Indians, Cavaliers fans celebrate a night for the ages in Cleveland
Hyperbole is commonplace in sports, where the latest thing is often confused with the greatest thing. Tuesday, however, in the streets of downtown Cleveland, there was little ambiguity: This was the greatest night in the city’s rich but tortured sports history. USA TODAY Sports captured the moments as the Cavaliers received their NBA championship rings at Quicken Loans Arena, while the Indians - just a bloop single away at Progressive Field - opened Game 1 of the World Series:
One crazy night ahead in Cleveland for Cavaliers, Indians fans
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(All times p.m. ET)
10:35: As the Cubs mount their first major threat, loading the bases with no outs in the seventh, we are reminded their fans travel extremely well. Chants of "Javy! Javy!" fill Progressive Field as Javier Baez comees to the plate. Amazingly, Andrew Miller wriggles out with no runs scoring.
9:21: After three quarters, the Cavs lead the Knicks 82-64, and Kyrie Irving stole the show in the third quarter with 19 points on 8-for-10 shooting, including 3-for-4 on threes. LeBron James has 17 points, 12 assists and eight rebounds and Kevin Love has 15 points and 12 rebounds.
9:09: Corey Kluber sets a World Series record with eight strikeouts in the first three innings. And it's also an Indians single-game record. Yes - in just three innings.
8:40: The Cavs lead the Knicks 48-45 at halftime. LeBron James has 12 points, seven rebounds and seven assists, Kyrie Irving has 10 points and Kevin Love has 10 points and nine rebounds. Carmelo Anthony has 13 points, and Derrick Rose has looked good in his Knicks debut with 12 points.
8:29: Fans at Quicken Loans Arena cheered loudly after Francisco Lindor scored, giving the Indians a 1-0 lead. They chanted, "Let's go Tribe. Let's go Tribe."
8:11: LeBron James' fastbreak dunk gave the Cavs a 34-24 lead over the Knicks with 8:36 left in the second quarter. James has 10 points, six assists and five rebounds and the Cavaliers are off on another championship quest - the new normal in this town.
8:10: 94 mph, and just a bit outside - Corey Kluber fires the first World Series pitch in Cleveland since 1997. Dexter Fowler takes it for a ball - and the Cubs are World Series participants again for the first time since 1945.
7:51: Surprising volume of cheers for Cubs designated hitter – and Ohio native -- Kyle Schwarber, who is playing in his first major league game since tearing ligaments in his knee in an outfield collision on April 7.
7:48: Indians pitchers and reserves are introduced, and the loudest cheers by far are for rookie pitcher Ryan Merritt - who started the Indians’ ALCS clincher - and reliever Andrew Miller. The ALCS MVP has been a Cleveland athlete for all of two months, and he’s already more popular than any Brown.
7:22: LeBron James sends each member of the Indians wireless headphones ahead of Game 1. The Indians repay him by having shortstop Francisco Lindor sign a jersey and send it back to the Cavaliers.
7:16: On a night of glory, David Weingarten's cardboard sign that he holds aloft behind the Cubs dugout is just plain sad. #BROWNS2025," it says, a message the Cleveland native says is all about "just being realistic about Browns expectations. We try not to overstep our boundaries."
7:10: After more than a decade in the NBA, a stint that began with impossible expectations, LeBron James fulfills them in the most glorious way possible: He receives his championship ring.
7:06: Joe Maddon is not sipping a Bud Light on the concourse. Rather, it's Bradley Siedle, 31, who dressed up in a full Cubs uniform with the manager's No. 70 on the back. "Yeah, kind of embarrassing," he acknowledges. Siedle arrived from St. Louis for Games 1 and 2 and will follow the Series to Chicago, sans tickets.
6:24: Yes, the Browns were represented on this night - by the greatest of all, Jim Brown. The Hall of Fame running back arrived to Quicken Loans Arena aided by a custom-made Cleveland Browns cane.
6:20: Cavaliers guard Kyrie Irving finished his pre-game warmups and retreated to the locker room.
6:05: NBA commissioner Adam Silver met with the referees then headed for the TNT set outside Quicken Loans Arena.
5:40: Aroldis Chapman and David Ross emerge from a tunnel to a phalanx of Chicago-area camera crews documenting their every step. Confirmed: The Cubs are in the World Series.
5:25: In the common area outside Progressive Field and Quicken Loans Arena, a distinguished gentleman with small, round glasses greeted onlookers. He was dressed in a suit, topcoat and top hat with the numbers 1908 written on a white hat band.
Inside the zero in 1908 was a Cubs logo.
“I’m representing the spirit of 1908,” he said, identifying himself as President Theodore Roosevelt. “We’re hoping the Cubs speak softly and swing a big stick!”
5:21: A significant celebrity sighting at the arena: The Undertaker. Between Games 4 and 5 of the last summer’s NBA Finals, LeBron James wore a T-shirt depicting the legendary wrestler to a news conference. It was the same day James had to respond to comments made by Golden State’s Klay Thompson who suggested James had his feelings hurt in a Game 4 loss. Well, the Cavaliers won the next three games and the series. Then, later in the summer, Kyrie Irving posted on Snapchat a photo of himself wearing an “Ankletaker” shirt, with artwork depicting Irving in Undertaker clothes.
4:15: LeBron James arrived at Quicken Loans Arena, wearing sunglasses and a blazer with a burnt orange turtleneck.
Gallery: The World Series scene
