LeBron James may find ending the Cavs’ 51-year title drought by this summer more challenging now due to Kevin Love’s injured shoulder and J.R. Smith’s recently-lost common sense.

This Sunday’s Game 4 between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Boston Celtics was neither clean nor pretty. Two Cleveland players were severely injured, while Smith was suspended from the first games in the second-round over an unsportsmanlike behavior involving a backhand punch.

So, Cleveland’s victory in the playoff series involved some costs. Since Game 1, Kevin Love and LeBron managed to become an unstoppable machine that carried the team over the Celtics in at least a couple of playoffs. But as the duo must split, James’ plans to win the title for his club this June may have to wait.

Love dislocated his shoulder after a close encounter with Celtics’ Kelly Olynyk in the first quarter. As the two players were fighting for a rebound, Olynyk aggressively pulled his rival’s arm. Seconds later, with a grimace of pain, Love quickly sprinted to the locker room.

He later told reporters that he had no doubts that Olynyk did it on purpose. On Monday night, the NBA announced that Kelly Olynyk was suspended one game.

But in the final 43 minutes, surprises weren’t over. Cleveland’s Kendrick Perkins tried to level James on a hard screen, but he managed to deck Jae Crowder. The move ended with Perkins poking Crowder’s eye, two technical fouls for both players, and a $15,000 fine for Perkins.

However, Perkins may have gotten personal with Crowder since the two players had had another encounter in 2013, when Perkins received a technical foul for verbally offending Crowder.

Yet, Crowder’s problems were far from being over. As he was fighting with Smith under the basket, he received a punch in the face. Although Smith was taunted by Crowder, his response was exaggerated and uncalled for. Smith’s punch in the jaw decked Crowder to the floor and made him injure one knee. Crowder had to leave court.

Smith argued that he was unintentional, but as the video showed otherwise he stated that he was “nervous as hell” over the incoming suspension.

The Cavaliers will now face the Chicago Bulls Saturday in the second round. But if the Bulls, which currently lead the series, dodge Game 7, the two teams will dispute victory on Sunday.

As Love recovers from his injury, he may stay off field at most six days, while Smith is set to miss the first couple of games in the second round. However, it is not the first time Smith is suspended. Two years ago he missed one game after a suspension for elbowing a Celtics player. That move cost the Knicks two games and a very short time to rest before entering the second round.

After that episode, the relationships between Smith and the Knicks cooled, so the next year he was already traded to the Cavs. Cleveland helped Smith to regain his focus and put a temporary end to his clubbing habits.

But after this Sunday’s incident the history may repeat itself, and his lack of self-control may cost both him and his team again dearly.

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UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones is currently sought by the Albuquerque Police Department for questioning over a hit-and-run car accident. In the car collision, a pregnant woman was taken to a hospital with minor injuries.

While the car crash happened early Sunday, the police first called Jones a “person of interest” in the case, but switched to describe him as a full-blown suspect hours later.

Officer Simon Drobik, a spokesperson for the Albuquerque Police Department, confirmed Sunday night that the he was sought for interrogation. Drobik also said that the department didn’t know of Jones’ whereabouts, but they were currently looking for him.

According to the officer, Jones was not arrested as the department was trying to figure out where he might be.

According to the police’s public release on late Sunday evening, Jones was actively sought by police officers for his “possible involvement” in a hit-and-run car crash in Southeast Albuquerque early that morning.

Authorities also reported that the driver of the other car involved in the collision, a pregnant woman in her twenties, was taken to the hospital, but she was affected only by minor injuries.

The police failed to contact the fighter at his residence late that day. They also tried to reach his attorney but they did not heard back from him. The police also urged anyone with helpful information on Jones to call the department at 505-242-2677.

Moments after the police statement was released, the UFC also made a public comment. The company said it was aware of the current police investigation involving Jon Jones, but before “gathering more facts” it declined to further comment on the issue.

Sources familiar with the matter initially disclosed that the fighter would not compete against Anthony Johnson on May 23 in Las Vegas because of the investigation. But other sources recently said that the bout was at risk not terminated.

Jon Jones, 27, is currently the most skilled MMA fighter on the planet, and his fight against Johnson would have been a chance to defend his light heavyweight title for the ninth time in a row.

He last time fought on January 3 when he defeated former Olympic wrestler Daniel Cormier. But before the fight, rumor has it that Jones tested positive for cocaine and entered rehab shortly after the fight.

Moreover, Jones had previous encounters with the police as in 2012 he was taken into custody from his home for driving under influence. The police fined him $1,000 and temporarily suspended his driver’s license.

In 2012, UFC 151 was canceled, after Jones’ refusal to fight Chael Sonnen because he had had not enough time for preparation. Sonnen replaced Dan Henderson, who couldn’t compete due to a serious injury.

In 2014, Jones was involved in an online dispute after a series of anti-gay remarks posted on his Instagram account. The fighter disclosed that his account was breached, although a private selfie was also posted at that time.

Johnson currently features as one of Jones’ most redoubtable challengers. Yet, Chael Sonnen, a MMA fighting expert, said in March that their UFC 187 fight simply “won’t happen.”

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Two separate but anonymous sources familiar with the matter disclosed Friday that the Texas Rangers were ready to welcome Josh Hamilton back but they were still negotiating with the Angels the final terms of the deal.

The move comes after an extended conflict between Hamilton and Los Angeles over his low performance in the past two seasons and a drug relapse this winter, which, surprisingly, did not lead to his suspension.

However, the deal is far from being simple as the Rangers will get Hamilton and a lot of money from the Angels in exchange for the outfielder’s rights. According to the sources, the Angels do not want Hamilton back on the field with the club in 2015 and it is less likely they ever want him to return.

The club still has to pay Hamilton $64.8 million until 2017, but the sum is under negotiation. The sources claim that the Rangers’ expenditures for the deal would be symbolic.

Nevertheless, due to Josh’s special circumstances – his drug relapse, his recent divorce of his wife, and a missed spring training due to a shoulder surgery and rehabilitation – and the amount of money involved, the two clubs will need extra time to finalize the deal.

One of the sources said that the announcement should be made as soon as Monday, while Hamilton would be ready to play by mid-May after a proper training.
Jon Daniels, the Rangers’ GM, who welcomed Josh to his team after the 2007 season, declined to comment. And so did manager Jeff Banister.

But Rangers players were less secretive. Everybody seemed eager for a reunion with Josh. On Friday, they publicly said that they were open to Hamilton’s return and ready to support him as long as he won’t be a distraction.

Baseman Adrian Beltre hoped that Hamilton was still the player that the whole team knew and that he would help them win some games again.

“As a teammate, we’d do everything we can to help him stay focused on baseball and to keep things as simple as possible,”

Beltre added Friday.

Elvis Andrus also believes that Josh is a valuable asset to the team. He said Friday that he would lend Josh all his support because the entire club expected him to show up, start playing and simply help them win.

But Hamilton might not be the man his Texas fans used to know. During the last two seasons in Southern California, he had a very hard time both on and off the field since his drug addiction was many times stronger than he was.

While playing for the Angels, who had offered him a $125 million contract for five years, he scored only .255, had 31 homers and failed to play 40 games on a yearly average. But during the seasons played with the Rangers, he had .301, 142 homers and missed only 30 games on average, mainly because of injuries.

Yet, during the last half of year, his circumstances became more complex. This winter,  the Angels were already looking for a way to trade him, and even contacted the Rangers for this purpose. But negotiations with the Rangers went no where as the club was not interested in a big financial investment at that moment.

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On Thursday, the New England Patriots visited the White House, where President Obama and several New England politicians cheered on and honored them for their career.

The event didn’t lack humorous moments as Barack Obama often deviated from his more serious comments to all sorts of jokes. Yet, as the President’s attempts to joke over the Deflategate scandal didn’t seem too amusing to coach Bill Belichick or the team’s Capitol Hill fans, Obama had to approach other topics.

“I usually tell a bunch of jokes at these events, but with the Patriots in town, I was worried that 11 out of 12 of them would fall flat,”

said the President after trying to amuse his audience with Deflategate-related jokes.

After this statement, Belichick protested and gave Obama a thumbs-down. So, the chief executive had to drop it and acknowledged that the media blew the case “a little out of proportion.”

Seconds later, the President lauded the Patriots regardless of the scandal that could have cost them a trip to Super Bowl XLIX. He showed his appreciation for the team’s efforts not to get distracted by the “the biggest media circus” of the year. According to the President, the Patriots didn’t lose their focus, and their coach had a lot to do with it.

Darrelle Revis, Shane Vereen, and Stevan Ridley, who are currently playing for other teams attended the ceremony. And so did Dan Connolly who hasn’t signed the contract yet. On the other hand, Vince Wilfork who now plays for the Texans and quarterback Tom Brady skipped the event.

According to the team, Brady had a pressing family issue to solve. Yet, Obama mentioned Brady first when he praised the Patriots individual players and their accomplishments. The President even called Brady-Belichick combo as the best quarterback-coach mix a NFL team ever had in all football history.

Moreover, president Jonathan Kraft was not present either because he had a surgery and he was still recovering from it.

But the players who did attend had a great time at the White House. During that afternoon, Instagram and Twitter were flooded with their photos. Some of them posed on the plane, others made selfies with the White House busts of the Presidents, while others were photographed with or behind the President while he was delivering his speech.

Following the ceremony, Belichick and several players took their time to talk to journalists about the event. The team also stopped at the Walter Reed Medical Center before attending the White House ceremony. There they were greeted by wounded veterans.

Gronkowski declined to dance during the ceremony, but he did make a funny remark about it. He said that because Chandler wasn’t singing and Julian wasn’t doing the beat-boxing, he didn’t saw the necessity to do some dance moves.

But as a journalist told him that he would put some tunes on for him, Gronkowski said there was no use since they were not drunk enough. He also said that Obama may have been “wasted” when he cracked that Deflategate joke.

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In this first-round series of the NBA playoffs, although they have great potential and they are well-coached, the Boston Celtics failed again to overcome the Cleveland Cavaliers, especially when Kyrie Irving and LeBron James stepped in to secure the Cavs’ final 28 points and a 99-91 victory.

Cleveland coach David Blatt said that the two players did what they had to do and scored all 24 points for the Cavs in the last quarter. James hit 30 points, seven assists and nine rebounds, while Irving scored 26 points, five rebounds and six assists. Both players were the offensive machine that kept scoring even when no body else from their team did, especially in the final 17 minutes.

Boston coach Brad Stevens, who criticized his team’s weak third quarter, defensive rebounding and lack of vigilance which allowed the Cavs to have huge scoring outbursts, said that the Celtics made James and Irving earn everything they got.

However, no matter how hard the Celtics struggled, there was no way to beat Cleveland especially against James and Irving’s team play. Moreover, LeBron played 158 playoff games so he currently holds more experience in the matchups than all Celtics players combined.

Coach Blatt praised James and called him a “great player” for imposing his will on the game and not being afraid to break out of the pack when going offensive. Blatt also said that James virtually reorganized the moment by creating a good offense both for his teammates and himself.

“[LeBron] got to the line. Made his free throws. Made big plays. Big plays at both ends,”

Blatt added.

For James, it was his 69th playoff game in which he scored 30 points or more. He is currently listed on the seventh position on the all-time scoring list after passing Jerry West. He is expected to soon pass Karl Malone as well and earn the sixth place behind five other elite players of all times including Shaquille O’Neal, Tim Duncan and Michael Jordan.

But James changed tactics since this postseason’s Game 1. In Game 1, he wanted to make sure that both Kevin Love and Irving had a successful playoff debut, while in Game 2 he planned to take over the defense line with help from Irving. And he succeeded that, too. In only two games, LeBron and Irving scored together 106 points of their team’s 212 points.

James lauded Irving for his determination. He described him as a very poised young man especially for the environment he is in. He also said that it was great to have such a player around.

On the other hand, James explained that he and Irving didn’t plan beforehand the two-man show. He said that it just happened as they were trying to gain a position that would secure the team’s success.

But relying on only two players for the win is not a secure recipe for success. If they really want to wrap up the series they will need to work more. For Game 3, they will have to travel to Boston. This will be the first playoff road game for at least four Cavs players including Love and Irving. So, LeBron already warned the rookies that the mistakes they made at home would cost them dear on the road.

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On Monday, Lelisa Desisa, 25, of Ethiopia succeeded in earning a second victory at the Boston Marathon after the 2013 win which was interrupted by a series of tragic explosions at the finish line. The women’s division was won by Caroline Rotich, 30, of Kenya.

A spokesperson for the Boston Athletic Association said during a post-race press conference that Desisa didn’t have the chance to enjoy his first victory at the Boston Marathon.

Desisa won the race in 2013 hours before a pair of bombs wounded about 260 Boston Marathon participants and killed three others. On Monday, the Ethiopian finished the race in two hours and 9 minutes. He was awarded a $150,000 prize, a golden medal and an olive wreath. In 2013, the man donated his medal to honor the Boston Marathon bombing victims.

“This medal, I think, is for me. I took off my hat and started waving my hands because I love the Boston people,”

said Desisa.

Caroline Rotich won the women’s division by outrunning Mare Dibaba by four seconds on a cold, rainy day that kept the crowds in their homes but didn’t dampen their enthusiasm for the Boston’s favorite sporting event.

Rotich said that when she saw the finish line tape, although she was running shoulder to shoulder with Dibaba, she made a promised to herself that she wouldn‘t let it go. She finished the race in two hours and 24 minutes and claimed her $150,000 prize. She is the fifth Kenyan woman to win the Boston Marathon.

Desisa led the pack the entire race. Yemane Adhane Tsegay of Ethiopia was second with 31 seconds behind Desisa, while Kenya’s Wilson Chebet finished third with a 34 second-delay.

Dathan Ritzenhein of Michigan finished seventh, while Meb Keflezighi, who was the first American to win the Boston Marathon since 1983, finished in eighth. Keflezighi recalled that he cried on Boylston Street when his memories started to hunt him in 2014. Last year, he wrote the name of the bombing victims on his bib. When he won, everybody was cheering and chanting “U-S-A!,” Keflezighi said.

Keflezighi, 39, who won the 2004 Olimpic Silver medal, was this year’s favorite but he had an unfortunate incident at the 35-kilometer mark. There he stopped to have a sip of water, but as it went down the wrong way he had to stop five times to throw up.

Keflezighi recalls that the crowd kept encouraging him to continue his race every time he stopped.

Desiree Linden, who finished fourth the women’s race, led the pack the entire race, but she failed to keep up the pace as three Ethiopians, including Rotich, took the lead. One of the Ethiopians, Buzunesh Deba, who managed to finish third, fell behind close to the finish line, while Rotich and Dibaba had a quarter-mile shoulder-to-shoulder race.

The two women switched places several times, but in the end Rotich took the lead and won her first Boston Marathon title.

The authorities were expecting a crowd of 1 million people along the route, so, security was heavy but not intrusive. Local and state police were backed by officers in SUVs and National Guard soldiers, who took their time to cheer runners and high-five the members of the crowd.

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