TUESDAY, JUNE 16, 2015 SPORTS More heartbreak looms for Cleveland sports fans CLEVELAND: Cleveland sports fans championship team in any major pro Broncos 98 yards in 15 plays over 5:02 to 1995 and the then-Florida Marlins in hometown cheer once more by return- have suffered so much heartache in 51 sport-when the Cleveland Browns won level the game at 20-20 with 37 seconds 1997, the latter after being three outs ing last July, vowing to make the Cavs a years without a champion that the most the 1964 NFL crown. remaining in the fourth quarter. Denver from victory in game seven. The original champion. painful moments have their own names: It’s the longest such hoodoo for any won 23-20 on an over-time field goal. Browns were relocated to Baltimore in During the playoff run, James and The Shot, The Drive and The Fumble. city in US history, covering 156 com- “The Fumble” came in a 1988 Broncos- 1996 by owner Art Modell and won Cavs coach Dave Blatt met 1964 Browns Now the Cleveland Cavaliers are on bined seasons of futility for the Browns rematch, again with a Super Super Bowls as the Ravens in 2001 and running back Jim Brown, James even the verge of adding another chapter to Cavaliers, Browns and baseball’s Bowl berth on the line. 2013 while Cleveland was given an bowing to the 79-year-old American that legacy of frustration as they face a Cleveland Indians. A National Hockey Denver led 38-31 in the fourth quar- expansion team named the Browns that football legend as he sat at courtside must-win situation in today’s sixth game League team, the Barons, lasted only ter when Browns rusher Earnest Byner lost its lone playoff game in 2002 and before game three. “What he means to of the NBA Finals. two seasons before merging with a rival. took a handoff and looked set for a has had only two winning seasons in 16 this city, this community, what he The Golden State Warriors seized a 3- “I understand the drought our city touchdown before he fumbled and campaigns. means to sports and to myself is 2 lead in the best-of-seven title series has been in as far as a major champi- Denver recovered at its 2-yard line. The So Cleveland fans were overjoyed unprecedented, so it was great to see with a 104-91 home victory Sunday, onship, so it’s a huge motivation inside Broncos allowed an intentional safety, when the Cavaliers landed the top pick him there,” James said of the eight-time meaning the Cavaliers must win of me,” Cavaliers star LeBron James said. but won 38-33. “The Shot” came in the in the 2003 NBA Draft and selected NFL rushing champion who was elected Tuesday at home to force a seventh “It has helped me get to this point, but first round of the 1989 NBA playoffs James, a prep star from nearby Akron. to the gridiron Hall of Fame in 1971 and game Thursday in California. If the I’m not done. I’m going to command a with Chicago and Cleveland level at 2-2 He even led the Cavs into the 2007 NBA later became an actor and civil rights Warriors, who had the NBA’s best record lot out of myself and hopefully we’re when Michael Jordan made the game- Finals, where they were swept by San activist. and top-scoring attack, can muster one able to come through.” Cleveland sports winning basket at the buzzer of game Antonio. “I was a huge football fan when I was more win, it will be another near-miss supporters can only hope. five to eliminate the Cavs. But James broke Cleveland fans’ a kid and Jim Brown was one of my for long-suffering fans in Cleveland. “The Drive” came in 1987 in the NFL’s The Indians, who have not won hearts in 2010 by leaving for Miami, idols,” Blatt said. “Jim told me, ‘Hey, it’s More than a half-century has passed American Conference final when Denver Major League Baseball’s crown since where he won two titles and reached about time we win another one here.’ I since cursed Cleveland celebrated a quarterback John Elway guided the 1948, lost the World Series to Atlanta in the finals twice more, then made his said, ‘Nothing I’d like better.’” —AFP Blackhawks sight Stanley Cup CHICAGO: The Chicago Blackhawks are on Dahlbeck and a 2015 first-round draft the verge of winning their third Stanley pick. But Vermette has found a groove. He Cup championship in six years thanks to has three game-winners in his last nine the performance of depth players like games, including two in the Stanley Cup Antoine Vermette in Game Five. final, and has been dominant in the face- Vermette’s game-winning goal in off circle. Chicago’s 2-1 win against the Tampa Bay “Right off the get-go, this was a great Lightning on Saturday has the Blackhawks opportunity for me,” he said. “I want to a victory away from celebrating another make the best out of it. This is a special NHL title. team. “This is all fun right now. But there’s Game Six is set for the United Center in a lot of work still ahead.” Chicago on Monday. It is an opportunity The Blackhawks are well aware how for the Blackhawks to celebrate their first close this series has been despite their Stanley Cup title on home ice since 1938. back-to-back victories. No team in the They won their last three champi- final has enjoyed more than a one-goal onships on the road in 1960-61, 2009-10 lead at any time in the five games and and 2012-13. “I’m sure it will be crazy over each game-winner has been scored in the the next two days in town,” Blackhawks third period. The Lightning also overcame coach Joel Quenneville said. “The buzz will a 3-2 deficit in the first round to oust the be off the charts. Looking forward to it.” Detroit Red Wings. This has Tampa coach There was a time when Quenneville did Jon Cooper confident about another not look forward to finding a spot in the comeback. lineup for the 32-year-old Vermette. He “There wasn’t head hanging (after OAKLAND: Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (left) reaches for the ball next to Golden State Warriors guard Shaun Livingston during was scratched for the first two postseason Game Five),” he said. “They were ticked off. the second half of Game 5 of basketball’s NBA Finals. —AP games and again in Game Three of the It’s not the first time we’ve blown a situa- Western Conference final against the tion at home, gone on the road and dug Anaheim Ducks. our heels in. We’ve done this all playoffs Warriors one win from NBA title It was not a good situation because the long. “If I’m going to be behind a bench Blackhawks paid a hefty price in acquiring and want a team in this playoffs, it’s this him from the Arizona Coyotes on Feb. 28 one right here. We’re looking forward to CLEVELAND: The Golden State Warriors won the Andrew Bogut to return to their run-and-gun Four (at home), we can’t repeat that or they will in exchange for defenseman Klas Game Six. —Reuters battle of small-ball and defeated the Cleveland style in a 21-point Game Four victory, Cleveland raise the trophy for sure.” Cavaliers 104-91 on Sunday to move within a responded by limiting starting center Timofey With the Cavs battling through limited depth win of their first NBA title in 40 years. Mozgov to just nine minutes on Sunday. and ever piling minutes for James, they kept the Stephen Curry scored 37 points and the The move kept Cleveland close deep into the game close until the fourth where the night Warriors withstood a 40-point triple-double fourth quarter until Andre Iguodala scored five turned into a face-off between James and Curry. Busch wins from LeBron James to grab a 3-2 lead in the straight points to put Golden State ahead 91-84 James silenced the crowd with a deep three- best-of-seven series. With the Golden State fan with less than four minutes remaining. pointer that gave the Cavs an 80-79 edge, but base starving for a title, the Oracle Arena crowd Curry, who scored 17 points in the fourth, Curry responded with a behind-the-back pull-up chanted “one more to go” following the win. The added two late three-pointers and free throws to three-pointer of his own on the next possession NASCAR race Warriors can clinch their first championship help seal the win. Iguodala finished with 14 and Golden State never trailed again. since 1975 with a win in Game Six today in points, eight rebounds and seven assists. James Much had been made about the defensive Cleveland. Their Game Five win was a battle of tallied 14 rebounds and 11 assists for his second job that Cleveland guard Matthew Dellavedova BROOKLYN: Kurt Busch won his second IndyCar Series and in the GTE Pro catego- speed, with both teams benching their big men triple-double of the series. had done against Curry during the Finals, but as a strategic move. “It was a chess match and Cleveland’s Tristan Thompson had 19 points Golden State’s MVP broke out in a big way to NASCAR Sprint Cup race of the season, a ry at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.