NBA assistant coach’s tirade helps light Cavaliers’ fire (AFP)

A profanity-laced tirade by assistant coach Phil Handy helped inspire the Cleveland Cavaliers to a rout of Golden State and provide a chance to level the NBA Finals on Friday. Word of the verbal locker room lashing leaked Thursday and was confirmed by Kyrie Irving, who followed a 10-point effort in game two with a 30-point performance in Wednesday's 120-90 romp that trimmed the Warriors' series edge to 2-1. "The speech he gave after game two just really hit home for all of us," Irving said.