10A
THE DAILY ASTORIAN • WEDNESDAY, JUNE 6, 2018
CONTACT US
FOLLOW US
facebook.com/
DailyAstorianSports
Gary Henley | Sports Reporter
ghenley@dailyastorian.com
SPORTS
IN BRIEF
Early homers
help Mariners
over Astros 7-1
HOUSTON — Even though
it’s only June, the Seattle Mari-
ners know playing well against
the Houston Astros will be vital if
they hope to reach the postseason
for the first time since 2001.
They did that on Tuesday
night, slugging their way to a
lopsided win that left them two
games ahead of the World Series
champs in first place in the Amer-
ican League West.
Kyle Seager, Mike Zunino
and Jean Segura all homered off
Dallas Keuchel early to back up
another solid start by James Pax-
ton and give the Mariners the 7-1
victory.
Florida State tops
Washington to win
1st softball title
OKLAHOMA CITY — Jessie
Warren’s career finished just the
way she envisioned it.
On Monday night, Florida
State’s star third baseman made
perhaps the play of her career,
a diving catch and throw for a
double play that helped preserve
a 1-0 win over Washington in
Game 1 of the Women’s Col-
lege World Series championship
series.
On Tuesday night, the senior
did the damage with her bat. She
had three hits, including a homer,
and Florida State beat Washing-
ton 8-3 to claim its first national
title.
Bears’ Miller
won’t set limits
on recovery from
leg injury
LAKE FOREST, Ill. — All
Zach Miller, a former Seattle Sea-
hawks player, knows is he’s not
setting any limits on his recovery
— and his doctors aren’t either.
Whether the Chicago Bears’
tight end can play again after a
gruesome injury last season nearly
cost him his left leg still is to be
determined.
“There has not been a defin-
itive ‘You can never do this
again,’” Miller said.
“That hasn’t been talked about.
It’s approach this as you are plan-
ning to get back to where I can
be myself and play football, and
then when that time comes some
of that is out of my hands. So, I’m
just going to do as much as I can
to get to that point and see what
happens.”
— Associated Press
Photos by Joshua Gunter /The Plain Dealer
(From left) Cleveland Cavaliers forward Larry Nance Jr., center Kevin Love and forward Jeff Green cool down after practice Tuesday
at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland.
Mood swing: LeBron, Cavs home
looking to turn around NBA Finals
By TOM WITHERS
Associated Press
NBA FINALS: GAME 3
• Golden State Warriors (2-0)
at Cleveland Cavaliers (0-2)
• Today, 6 p.m. TV: ABC
C
LEVELAND — LeBron James
laughed as he came around the back-
stage partition after arriving fashion-
ably late for his crowded, post-practice news
conference.
As he stepped onto the podium, back
among friendly faces and in the building
where he has done some of his finest work,
James seemed at ease, almost content. No
signs of stress anywhere.
Moments later, his demeanor shifted.
A few reminders about his team’s urgent
predicament against Golden State, questions
about President Donald Trump and another
review of Cleveland’s heartbreaking loss in
Oakland swung his emotions.
“I know it feels like we’re down 2-0, and I
don’t like the way I feel,” James said. “I don’t
like the mood that I’m in right now. There’s
no, like, ‘OK, you’re down 2-0 and you feel
better than when you’re down 2-0 before.’
When you’re down like this, in a deficit like
this — versus a team like this — there’s no
good feeling. So I don’t feel good about it.”
The Cavaliers may be in a dark place.
For the third time in the past four Finals,
James and his teammates enter Game 3
against the Warriors in a win-or-make-sum-
mer-vacation-plans situation. After they
wasted a 51-point effort by James — with a
reversed official’s call, missed free throw by
George Hill and bone-headed move from J.R.
Smith — and let Game 1 slip away in over-
time , and following Stephen Curry’s 3-point
barrage in Game 2 , the Cavs are faced with
the reality that their season, strange as it has
been to this point, is in serious jeopardy.
However, coach Tyronn Lue, who plans
to give disappointing forward Rodney Hood
Golden State Warriors guard Stephen
Curry warms up before practice Tuesday
at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland.
playing time on Wednesday night, feels his
team can change the complexion of this series.
“We’re very confident we can do that,”
Lue said. “The guys are engaged and locked
in. Winning tomorrow is a step forward,
but then going out with Game 4 also. We’re
locked into doing that, and we know we can.
“We believe.”
It’s easy to understand Lue’s confidence.
After what the Cavaliers have experienced
this season, a 2-0 deficit in the Finals against
a star-studded Warriors squad on the cusp
of being stamped as a modern-day dynasty
seems manageable.
Cleveland has endured injuries, trades,
tragedy and drama for months. The Cavs,
who climbed from a 2-0 hole to beat Boston in
the conference finals, have major roster holes
and unfixable flaws. There’s no denying their
toughness.
“We’ve been very persistent and very resil-
ient throughout this whole season, no matter
what has been going on,” James said. “We
have an opportunity to come home and protect
home, as Golden State has done. It’s a very
tall task. A very tough challenge going against
these guys, going against this team.”
Teams that have taken a 2-0 lead are 29-4
in the Finals, but the Warriors know better
than to be overconfident. They’ve learned the
hard way.
Golden State held a 3-1 lead in the 2016
Finals before the Cavs rallied to win three
straight and dethrone the Dubs. And last year,
the Warriors trailed by six with 3:09 left before
storming back to win 118-113 in Game 3.
Cleveland has won eight straight playoff
games at Quicken Loans Arena, which may
be louder than ever with hometown fans still
frothing from some calls that went against the
Cavaliers in the Bay Area last week.
Just the sight of Warriors forward Dray-
mond Green should be enough to push the
decibel readings inside the building to unsafe
levels.
“I don’t really think about being up 2-0
because the series could turn so fast,” War-
riors star Kevin Durant said. “It’s a great
position to be in. I don’t want to take that for
granted; don’t get me wrong. But the job is
not done, and you can’t relax or be comfort-
able when you’re still trying to win this thing.
We know coming on the road is going to be
tougher.”
How to identify
a possible
gas leak.
If you smell
ROTTEN EGGS
it could be a gas leak.
And the best thing to do is leave your home and call
NW Natural. We’ll be out to make sure everything is safe.
Unsure of what to do? Just take a look at our tips to the right.
Smell. Go. Let Us Know.
800-882-3377
If you smell a rotten egg
or sulfur odor, you hear a
blowing or hissing sound,
or you see blowing dirt, it
could be a gas leak.
What to do.
Leave your home and the
area immediately. Don’t use
any electrical device such
as a light switch, telephone,
appliance or garage door
opener. And don’t try to fi nd
the leak yourself.
Who to call.
Go outside and use your
cell phone, or a neighbor’s
phone, and call NW Natural
at 800-882-3377.