LeBron to miss regular-season finale, resting strained calf

Liggins was a second-round pick out of Kentucky in 2011 and started this season with the Cavaliers. The Cavs have the fewest wins a LeBron-led team has had since the 2007-08 season. This stretch, at least temporarily, lost them the one seed to the Boston Celtics. The Celtics can not be taking anything from granted, and their mentality needs to be that they are going to see peak Cavaliers in any game they play. They thumped the Celtics to the tune of 114-91, and without their best rebounding big man in Tristan Thompson. Celtics forward Jae Crowder had a solid night all around, with 11 points (on 4-of-6 shooting), eight rebounds, six assists, a steal and two blocks. The Celtics were especially beaten on the glass, with Kevin Love grabbing 16 rebounds, five of them offensive.

Don't tell Boston, but by all accounts it would appear as though the Cavaliers have given up their pursuit of first place.

This season it's been a little more challenging for Cleveland as, at various stages Boston (who could still get there), Toronto and Washington have had ideas on LeBron's Iron Throne.

For the Heat, the victory means they will be fighting with the Indiana Pacers and Chicago Bulls for the last two playoff spots in the East when the regular season concludes on Wednesday.

The Cavaliers are 0-7 this season in games when James does not play.

In an excerpt from their upcoming book, ESPN writers Brian Windhorst and Dave McMenamin report that had the Heat beat the Spurs in the 2014 Finals and secured their third straight National Basketball Association championship, LeBron James would likely have re-signed with Miami rather than returned home to Cleveland.

Officers from south join colleagues for funeral of PC Keith Palmer
PC Palmer, 48, was guarding the Houses of Parliament on March 22 when he was stabbed by Khalid Masood as part of a terror attack. Chief Constable Sara Thornton, head of the National Police Chiefs' Council, said the scale of the funeral was unprecedented.

Finding that next gear come playoff teams is one aspect separating World Championship teams from the also-rans.

The San Antonio Spurs dominated the Miami Heat, 4-1 in the best-of-seven series of the 2014 NBA Finals. Far too often they have taken things for granted and sold themselves short this season.

The Phoenix Suns are electing to hold out sharpshooting guard Devin Booker in their season finale against the host Sacramento Kings on Tuesday.

The Cavaliers' 126-125 overtime loss to the Atlanta Hawks on Sunday afternoon qualifies as a tough loss. James, who has a peculiar history of sitting out games against his former team due to rest, has a valid excuse this time around after logging 47 minutes and recording a triple-double.

The Cavaliers are also bringing back a lucky charm. Dragic tied it for the Heat with a long jumper, Miami got a stop on the final Cleveland possession and to overtime they went. They were there because James felt a pull to come play at home, where he could live in his Akron mansion and send his kids to Akron-area schools near all of his friends and family and his wife's friends and family. James has previously partnered with the University of Akron to provide a guaranteed four-year scholarship to the school for students in his program who qualify. Until then, however, it seems safe to say the East is his. Still, even with all this investment, father time is unbeaten.