LeBron’s triple-double lifts Cavs over Bulls

Cleveland, USA – LeBron James notched his first triple-double of the season on Sunday as the Cleveland Cavaliers all but clinched the NBA Central Division title with a 99-94 win over Chicago.

Four-time NBA Most Valuable Player James finished with 20 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds to help the Cavs post their 18th straight home win.

Cleveland pulled 4 games ahead of the second-placed Bulls in the Central Division with 5 games to play.

J.R. Smith made half of Cleveland’s whopping 16 three-pointers and finished with 24 points.

Kyrie Irving added 27 points, including a stunning shot from beyond halfcourt as the shot-clock ran down late in the third quarter.

The shot – from more than 50 feet out – swished through the net, part of a 10-0 Cleveland scoring burst that extended their lead to 75-60.

Mike Dunleavy led Chicago with 24 points, while Aaron Brooks added 17 and Jimmy Butler chipped in 16 in the Bulls’ second defeat in three games.

Among Cleveland’s 10 three-pointers in the first half were impressive buzzer-beaters by Irving and Smith to end the first and second quarters, which helped the hosts take a 54-45 lead into halftime.

The Bulls narrowed the gap to 79-71 going into the fourth quarter, and pulled within five at 92-87 with just over three minutes to play.

Two of their next three possessions ended in turnovers, and Nikola Mirotic missed a three-pointer on the other. – Rappler.com