Dodgers Have Interest in Indians' Players

FOX Sports is reporting that the Dodgers are involved in serious discussions with the Cleveland Indians, initially saying that the teams would swap Cliff Lee and Victor Martinez for James Loney, a young starter from the rotation, and prospects. However, both sides refuted the claims, though they are said to be talking, though the specifics are unknown.

Ned Colletti appeared on Dodger Talk, and vehemently refuted all trade rumors.

Big Drew Carey: Shaq Traded to Cleveland

Shaquille O'Neal was traded from the Phoenix Suns to the Cleveland Cavaliers, according to Yahoo Sports. The deal sent Ben Wallace, Sasha Pavlovic, and the Cavs' 46th overall draft pick to Phoenix. Shaq has won four championships, and played with the likes of Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade and Steve Nash, arguably three of the greatest players of this generation. Now O'Neal will play with possibly the greatest as his newest teammate is none other than LeBron James. The trade will no doubt create more buzz, tension, and marketing when Cleveland plays the Lakers, with the matchup of Kobe versus LeBron and Shaq.

Orlando Defeats Cleveland to Set Date with Lakers

The Orlando Magic displaced the Cleveland Cavaliers from the NBA Playoffs, winning the Eastern Conference Finals 4-2. They will play the Lakers in the NBA Finals, with Game 1 set for this Thursday at Staples Center. The Lakers will have home-court advantage in the series, and they will need it since LA was swept by the Magic in the season-series 2-0.

NBA Playoffs: Where Upsets Happen

As the Los Angeles Lakers waited for their playoff opener against Utah tomorrow, the NBA Playoffs started off with a bang. The Chicago Bulls defeated the Boston Celtics 105-103 in overtime, stunning the Kevin Garnett-less Irish. Derrick Rose of the Bulls tied the record for most points scored by a rookie in a playoff debut with 36 points. In Cleveland, the Cavaliers defeated the Detroit Pistons, taking a 1-0 advantage in that series. The Dallas Mavericks defeated the Spurs 105-97 in San Antonio. Houston defeated the Portland Trail Blazers 108-81 in a series that can have serious concequences for the Lakers.

Lakers Lose Homecourt as Cavs Clinch

The Lakers' quest for homecourt advantage throughout the playoffs fell with a thud as the Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Indiana Pacers 117-109. The Lakers will have homecourt up until the NBA Finals, and will only be the road team if they were to face Cleveland.

Dodgers News: McDonald Makes Case for Fifth, Blake Sees New View, and Broadcaster is Announced

The Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the Cleveland Indians 6-4, their win of the spring. Doug Mientkiewicz came up a home run short of the cycle, getting a single, double, and triple with two RBI's. Russell Martin had a two-run homer, and Juan Castro had a double, run scored, and RBI. James McDonald had his first start with the Dodgers, and pitched three hitless innings, allowing only a walk and inserted his name in the contest for the fifth starting pitcher in the rotation. Shawn Estes gave up two runs in less than three innings, and Scott Elbert gave up a run in one inning of work.

McDonald made the start in place of Hiroki Kuroda. Kuroda pitched in a minor-league game instead.

Eric Collins was announced as the Dodgers' new play-by-play man for road games. Collins will call games on the road outside the NL West for TV affiliates FSN and KCAL 9.

Casey Blake played in his first game against the Cleveland Indians. Blake spent his entire major-league career with Cleveland, and went to the ALCS in 2007 with them. Blake was acquired from the Indians in the middle of last season for two prospects, and was later resigned in the off-season to shore up the infield.

Clippers Can't Keep Up with Cavs

The Los Angeles Clippers fell to the Cleveland Cavaliers 87-83, their 49th loss of the season. LA had a 19 point lead at one point in the third quarter, but lost in the fourth 35-14. The Clips held Cleveland under 20 points in each of the first three quarters, and to 39% shooting in the entire game. Chris Kaman made his return after missing 48 games with an injury to his left foot. Zach Randolph and Al Thornton led the Clips with 20 points each, 9 rebounds for Thornton and 12 for Randolph. Eric Gordon added 14 points. LeBron James had his second straight triple with 32 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists, and Mo Williams hit a game-winning 3-pointer with just 6.6 seconds left in the game.

Lakers Ruin Cavs' Home-Cooking

The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers 101-91, dealing Cleveland their first home loss of the season. The Lakers improved to 41-9 and took a game-and-a-half lead over the Cavs for the best record in the league. LA held Cleveland to just 30 points in the second half while scoring 50 points in the half, not long after the Cavaliers had a 10 point lead at halftime. Cleveland shot .391 from the field, but 11-for-23 from three-point range. The Lakers shot .489 but 3-for-20 from behind the arc. Kobe Bryant fought the flu to score 19 points, but Lamar Odom stole the show. Odom scored a season-high 28 points and grabbed 17 rebounds, including 15 points in the third quarter to help give LA a permanent lead. Pau Gasol had 18 points and 12 rebounds, and Derek Fisher finished with 13 points. LeBron James was shut down for the entire game, scoring just 16 points on 5-for-20 shooting. Zydrunas Ilgauskus had 22 points and 9 rebounds, and Mo Williams added 19 points. With the victory, the Lakers went 6-0 on their road-trip, despite the absence of Andrew Bynum in four of those games.

Clips Can't Handle the King

The Los Angeles Clippers were defeated by the Cleveland Cavaliers 112-95, the Clips' 18th loss in 20 games. Cleveland is undefeated at home, with a 22-0 record. The Cavs had a .494 shooting percentage, and went 14-for-26 from 3-point range. LA was out-rebounded 45-35, and had a .402 shooting percentage. The King - LeBron James - had 25 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists and Mo Williams backed him up with 23 points. Zydrunas Ilgauskas added 20 points for Cleveland. Eric Gordon continues to shine, leading the Clippers with 27 points and 7 rebounds. Steve Novak came off the bench to score 19 points, including five 3-pointers. Al Thornton scored 14 points, and Ricky Davis came off the bench with 11.

Lakers Take Care of LeBron, Cavs

The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers 105-88, snapping a 5-game losing streak against the Cavs. Kobe Bryant almost went down after dislocating his right ring finger in the first quarter, but managed to stick it out and stay in the game. The Lakers held Cleveland to just 16 points in the third quarter, and to 43% shooting during the game. LA shot .524 to take the win. Bryant's sheer will helped him nab 20 points and 12 assists, and Pau Gasol led with 22 points and 12 rebounds. Sasha Vujacic came off the bench to score 14 points with a blocked shot, and Lamar Odom added 8 points, 10 rebounds, and 3 blocked shots. LeBron James was quieted by the Lakers, shooting 9-for-25 with 23 points, 9 rebounds and 4 assists. Mo Williams followed with 16 points and 6 rebounds.

Dodgers Already Make Things Interesting

Yahoo Sports is reporting that 3B Casey Blake has accepted the Dodgers' tentative 3-year offer. Blake, a mid-season trade acquisition from Cleveland, filled third-base for LA in the second half, a position that has created much chaos for the Dodgers since Adrian Beltre's departure in 2004. This report comes on the heels of news that CC Sabathia told Dodger GM Ned Colletti that he would like to play for Los Angeles come next season. CC's interest has created an opportunity for the Dodgers to make an open offer to the lefty, rather than just remaining in the "interested" category. News also came that Manny Ramirez, Derek Lowe and Blake have all rejected the Dodgers' offer of arbitration. Arbitration is usually seen as a formality, in which the main goal is to get draft pick compensation if the free-agents sign with other teams.

Colletti Has His Hands Full in Vegas

The MLB Winter Meetings in Las Vegas are approaching, meaning all 30 GMs and too many agents to count will be talking in the Bellagio Hotel, negotiating and settling on deals for various players. This is where Dodgers GM Ned Colletti will make many key decisions, having to fill 14 empty roster spots created by free agency. Derek Lowe and Brad Penny are both essentially lost, meaning there could be as many as 3 empty spots in the rotation, coupling with Greg Maddux's retirement. Talks continue with Manny Ramirez and 3B Casey Blake, both of which look optimistic considering no offers have been made to Manny, and the Twins and Indians are both reported to have dropped out of talks with Blake. The situation with Rafael Furcal is the most confusing, as both he and LA have shown little interest in one another, but shortstop holes are being filled up quickly, not to mention his rejection of Oakland's initial offer. The Dodgers have shown a varying degree of interest in free-agent pitchers CC Sabathia, Andy Pettitte, Randy Johnson, and Trevor Hoffman, as well as trades with the Pirates concerning SS Jack Wilson. Colletti himself has made just two offers all postseason: the 2-year contract to Manny Ramirez, and the 3 offers of arbitration to Manny, Blake, and Lowe. The arbitration, however, was done solely to get draft picks from teams who would sign the three if they all reject the Dodgers' offers. Trade talks with the Padres concerning Jake Peavy have ceased apparently, not just with Los Angeles, but nearly every other team that has shown interest in him, other than the Cubs.