Mozgov plays vital Finals role for injury-hit Cavs (AFP)

Russian centre Timofey Mozgov, who wasn't even with the Cleveland Cavaliers when the NBA season began, suddenly finds himself a crucial player in the team's quest for a championship. The 7-foot-1 (2.16m) giant is the first Russian to play in the NBA Finals and has proven a key asset for the injury-hit Cavaliers, who are level at 1-1 with Golden State in the best-of-seven series entering Tuesday's game three at Cleveland, where the Cavs have won 26 of their past 28 starts. Mozgov is averaging 16.5 points and nine rebounds for the Cavaliers, who used his size advantage on Australian centre Andrew Bogut of the Warriors to run their offensive plays to him when superstar LeBron James took a brief rest in game two's 95-93 Cleveland win.