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LeBron James plays best post-season game as Cavaliers lead Bulls

LeBron James #23 of the Cleveland Cavaliers takes a shot against the Dallas Mavericks at American Airlines Center on March 10, 2015
Image: LeBron James takes a shot for the Cleveland Cavaliers.

LeBron James didn't let a sprained ankle slow him as he played his best game of the post-season, scoring 38 points as Cleveland beat Chicago 106-101 in Tuesday's play-offs action.

James, who levelled the series at 2-2 with a buzzer-beating jump shot in Game Four, also tallied 12 rebounds and six assists in Game Five as the Cavaliers took a 3-2 lead over the Bulls in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference semi-final.

"I think our coaching staff did a great job putting me in a position to be successful," said James, who also didn't have a turnover in 41 minutes as he ensured the Cavaliers will again play at home this season.

Kyrie Irving added 25 for Cleveland, who can wrap up the series with a win in Game Six on Thursday night back at United Center in Chicago, where the teams exchanged buzzer-beating victories last weekend.

The drama wasn't quite as high on Tuesday, but it was close and intense as Cleveland guard Iman Shumpert grabbed a crucial offensive rebound in the final minute to ensure the victory.

Jimmy Butler scored 29 points and Mike Dunleavy 19 for Chicago. Derrick Rose scored 16, 12 in the first quarter, but shot just 2-of-15 in the final three quarters.

In the late game, Dwight Howard finished with 20 points and 15 rebounds and James Harden had a triple double as the Houston Rockets bounced back from two lopsided losses to the Los Angeles Clippers to avoid elimination in the Western Conference semi-final.

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Harden had 26 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists as the Rockets forced the series to go to a Game Six with a 124-103 home win over the Clippers.

The Rockets had not lost three straight all season, and with their season on the line they ended a skid to send the series back to Los Angeles for Game Six on Thursday night.

Houston used a 36-point second quarter to take a commanding lead and withstood a third-quarter surge by Los Angeles to lead by 14 entering the fourth.

Blake Griffin had 30 points and 16 rebounds, and Chris Paul added 22 points and 10 assists for the Clippers, who still lead the best-of-seven series 3-2

If the Rockets can even the series on Thursday, Game Seven would be back in Houston on Sunday.

The Rockets matched their Game Three total for points in the paint (36) by half-time and finished with 64 as they took full advantage of DeAndre Jordan's foul trouble, with the Clippers center picking up three by the break while logging just nine first-half minutes.

Jordan finished with 13 points and 11 rebounds but was largely neutralised as a paint protector. The guard trio of JJ Redick, Jamal Crawford and Austin Rivers, instrumental in two blow-out wins in Los Angeles, shot a combined 8-for-33.

Rockets coach Kevin McHale tweaked his lineup, starting forward Josh Smith in place of Terrence Jones. Smith finished with nine points, seven rebounds and four assists, while Jones added 12 points and five boards. 

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