Cavs' Start to 2016 NBA Playoffs Isn't Just Dominant, It's Downright Historic

After pulling ahead at the end of the first half and finishing the drill with a 108-89 Game 2 win over the Toronto Raptors in the Eastern Conference Finals on Thursday, the Cleveland Cavaliers are now a remarkable 10-0 during the 2016 postseason. They've completed a first-round sweep against the Detroit Pistons, taken down the Atlanta Hawks with nary a blemish and defended their home court with two straight victories against their Canadian foes. 

With LeBron James leading the show—he even posted a triple-double in this latest outing—and Kyrie Irving playing like his sights are set on winning Finals MVP, head coach Tyronn Lue can now claim the most consecutive postseason victories to begin a coaching career:

Guus Hiddink reported good news ahead of our FA Cup sixth round tie at Everton, with John Terry set to travel to Merseyside and Eden Hazard available for selection.

Speaking to the media at Cobham, Hiddink outlined the determination within the group to bounce back from the disappointment of our midweek Champions League exit and secure a place in the semi-finals of a competition he helped us win in 2009 courtesy of a final victory against tomorrow’s opponents.

'We had a difficult loss,' he said. 'Of course there is always disappointment, we only had two days to recover physically and psychologically.

'It’s always a blow when you are knocked out, it’s a setback but the players have to respond. Physically we can do that but mentally we must also be resilient.'

Terry hasn’t played since limping out of our 5-1 win over Newcastle last month but the captain, whose next appearance for the club will be his 700th, has trained in the last few days and could be involved according to Hiddink.

‘He worked rather well in the past days and he will be included in the travelling list,’ said the Chelsea manager. ‘Of course, he has not practiced a lot in the last weeks and days. I will see today whether there is a reaction to yesterday’s training. I would like him to travel to Liverpool.’

Hazard, meanwhile, was forced out of the game against PSG 13 minutes from time and it later came to light the Belgian had started the match despite carrying an injury.

Hiddink acknowledged the winger isn’t 100 per cent fit right now, but he should play at least some part tomorrow.

‘He is not absent of injury,’ said the Blues boss. ‘You can have an injury where you cannot play but you can have one where you can play but you are not fully fit.

‘That also has an influence on the freshness and it’s true that’s a worry. He will be okay. He will be available. He’s desperate to participate in the team performance.’

Another player who went off injured on Wednesday was the in-form Diego Costa, whose first-half strike had drawn us level on the night.

‘He went off and had some problems,’ added Hiddink. ‘Yesterday he had rest and treatment, today the same, so I will see how he is. It’s in his hip.’

When we won, it was beautiful to go up the stairs and see the players and the captain grabbing the cup, and I happened to be the last one and to have it also, that was a thrilling moment. The FA Cup not just in England but worldwide is recognised as the cup to win. I was fined later because I smoked a celebration cigar in Wembley!’ he smiles.

But that was then and this is now, and no one doubts the 2016 version of Everton will pose a stiff test as the two teams vie for a place in the last-four. Some of their squad remain from the 2009 final, players such as Tim Howard, Tony Hibbert, Leighton Baines, Leon Osman and Steven Pienaar.

‘Not all the players are there any more but that game is of course in the history of Everton as well,’ notes Hiddink, ‘and I think they are very keen also to do well in the FA Cup to make it a good season, so it will be very tough going up there.’ 

It is the quarter-final stage this weekend but our FA Cup tie against Everton cannot help but stir memories of our manager’s previous meeting with the Merseysiders in this competition.

The FA Cup final in 2009 was unusually late in May and the weather was befitting the start of summer. It was sunshine almost all the way for Chelsea that day as we recovered strongly from conceding a goal so early it even beat Roberto Di Matteo’s never-to-be-forgotten strike as the FA Cup final’s fastest.

By the end of the afternoon, Hiddink was celebrating with his players the capturing on a major piece of silverware to end his first spell in charge here. But what are his most-cherished memories of the day? How did it go for him on a personal level? These are questions asked by the official Chelsea website as his current team prepare to face Everton again.

‘What I liked very much and also in the semi-final against Arsenal at Wembley, was when we were on the bus on the way to the stadium, you saw all the fans integrated, walking on the street in their shirts which was for me amazing,’ Hiddink recalls.

‘I am from a country where the fans are separated by fences and here they were not and for me, this is real football. The teams are competing in old rivalries and the fans have their preferences of course but they are walking together. That is how it should be.’

Hiddink turns his thoughts to the game itself.  

‘We were 1-0 down, surprisingly we got caught very early but the team reacted with confidence because they were not panicking, not thinking it is a final and it is slipping away. They played as they were used to playing in other big games in the FA Cup and in the Champions League, so they were confident to restore this and we did. Didier Drogba scored with a header and then Frank Lampard with a left-foot shot. We also had a shot from Florent Malouda which might have been in but was not rewarded. 

vbeauty and their boyfriends

Samuel and Georgette Eto'o

Ivorian Georgette formally married Cameroonian Samuel Eto’o in 2014. One of the most successful African footballers in history, Eto’o and Georgette had a traditional wedding in 2007 and already have four children together. The childhood sweethearts look as happy as ever:

Joseph and Adaeze Yobo

beauty and their boyfriends.

Fenerbahçe SK player and Super Eagles captain Joseph Yobo met Adaeze in December 2009. Months later they wed in a small ceremony. Ada represented Nigeria in Miss World 2008. She has a charity foundation in Nigeria called the Adaeze Igwe Foundation, which raises awareness of serious illnesses like HIV, malaria and tuberculosis. The pair have one beautiful son together.

The LeBron Code: James sends out another strange yet motivating tweet

At the start of the playoffs for the last several years, Cleveland Cavaliers All-Star LeBron James goes "dark" on all of his different social media platforms. For James, getting off social media allows him to focus on leading his team to the Finals and possibly winning another championship ring. So with only 41 days until the start of the playoffs, perhaps James is getting all of his social media-ing out now instead of later.

James recently tweeted out some rather cryptic messages which don't really have any clear meaning. He has done little to clarify his tweets and on Sunday, James sent another rather strange tweet which could be a motivational message for himself, his Cavs teammates or for something totally unrelated.

It's this simple. U can't accomplished the dream if everyone isn't dreaming the same thing everyday. Nightmares follow. #TheDC #SFG

— LeBron James (@KingJames) March 6, 2016

The hashtags James uses are also undecipherable but Cleveland.com's Chris Haynes believes that the Cavs star is simply creating intrigue just for fun and that the "dc" is in relation to the DaVinci Code, the popular best-selling book which involves cryptic clues to solve a mystery:

Spoke to LeBron James about cryptic tweets. Said more "da vinci code" tweets to come. Guessing #thedc stands for that. He's just having fun.

— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) March 6, 2016

Jared Dudley on the other hand, believes that the "dc" refers to "The Decoded," which kind of sounds like nonsense, especially since the Wizards forward doesn't play for the Cavs:

.@JaredDudley619 on @KingJames tweets: "We call it 'The Decoded'...we understand he wants to win and they'll be judged by a championship."

— Bleacher Report SXM (@br_radio) March 6, 2016

Either way, James is clearly sharing some thoughts and feelings. They could be jokes or they could be something much more serious. We won't know for sure unless James provides clarification. Yet with the playoffs just around the corner, it is very likely that the Cavs star will go "dark" on Twitter before we ever truly understand what he's tweeting 

Steph Curry says no one, including him, will break Kobe's 81-point game

Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry is a dangerous and versatile scorer that can score from virtually every possible spot on the court. Curry is averaging a league-best 30.7 points and has scored 50 or more points twice this season -- the only other player to do so besides Portland's Damian Lillard. Curry, arguably the best scorer in the league, is probably one of the few players that could ever get anywhere close to Kobe Bryant's 81-point performance in 2006.

But Curry doesn't believe he could ever reach that 81-point mark. He believes that Bryant's performance in that game was "special" and that he would never shoot as much as Kobe did against the Raptors in 2006.

From Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News:

Could Curry ever break Kobe Bryant's career-high 81-point game against the Toronto Raptors nearly a decade ago?

“Not a chance,” Curry told Los Angeles News Group. “There's a reason why people are still talking about that game to this day. It's so special.”

...

“A lot of it has to do with our system and the way we play,” Curry said. “Kobe had a reason to get up as many shots as he did in the [Toronto] game. I don't think anybody will get up 40-plus attempts no matter how hot they are.”

...

All of which left Curry intrigued on whether he could reach Bryant's milestone if he ignored team dynamics and played as if an NBA game took place on the playground.

“You would like to think if I were to try or if I were to get hot after a quarter or two, I would have 50 in 2 ½ quarters,” Curry said. “Maybe you could finish it off. But that's still pretty crazy to think to have 50. Those are career days for almost anybody.”

In November, Curry speculated that the most he could ever score is 75 points, which is still six points shy of Bryant's 81. But he even considered that to be a long-shot.

Medina also talked with Warriors assistant coach Luke Walton and he thought it was possible for Curry to get close to 81 points but also added that with how Golden State plays, it is basically impossible to happen since they will rest the reigning MVP if they are up big. This is also what Curry said, which is quite accurate.

With Golden State dominating teams, Curry averages just shy of 34 minutes a game and routinely rests for large stretches in blowouts. Golden State also has a number of other options besides Curry, so it plays a team game and shares the ball, which allows players like Klay Thompson or Harrison Barnes to have big games. This is unlike the 2006 Lakers, who heavily relied on Bryant. He had to score 81 points because without that type of historic performance, the Lakers had no chance of winning.

The Warriors would have to drastically change up their system for Curry to score 81. It's perhaps entirely possible for Curry to actually do it, but in reality that will likely never happen. And for Curry, it sounds like that is perfectly fine by him as he is more focused on helping the Warriors win back-to-back championships.

ottenham Hotspur F.C.

Saturday, 5 March, 1:45 PM

The Lane

Tottenham Hotspur F.C.

2 - 2

FT

Arsenal F.C.

Usain Bolt is the fastest man on Earth but scientists have now proven that if the 27-year-old sprinter went for a run on Titan he would literally be flying.

In a paper published in the Journal of Physics Special Topicsstudents from the University of Leicester calculated that the nitrogen-rich atmosphere of Saturn’s largest moon would provide exactly the right conditions for Bolt to achieve take-off - if he was wearing a wingsuit.

On Titan the surface pressure is nearly 50 per cent stronger than Earth’s, meaning that the imbalance of pressure above and below the wings of Bolt’s (hypothetical) wingsuit would achieve lift relatively easily.

The team found that given the average wingsuit area (1.4 metres squared) any individual running above 11 metres per second would be able to take flight – and as Bolt has been clocked at top speeds of 12.27 metres per second, he would be in the air before he hit the finish line in a 100 metre sprint.

And by adjusting the size of the wingsuit, even relatively sluggish runners would be able to take off. With a wing area three times the normal size, a runner going just 6 metres per second would be able to take off.

The Cell C Sharks made it a happy homecoming as they edged out the Jaguares from Argentina 19-15 in what amounted to a Vodacom Super Rugby arm-wrestle at Kings Park in Durban on Saturday night.

It was the Sharks’ first home match at any level this season and they will be pleased to have made it two out of two in the competition so far by overcoming the experienced Argentinian team.

However, they made heavy weather of the task and the final whistle was met with a muted response from Kings Park patrons who possibly ventured to the stadium expecting more.

An arm-wrestle was what Sharks director of rugby Gary Gold said earlier in the week that he didn’t want, but that was what it became.

Ironically, Gold should probably have been pleased that it did go that way, for his pack had the better of their opponents and it was the big men who paved the way for victory while the Jaguares always posed potential danger from broken play and on the counter-attack.

Replacement flyhalf Hayden Parker slotted a late penalty goal to secure the Otago Highlanders a nerve-jangling 17-16 win over the Wellington Hurricanes in Dunedin on Saturday in a re-match of last year's Super Rugby title-decider.

The 25-year-old's angled kick from just outside the 22-metre line at Forsyth Barr Stadium gave the champion Highlanders their first win of the season, while leaving last year's runners up 0-2 and under pressure after two rounds.

"It was a good game, wasn't it? Just lucky we managed to pull through at the end there," Highlanders captain Ben Smith said pitchside.

"It was pretty hot in here tonight."

The Hurricanes turned the ball over in the final minute and had one last chance to mount a raid from deep in defence but replacement back Jason Woodward inexplicably booted the ball to touch to guarantee defeat.

The visitors trailed 11-6 at half-time and were eight points adrift after a Lima Sopoaga penalty in the 49th minute, but Hurricanes captain TJ Perenara pulled them back into the game, lunging over the line from the back of a ruck for their only try in the 56th minute.

Flyhalf Beauden Barrett duly converted and booted a p

FC Barcelona to set up its first African academy in Lagos Read more: https://www.naij.com/739703-fc-barcelona-set-first-african-academy-lagos.html

Barcelona are the reigning UEFA Champions League, Copa Del Rey and La Liga champions. The governor said: “This visit by FC Barcelona is coming at a point where I believe strongly that we have nothing else to say than to say we are committed into this partnership because we know the partnership will give us the first FCBEscola in Africa. “I was made to understand that this is the first of its kind in Africa and so Lagos is priding itself as a major receptor of the next academy to be established in Africa.”
Read more: https://www.naij.com/739703-fc-barcelona-set-first-african-academy-lagos.html

Watch has been found guilty of breaching Ofcom regulations over a Derren Brown programme.

Something Wicked This Way Comes was broadcast at 9.10am on December 6 and received five complaints over the illusionist swearing and a stunt involving a plastic bag and walking on broken glass.

A 14-minute segment of the show saw Brown place a plastic bag over his head to restrict the air supply to his brain, before removing the bag and walking over broken glass to demonstrate how the human body wouldn't bleed in the situation.

UKTV confirmed that the programme was broadcast in error and "fully acknowledged that the programme was unsuitable for a pre-watershed audience". It added that it was aware of the incident before being contacted by Ofcom, with an internal investigation revealing that the broadcast was a result of "human error".

Watch breaches Ofcom regulations by accidentally airing sweary Derren Brown programme before the watershed

Councillor Ken James, Caerphilly’s cabinet member for regeneration and planning, also said the council will be consulting over the next couple of weeks so they can identify any issues and build these into the detailed traffic management plans on the day.

Changes from the inaugural event in 2015 will occur on the Usk Road from Caerleon to Usk, where the route turns right at the Cwrt Bleddyn Hotel just before Llangybi and travels through Tredunnock and past the Newbridge on Usk before joining Abernant Road towards Usk.

The route then travels through Llantrisant and Llanllywel before arriving in Usk via Maryport Street, before a right turn into Church Street. The route then leaves Usk along the B4598, Porthycarne Street, through Chain Bridge and Nantyderry before re-joining the 2015 route on the A4042 south of Llanover.

Katie Hopkins has said epilepsy has "plagued" her life since she was 19 as she prepared for brain surgery to treat the condition.

Writing in a column for the Daily Mail, the controversial media personality opened up about the procedure in which surgeons will remove part of her brain.

Talking about an outright cure, she wrote: "The odds aren't great."

However, the 41-year-old said she is undergoing the surgery to prolong her life expectancy.

Katie Hopkins prepared for brain surgery to treat epilepsy that 'plagues' her Read more: http://www.westerndailypress.co.uk/8203-Katie-Hopkins-prepared-brain-surgery-treat/story-28785229-detail/story.html#ixzz40vLu2HWx Follow us: @WesternDaily on Twitter | WesternDaily on Facebook

Nigeria midfielder Mikel Obi has again thrown jibes at former Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho, saying the London club’s dressing room is a lot more relaxed because caretaker manager Guus Hiddink minds his own business.

Mikel mostly warmed the bench during Mourinho’s second coming, but he has been a lot more regular under Hiddink.

“From day one, since Guus has come in, the atmosphere has changed,’ the 29-year-old Mikel said. “The players feel more relaxed, people know what their jobs are and people are getting on with their jobs in a more relaxed way. And a way they can perform very well.

“He has given responsibility to people and expects them to thrive on it and make sure they do it in way where they feel comfortable. I think that is what the players are showing now.

“When you come into the training ground, the players are more relaxed, he doesn’t get into people’s business, he gets on with his own thing and players feel very comfortable and know exactly what to do so when he gets on the training pitch, he doesn’t need to speak.

“We all know what he wants and it is the same when we go into a game.”

The Nigeria star said like most of the Chelsea players he will want Dutchman Hiddink to stay beyond this season.

“I want him to stay,” he said. “It is the choice of the owner, the club and the board. They will have to decide. But if you speak to the players, 98 or 99 per cent of them want him to stay so I mean, we are very happy, we are performing well and let’s hope this continues.

“It depends on the board and it depends on Guus if he wants to continue. He has said that he is here until the end of the season but you never know, he might change his mind. If the club want to appoint him fair enough. His record speaks for itself.”

  

Chelsea have contacted the agent of Diego Simeone to inform the Atletico Madrid manager he remains prominently among their favoured contenders to become the club's new permanent manager this summer, according to reports. It's also claimed that the Argentinian is learning English in the event he does move to the Premier League.

Chelsea ace: I promise my performances will improve

The Ghana international has struggled to cement his place among Chelsea’s starting XI since his summer arrival from Augsburg.

But following injuries to John Terry and Kurt Zouma, the 21-year-old was given the opportunity to prove himself against the likes of Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Angel di Maria on Tuesday night.

The left-back put in a strong performance against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League that would have left manager Guus Hiddink impressed by his display.

Eden Hazard believes Real Madrid are the only club that can prevent him from starting next season at Chelsea.

Chelsea midfielder reveals his feelings on persistent Justin Bieber comparisons

Mesut Ozil is cautious about facing Leicester on Sunday

Chelsea will issue stadium bans and support police action if it can identify the supporters who threw coins at Manchester City players at Stamford Bridge on Sunday, as the FA Cup was marred by such incidents for the second day in a row.

Coins were thrown when David Faupala celebrated with City teammates in the corner of the pitch, near Chelsea fans, after scoring on his debut.

"We condemn such idiotic and dangerous behavior," Chelsea's head of communications, Steve Atkins, said. "If we can identify those responsible, then we will ban them from Stamford Bridge.

"It is worth noting it is a criminal offense, too. We will support any police prosecution if we can identify, along with the police, the individuals responsible for their behavior today."

Chelsea's interim manager Guus Hiddink also voiced his disapproval.

"I was aware. I can easily say 'no, I am not aware' - but I was aware," Hiddink said. "I like to always face the facts.

"There were coins thrown to the Man City players in their celebration. We condemn it, I condemn it strongly and Chelsea, I think they will react. Those people, they must not come into stadiums."

City manager Manuel Pellegrini said he did not know about the incident in the 37th minute of a game which Chelsea eventually won 5-1.

On Saturday, West Bromwich Albion captain Chris Brunt was struck in the face by a coin which was thrown by a supporter of his team after a 3-1 defeat by second tier Reading.

Brunt had gone over to applaud the fans for their support at the end of the match.

"They thought it was OK to throw a coin at their own players. I'm disgusted," Brunt said to the BBC, with a cut clearly visible under his eye. "They paid a lot of money to come, but a small minority spoilt it."

The English Football Association is investigating the incident involving Brunt.

"We strongly condemn any such behavior and will work with both clubs and the authorities to identify those responsible," the FA said in a statement.

With third-placed Fiorentina hosting title hopefuls Napoli next week, Roma have a great chance to snatch the final Champions League spot with a win at Empoli. It couldn't have gone much better for Spalletti, who is moving an extremely talented squad in the right direction. Totti or no Totti.

Edin Dzeko, Mohamed Salah ensure Roma don't miss Francesco Totti

If Roma's players were affected by the row that exploded between coach Luciano Spalletti and club legend Francesco Totti, they certainly didn't show it on Sunday night. A 5-0 hammering of Sicilian travelling circus Palermo gave the Giallorossi their fifth straight win to keep them in fourth position, two points from the Champions League places, and let their captain know that they can get on just fine without him.

Spalletti dumped Totti out of the squad after he made his discontent both at not playing and a lack of contract extension public on the evening news, and with Totti looking on from the stands, Roma's other attackers went to town on poor old Palermo, with Edin Dzeko and Mohamed Salah both scoring twice and Seydou Keita bagging his first of the season.

The chanting of Totti's name that came at the start faded away and were replaced with cheers for man-of-the-match Dzeko and the return of Kevin Strootman, who ended his knee injury nightmare with a sedate 13 minutes in a match that had been long since won.

What Totti saw on Sunday was a team that doesn't revolve around him like it once did. Dzeko topped and tailed this routine win in the 30th and 89th minutes with a smart left-foot finish -- just seconds after possibly the miss of the season -- and a bullet header, while Salah's brace was possibly even better.

The Egyptian smashed home Dzeko's delicate flick from an acute angle to make it three on the hour and curled in an impossible-looking second from the byline just two minutes later. January signing Diego Perotti got in on the act with the cross for Dzeko's second, while Miralem Pjanic excelled in a more advanced role alongside Salah, setting up his compatriot's opener and offering the sort of creativity with which Totti made his career.

Mourinho should take the Manchester United job tomorrow- Wilkins

Chelsea FC easily defeated a weak Manchester City side 5-1 at Stamford Bridge. By looking at the team sheets before the match, it was clear what both clubs were doing. City were resting their big names for their midweek UEFA Champions League tie, while Chelsea were intent on putting everything that they had into the FA Cup.

Diego Costa continued his steady goal production by scoring the game’s opening goal. David Faupala pulled one back for the visitors, but that would be it, as Willian, Eden Hazard, Gary Cahill and Bertrand Traore turned the contest into a rout in favor of the hosts. Here are five talking points from today’s match.

But Pellegrini’s request was ignored and, concerned that injury-hit City were in danger of being stretched to breaking point, the Chilean boss prioritised European success and next weekend’s League Cup final against Liverpool, admitting that he didn’t consider the Stamford Bridge showdown “a real game”.

Pellegrini had warned fans they wouldn’t get value for money because he would rest stars like Sergio Aguero and Yaya Toure and he was true to his word as he fielded an unrecognisable starting line-up featuring six teenagers, five of whom were making their full debuts.

In contrast, Guus Hiddink, with the luxury of having played in the Champions League already this week, named his strongest available side and it was men against boys as they swept into the quarter-finals thanks to a pair of assists and a goal from Hazard.

Diego Costa put Chelsea ahead and, although David Faupala equalised for the visitors, second half goals from Willian, Gary Cahill, Hazard and Bertrand Traore handed City a third successive defeat.

West Ham also reached the quarter-finals on Sunday as Tottenham Hotspur were knocked out by fellow capital club Crystal Palace.

Martin Kelly was Palace’s unlikely hero at White Hart Lane as his first goal for the south London side — and first for anyone since he scored 1,545 days previously for Liverpool at Chelsea in November 2011 — on the stroke of half-time proved the difference.

Palace’s reward was a quarter-final away to second-tier Reading, a club once managed by Eagles boss Alan Pardew.

Chelsea are away to Everton in a repeat of the 2009 FA Cup final which the Blues won during current caretaker boss Guus Hiddink’s first spell as interim manager.

West Ham, who in Sunday’s opening fifth round tie saw off Championship Blackburn Rovers 5-1, will travel to the winners of Monday’s tie between third-tier Shrewsbury Town and struggling Manchester United.

Meanwhile holders Arsenal, bidding to become the first club to win the FA Cup three years in a row since the 19th Century, must see off Hull in a replay following Saturday’s goalless draw at the Emirates if they are to face Watford in next month’s quarter-finals.

Tottenham, second in the Premier League, had earlier seen Dele Alli twice hit the post with the same shot and this loss ended their hopes of emulating the celebrated League and Cup ‘double’ winning Spurs team of 1960/61.

Pardew, a member of the Eagles’ side that lost the 1990 final and West Ham manager when they lost to Liverpool in the 2006 showpiece match, was delighted by his team’s resilience.

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