NEWS » orts Club Stats?and Playoff Status -

INDEPENDENCE, Ohio -- As the champion Cavaliers embarked on a new season, coach Tyronn Lue revealed he used a creative tactic to motivate them in the NBA Finals.Lue used money to inspire them.After the Cavs won Game 5 at Golden State to pull within 3-2 of the Warriors, Lue said Tuesday that he collected $100 from every player, coach, trainer, equipment manager, front office member and media relations persons he could find. In all, Lue gathered more than $5,000.They were like, `Where is the money going? Lue said. I was like, `Its going to me and Im going to wrap it up and put it in the ceiling in the coaches locker room and were going to come back, get our money and get our trophy for Game 7.And thats just what the Cavs did, winning Game 6 at home and then heading to California, where they completed the biggest comeback in finals history by winning at Oracle Arena to dethrone the Warriors and end Clevelands 52-year championship drought.Lue said he borrowed the trick from Los Angeles Clippers coach Doc Rivers, whom he coached under with Boston. In 2008, Rivers used the same ploy with the Celtics.We played the Lakers on Christmas Day in L.A. and I think we lost by 25 or 30 and he came into the locker room and collected $100 from everybody and put it in the ceiling in L.A., in the Staples Center, Lue said. He said: `Were coming back. Were going to beat these guys in the Finals. We lost Game 7, but the money was still there and we met the back in the Finals. Great story.Not as great as the Cavs tale, and as they began training camp, Lue and LeBron James spent a few moments following practice reflecting on their incredible 2016 journey.At this point a year ago, Lue was an assistant on David Blatts staff and James was being criticized for failing to deliver a championship in his first season back with Cleveland.Now, theyre on top together.James smiled when he was reminded of Lues money grab and remembered never being reimbursed.Im still looking for my money, he said. I didnt get mine back.Lue said not everyone got a refund, but there were no complaints after the Cavs became the first team to overcome a 3-1 deficit in the finals.Some people got it back. Some people didnt, he said. We charged $100 for a championship for some guys and some guys we gave it back. We got it back to the right people. Some of it went toward my fine, too, so I had to keep players money.Lues money stash wasnt the only tool the Cavs used during their amazing postseason journey.Earlier in the season, veteran swingman James Jones came up with an idea that unified the Cavs. The team created a puzzle in the shape of Ohio and the Larry OBrien trophy that was divided into 16 pieces, one for each win needed to capture the title. When the Cavs won a postseason game, a piece was added.By the time they got to Game 7, there was one slice left -- for Lue and his assistants.James said its those little moments that make winning that much more special.It was great that in the last game it went to the head coach and we were able to finish off the puzzle the right way, the three-time champion said. Its definitely something when youre done with the game you can look back on, and obviously in the record books, it says were world champions in 2016, but you will remember stuff like that from that championship run.The Cavs practiced for the first time as champions at Cleveland Clinic Courts, where a spot on the wall above the practice court will soon be filled by a championship banner.Lue said he emphasized conditioning and defense during the teams initial workout.Before they took the floor, Lue said he didnt deliver any inspirational speech or demand anything special from his players.We watched an NBA concussion film, he said.He didnt ask for any money.Game notesThe Cavs announced that Larry Drew has been promoted to associate head coach. He will run the offense with Lue. Damon Jones was elevated from shooting coach to assistant coach. Jim Boylan, Mike Longabardi, James Posey, Phil Handy and Vitaly Potapenko have been retained in their same roles. ... Lue said Iman Shumpert is taking free agent J.R. Smiths starting spot while the guard remains unsigned. The Cavs have made an offer to Smith, who made two huge 3-pointers early in the second half of Game 7.Air Max 97 2020 . Pence singled in the winning run with no outs in the ninth inning to give the Giants a 7-6 victory over the San Diego Padres on Sunday. Air Max 97 Plus Black Orange . - Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco is not a fan of his teams use of the wildcat formation, saying "it makes you look like a high school offence. http://www.outletairmax97.com/air-max-97-vapormax-cheap.html . 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. Air Max 97 Outlet . How great will be revealed in the next couple of days at the board of governors meeting in Pebble Beach, Calif. Nike Air Max 97 Plus Sale . -- In a span of seven Washington Redskins offensive plays, Justin Tuck sacked Robert Griffin III four times.After winning the Presidents Trophy with 120 points in 2015-16, and an initially promising 8-2-1 start to the 2016-17 season, the Capitals stumbled to a 5-5-2 record during the following month, and fell to fifth in the Metropolitan division; two straight overtime victories have lifted them to fourth as of Dec. 8.Enthusiasm in Washingtons chances of success havent been this low in years. Four major statistical models -- Money Puck, Hockey Reference, Sports Club Stats?and Playoff Status -- project Washingtons chances of winning their first Stanley Cup in franchise history between 2.9 and 5.0 percent.These models also project Washingtons chances of missing the playoffs ffor just the second time in a decade somewhere between 24.dddddddddddd3 and 44.7 percent. This means that the Capitals are perceived to be roughly 10 times more likely to miss the playoffs than to win the Stanley Cup. Thats a surprisingly pessimistic view that is increasingly being shared by fans and pundits across the NHL with every passing (or narrowly escaped) loss.This may have been a surprisingly humbling start to their season, but the underlying numbers still suggest that the Capitals remain the team to beat in the East this season. ' ' '