, the 26-year-old American realizes the chance a stage like Rio provides. Its a chance to make his name stand out.It just doesnt get much bigger than this for me, he said, sitting under the stands at center court here on a day when all matches were suspended because of rain, including both of Johnsons scheduled matches.The bearded right-hander with a booming serve and a hard-spinning forehand has slipped quietly under the radar here. He is suddenly a few victories away from winning medals in both singles and doubles. In the singles round of 16, he is the favorite to win against Russian Evgeny Donskoy on Thursday. In doubles, Johnson and partner Jack Sock have served their way into the semifinals. Theyre a strong enough tandem to have a solid chance at gold.To be in my first Olympics and in this spot right now, to have [two medals] an attainable goal in the next four or five days, its something truly remarkable, Johnson said.Beyond his next singles match, Johnson understands that his draw is extremely rough. His opponent in the quarterfinals would likely be Andy Murray. But having toiled first in the American college ranks before rising slowly through the unforgiving ATP World Tour, Johnson is not the type to back down. Anything can happen, said Johnson, who reached a career-high ranking of No. 21 just a few weeks back. Its mens pro tennis. Nothing is set in stone.Tennis is as top-heavy a sport as there is. All the attention goes to the top stars. The stories of the strong but not spectacular players are often skipped over. They are generally seen as early-round Grand Slam fodder for the biggies. Rio provides a real opportunity for someone like Johnson, who might have been left off the U.S. team if two higher-ranked players -- John Isner and Sam Querrey -- had not opted out of the Games.Johnson shares little with a high-tensile star such as Murray, one of the biggest names in global sports. Murrray turned professional as a teen and has won $49 million in prize money and 38 titles, three of them Grand Slams.dddddddddddd.In four full-time years on tour, Johnson has one singles title and $2.5 million to his name. But he is unbothered by his comparatively paltry résumé or his late start. I was not ready at 18, he said. If I turned pro at 18, there is no way I would be here now. I had so much to learn. I found a love for tennis and the work ethic I needed in college.Little-known fact: Johnson isnt just the rare top-100 pro tennis player who played college tennis for four years. Hes the most decorated player in mens NCAA history. At USC, he won four Division I team titles to go along with two singles championships, and he strung together what is almost certainly the longest winning streak in college tennis history: 72 matches.He has probably the most gifted right arm Ive ever seen, said his former USC coach, Peter Smith, who knows something about the subject matter. Smith was a frequent practice partner for Pete Sampras when the eventual 14-time major champion was on the rise.Johnson -- 6-foot-2 and 190 pounds -- entered the wily world of pro tennis in 2012. It took him two years to make it into the top 100. But he stayed at it. Last summer, he was No. 49. This year, he won his first tournament, on the grass at Nottingham, England. A few days later, he faced Federer in Wimbledons round of 16. It was a 6-2, 6-3, 7-5 loss, but it also taught him much.OK, now I get it, Johnson said of Federer. You realize when he hits these shots and finds his way out of tricky situations with such ease, thats just what he does and why hes arguably the best ever.Can that kind of match -- a learning experience against an all-timer on the biggest stage -- translate into more success here at Rio?Hed like to think so. A perfect world means getting gold, he said.Is that realistic for a guy with his pedigree?Why not? he said.A necessary answer, and just the proper attitude for a little-known righty trying to make his name stand out. ' ' '