Baseball loses In Section B: Section big personality NASCAR Joe Garagiola, one of the game’s Page B3 average players but a popular C Thursday, broadcaster and all-around nice March 24, Page C5 guy, dies at 90. 2016 WWW.CHRONICLET.COM CAVALIERS 113, BUCKS 104 JIM INGRAHAM New-buddy system? Consistent mode might be something LeBron finds plenty of support Cavs could try as Cavs move ball, beat Bucks Just so you know, I’ll be Rick Noland and eight assists for the Cavs (51-20), going into playoff mode Fri- The Chronicle-Telegram while Love had 24 points, 10 boards TONIGHT WHO: day. Probably sometime in the CLEVELAND — LeBron James and four assists and Irving had 16, early to mid-afternoon. Say Cleveland dreams of one day playing — and eight and eight while playing on his 1:15-ish, something like that. 24th birthday. vs. Brooklyn winning — with close friends TIME: I’ve got a of couple errands to Thompson was tremendous off the 7:30 Dwyane Wade, Carmelo Anthony and WHERE: run, so it depends on how bench, finishing with 13 points and 10 Chris Paul. Barclays that goes. boards, while J.R. Smith had 13 points Guys like Kevin Love, Kyrie Irving Center, But, I suspect, by 3:21 p.m. and Timofey Mozgov had 10. and Tristan Thompson were more Brooklyn, at the latest, I’ll be solidly in “It is great basketball,” James said. N.Y. playoff mode. than enough Wednesday, as the Cava- “Everyone is in a great rhythm.” TV/RADIO: It’s actually pretty good tim- liers moved the ball extremely well Cleveland has won 10 of its last 13 FS Ohio; ing, because I’m already in while defeating the Milwaukee Bucks games, but James once again WEOL home improvement mode, 113-104 at Quicken Loans Arena. became the focal point after a story 930-AM, personal hygiene mode and There were tons of individual by Bleacher Report quoted him as WTAM pie a la mode. numbers on a night when neither saying he’d be willing to take a pay 1100-AM, Speaking of people who team played a ton of defense until cut in order to fulfill a dream and WMMS have a lot on their plate, AP the final quarter, which Cleveland play with longtime friends Wade, 100.7-FM, La Mega LeBron James has LeBron James throws down one of several dunks he won 22-17. Anthony and Paul. 87.7-FM “announced” that he has gone had Wednesday on the way to a 26-point performance. James had 26 points, six rebounds See CAVS, C4 into playoff mode as well. Not sure why he felt the need to officially announce that — why not let the Warriors try to FOOTBALL BROWNS figure it out themselves? — but so be it. Maybe LeBron was trying to light a fire under his frequently Goodell: Gordon undermotivated teammates. LeBron may now be in playoff mode, but the Cavs too fre- case still pending quently play like they are not even in regular-season mode. At any given time this sea- Scott Petrak league will have a ruling when son, the team’s mode and The Chronicle-Telegram “appropriate.” mood can drive you mad. NFL Commissioner Roger “I have scheduled when I get Depending on the day of the Goodell hasn’t met with sus- back to New York sometime in week, the Cavs can run the pended Browns receiver Josh thenextweekorsotogetan gamut from unstoppable to Gordon, isn’t sure if he will and update on that,” Goodell said inexplicable. They are a riddle might not make a decision Wednesday at a news confer- wrapped in a mystery inside about his reinstatement for a ence at the owners meetings in an enigma. In some games couple of weeks. Boca Raton, Fla. they play so well they look like Gordon was indefinitely “Our staff has been working a runaway train. In others, suspended for his latest viola- on it. We’re obviously aware of they barely even show up. tion of the league’s substance it. Soon as we have an oppor- Surely they lead the league abuse policy and sat out all of tunity to see it. No decision in number of times letting KRISTIN BAUER / CHRONICLE PHOTOS 2015. He applied for reinstate- yet.” teams they are blowing out Hundreds of people line up outside the new Panera Bread, outside of Chestnut ment on or before Jan. 20, but In order to earn reinstate- back into games. This, among ment, Gordon must’ve passed other Cavs calling cards, is not Commons, to meet former Ohio State star running back Ezekiel Elliott. Below, Goodell hasn’t rendered a Helen Dronsfield, of Wellington, and her grandson, Jonah Stump, 8, meet Elliott. decision. every drug test over the last a championship trait, which year and convince the league begs the question of whether The policy calls for a deci- sion within 60 days but a he’s committed to staying on the Cavs are legitimate cham- the right path. pionship timber. league spokesman said that’s BROWNS, Granted, they have won 51 not a rigid requirement and the See C3 of their first 71 games. But A favorite Buckeye when they changed coaches, ostensibly to improve the INDIANS team, the opposite happened. Fans willing At least statistically. Their win- ning percentage has plunged to wait to over 32 points since the change: it was .732 (30-11) meet OSU Tribe unleashes under David Blatt, .700 (21-9) under Tyronn Lue. star Elliott The players didn’t like play- long ball in win ing for Blatt. They suppos- Shaun Bennett edly like playing for Lue, but The Chronicle-Telegram you’d never know it. Their Gary Schatz “Naquin’s doing everything ELYRIA — Ohio State run- The Associated Press he can do,” Indians manager defense since the coaching ning back Ezekiel Elliott Terry Francona said. “We’ll get change has gone from solid doesn’t bat an eyelash when GOODYEAR, Ariz. — Offense to a point where we start to do to solid waste. exploding between a pair of topped pitching for a change some things. You don’t want to Their attention span? For- 300-pound tackles during a Wednesday for the Cleveland do them too early, but he’s get it. Under Lue, the Cavs Division I football game. Indians. done a really good job.” have shown that when they He doesn’t break a sweat Tyler Naquin homered twice Lindor and Kipnis hit consec- don’t feel like playing, they when facing off against the But Elliott’s eyes were shows how much love there is and Francisco Lindor and Jason REALLY don’t feel like playing. utive homers in the first inning. rival Michigan Wolverines in wide Wednesday night as he from the Ohio State fanbase, Kipnis also homered, powering Entering their game Wednes- It was the first for Lindor and front of 110,000 at the Big walked into the tent outside and you can’t be anything but the Indians to a 7-6 win over the day vs. Milwaukee, the Cavs’ third for Kipnis, who also tripled House in Ann Arbor. the new Panera on Chestnut grateful to these fans.” Kansas City Royals. last four losses were the kind Naquin, the Indians’ first and scored in the third. He even remained cool Ridge where nearly 600 fans Elliott has earned the ado- of losses that sometimes get pick in the 2012 draft, hit his Napoli signed with the Indi- under pressure while racking were waiting to meet him. ration from the Buckeye fan- coaches fired, except the Cavs up 246 rushing yards during “This is pretty intimidating first two home runs of the ans to play first base and desig- base during his three seasons have already tried that, and it the national championship … walking up here and seeing spring. He also doubled and nated hitter along with Carlos of work at Ohio State. didn’t work. game against the Oregon this long line of Buckeyes fans,” scored on an RBI single by Santana. See INGRAHAM, C4 Ducks two seasons ago. Elliott said. “It’s a credit to and See ELLIOTT, C3 Mike Napoli. 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