San Francisco 49ers linebacker Reuben Foster pleaded not guilty Tuesday to charges stemming from allegations that he attacked his then-girlfriend in their home in February.

A preliminary hearing has been scheduled for May 17 [url=http://www.49erscheapstore.com/c.-j.-beathard-jersey-cheap]C. J. Beathard Jersey[/url] , at which point Foster's former girlfriend, Elissa Ennis, may testify under oath.

Ennis has recanted the allegations that led to the domestic violence case. Foster has been charged with domestic violence with an allegation that he inflicted great bodily injury, forcefully attempting to prevent a victim from reporting a crime, and possession of an assault weapon.

The 28-year-old woman initially told police that Foster dragged her by her hair, physically threw her out of their house, and punched her in the head eight to 10 times. She later issued a statement through her attorney saying her injuries were the result of a fight with another woman.

Prosecutor Jim Dermertzis has said the district attorney's office will continue to prosecute the case against Foster even if Ennis does not cooperate with the investigation.

If convicted of all charges, Foster could face up to 11 years in prison. Foster remains a member of the 49ers although the team hasn't allowed him to participate in the offseason program while his case is ongoing.

The first one deserved a sequel, which Cleveland won in the biggest comeback in NBA Finals history to even things up with Golden State.

Then with Kevin Durant joining Stephen Curry on one side and LeBron James leading the other [url=http://www.chargerscheapstore.com/doug-flutie-jersey-cheap]Doug Flutie Jersey[/url] , the Warriors and Cavaliers sent interest soaring as they rampaged toward the tiebreaker last season.

But the rubber match was a mismatch, and the Warriors are expected to win just as easily this time.

So as Round 4 of the record-setting rivalry begins Thursday night, has Warriors-Cavaliers become too much of a good thing?

”I don’t think so,” Golden State guard Klay Thompson said. ”I think the rest of the NBA has got to get better. It’s not our fault. I’m sure if you asked the fans of the Warriors and the Cavs around the world, whether it’s in the Bay Area or in Cleveland, I’m sure they’re happy with their team performance. The only people I hear saying that are fans from other teams, which is natural. I don’t blame them. But as long as our fan base is happy, that’s all that matters.”

It’s the first time in NBA, NFL [url=http://www.chiefscheapstore.com/reggie-ragland-jersey-cheap]Reggie Ragland Jersey[/url] , MLB or NHL history that the same teams are meeting four straight times in the championship round, and intrigue in the teams hasn’t waned yet. The NBA had its most-watched conference finals since 2012, as both teams had to rally from 3-2 deficits to win Game 7s on the road.

But if this series quickly becomes as lopsided as some fear – ABC analyst Jeff Van Gundy said he couldn’t remember a bigger gap between finals teams and said any game the Cavs win is a huge upset – many of those people who have tuned in the last few years might be looking for something else to watch by the time the series switches to Cleveland.

”If James and the Cavaliers win Game 1, you know, the interest is going to skyrocket because they are going to have done what very few – except for them maybe – think they can do, which is win at Golden State,” Van Gundy said. ”If they get blown out both games, it doesn’t matter what we say. People aren’t going to be as excited.”

The players won’t apologize for showing up again, or worry that it hurts the NBA.

”I mean [url=http://www.falconscheapstore.com/deion-jones-jersey-cheap]Deion Jones Jersey[/url] , it may not be as suspenseful as a lot of people want it to be or as drama-filled,” Durant said, ”but that’s what you’ve got movies and music for.”

Some things to watch when the series begins at Oracle Arena:

BE LIKE MIKE

If the Warriors win, it would be their sixth NBA championship and tie them for third on the all-time list with the Chicago Bulls, who won all theirs with Michael Jordan. Then it would be a long way to go from there to catch Boston (17) or the Lakers (16).

MOVING ON UP

James could vault into second place on the NBA Finals’ career lists for points and assists. He has 1,247 points and needs 71 to pass Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (1,317) and move behind only Jerry West (1,679). His 339 assists are 61 behind Bob Cousy (400). Magic Johnson had 584.

SCORING STARS

While matching up on the court, James and Durant could flip-flop on the career postseason scoring list. James currently has a slight edge [url=http://www.giantscheapstore.com/olivier-vernon-jersey-cheap]Olivier Vernon Jersey[/url] , with his 28.83 points per game placing him fourth and slightly ahead of Durant, who has averaged 28.75. Durant has been even better in the NBA Finals, with his 32.9 points per game ranking last year’s finals MVP behind only Rick Barry (36.3) and Jordan (33.6) among players who have appeared in at least 10 games.

DOING IT WITH DEFENSE

The much-maligned Cavaliers’ defense has shown up in the postseason, where Cleveland is allowing just 99.9 points per game, second among the 16 teams. The Cavs held Boston under 100 points in four of the final five games of the East finals. More impressively, Golden State kept high-scoring Houston under 100 in five straight games and is right behind Cleveland at 100.3 in the playoffs.

NEW-LOOK LOGO

Viewers will notice something new on the court during the series. The familiar NBA Finals logo has been replaced and the floor will now be marked with one that reads ”The Finals presented by YouTube TV.”

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