The Cleveland Cavaliers will be without star point guard Kyrie Irving for the remainder of the NBA Finals against the Golden State Warriors. Irving has a fractured left kneecap and will require surgery that is expected to sideline him for 3-4 months. This is a major blow for the Cavaliers, who are already playing without fellow All-Star Kevin Love and must now face the Warriors in the Finals without two of their top players. Irving had been playing through pain in the playoffs but was injured in Game 1 of the Finals.

1. Associated Press/BEN MARGOT
Kyrie Irving, with ball, will miss the rest
of the NBA Finals with a knee injury.
By BRIAN MAHONEY
Associated Press
OAKLAND, Calif. — The Cleveland Cavaliers
finished off Chicago and swept past Atlan-
ta when Kyrie Irving wasn’t available.
Now, they have to find their way past the
Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals
without him.
Irving has a fractured left kneecap and
will have surgery that could sideline him
for three to four months, the Cavaliers
said Friday.
Already without Kevin Love, the Cava-
liers now are without their All-Star point
guard, who had been playing in pain for
most of the postseason and was injured
NBA FINALS
Cavaliers’ Irving done for series
SPORTS SECTION
B
NEWS-JOURNAL
SATURDAY, JUNE 6, 2015
AMBIDEXTROUS GUY
Oakland calls up pitcher
who can throw both left- and
right-handed. PAGE 4B
MY TWO
CENTS
KEN
WILLIS
Another day when the atten-
tion span is shorter than Victor
Espinoza’s hemline ...
zzOrmond Beach’s Steve
Wolfson Sr., whose dad, Lou-
is Wolfson, owned Affirmed,
doesn’t pull against Triple
Crown hopefuls just because he
likes that Affirmed was the last.
As a thoroughbred enthusiast,
he likes the idea of a Triple
Crown winner validating his
greatness by continuing a rac-
ing career.
Too many times — as is the
case with American Pharoah —
stud rights already have been
sold and the career likely will
end at the Belmont finish line.
Affirmed, for instance, kept rac-
ing and won seven of nine starts
as a 4-year-old.
I’m a bit skeptical. I’m not
really sure if it’s the validation
theory or the knee-jerk reaction
of men to hate any other male
who’s retired to a stud farm.
zzAs a reminder, American
Pharoah won’t win the Bel-
mont. There’s history against it.
The Triple Crown opportunity
dates to when Teddy Roosevelt
was a teenager. Thirty-four
Kentucky Derby winners also
won the Preakness. Eleven of
those 34 won the Belmont. Since
1875. Since Affirmed in ’78, 13
have had a chance and all have
failed.
zzWolfson said he sees three or
four horses with better pedi-
grees for Belmont’s mile-and-
a-half. Big deal, you say? Let’s
rewind to Wolfson’s words on
the eve of last year’s Belmont
when California Chrome had
his Triple Crown moment.
“I’m confident he will not win.
I think maybe he’ll be third,
if he holds on. There are four
horses in the field that can go a
mile-and-a-half, and he’s not one
of them.”
California Chrome was
fourth.
AND SO ON ...
zzClarence “Bevo” Francis died
this week at 82, and the obits
reminded us of his long-ago
basketball exploits and that ev-
eryone named Clarence seems
to have a nickname.
The list: Clarence “Big House”
Gaines, Clarence “Gatemouth”
Brown, Clarence “Big Man”
Carter, Clarence “Bugs”
Birdseye, Clarence “Cito”
Gaston and, of course, Clarence
“Lumpy” Rutherford.
zzI thought of the late Tom
McEwen this week reading a
story about the Belmont. The
Tampa-based sports writer
loved going to Triple Crown
events because all the import-
ant people are available at dawn
in the paddock, they all love to
talk and they’re all great quotes.
That memory was triggered
by a quote this week from Billy
Turner, who trained Triple
Crown winner Seattle Slew in
1977. Turner described Seattle
Slew as “the boss hoss, totally
dominant, the kind you read
about in books. If he’d been in a
herd in the field, he would have
killed the other stallions and
had the mares to himself.”
Yikes.
Reach Ken Willis at ken.
willis@news-jrnl.com. Twitter:
@HeyWillieNJ.
History not
on side of
Pharoah
Staff and Wire Reports
GAINESVILLE — Catcher Mike Rive-
ra’s two-run single in the first inning
capped a four-run outburst for Flor-
ida as the Gators beat Florida State
13-5 in Game 1 of a Super Regional
series Friday at McKethan Stadium.
With the win, Florida (48-16) needs
a win either today or Sunday in the
best-of-3 series to advance to next
week’s College World Series in Oma-
ha, Nebraska. The Seminoles (44-20)
are now forced to sweep or see their
season end. Today’s game starts at 5
p.m.
Rivera’s only hit of the game was
a big one. Josh Tobias, who had two
hits and three RBIs, and JJ Schwarz,
who was 2 for 3 with three runs
scored and two RBIs, already had
FLORIDA 13, FLORIDA STATE 5
Gators put hammer to Seminoles
Associated Press/PHIL SANDLIN
Florida’s Buddy Reed slides during the second
inning of Friday’s game.
By BETH HARRIS
Associated Press
NEW YORK — The Triple Crown trail
ends Saturday with the Belmont
Stakes, and it’s finished in heartbreak
for 13 horses whose tries at history
were foiled since 1979.
That year, Spectacular Bid stepped
on a safety pin in his barn and came
up short in the Belmont. Big Brown
didn’t finish the grueling race in 2008;
and I’ll Have Another was scratched
the day before with a leg injury in
2012.
Not since Affirmed in 1978 has a
horse swept thoroughbred racing’s
top three events, one of the sporting
world’s rarest feats.
American Pharoah began his bid
with a one-length victory May 2 in
the 1.25-mile Kentucky Derby. He
followed May 16 with a seven-length
win in the rain-drenched 1 3/16-mile
Preakness.
He’ll try to become the 12th Triple
Crown winner, joining such revered
BELMONT STAKES
RUN FOR GLORYWhat to watch for as American Pharoah goes for Triple Crown
Associated Press/PETER MORGAN
Could this be the kiss of death? Owner Ahmed Zayat, left, looks to win the Triple Crown at the Belmont Stakes
today with American Pharoah.
Belmont Stakes
When: 6:40 tonight
Where: Belmont Park in Elmont
Park, New York
Distance: 1.5 miles
TV: NBC
Also: Acorn Stakes for fillies at 3:15
p.m. (NBCSN)
Inside
Look at the field, DBKC hosts event,
PAGE 3B
Florida State at Florida
Schedule
Friday: Florida 13, Florida State 5
Today: 5 p.m. (ESPN2)
Sunday (if necessary): 6 p.m. (ES-
PNU) or 7 p.m. (ESPN2)
Inside
Miami wins, glance, PAGE 3B
Up Next
Who: Cleveland at Golden State
When: 8 p.m. Sunday
TV: ABC
Game 1: The Warriors scored the first 10
points of OT on Thursday to win 108-100.
SEE GLORY, PAGE 3B
SEE IRVING, PAGE 5B
SEE GATORS, PAGE 3B
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