Boston bound: LeBron pushes Cavs to game 7 vs. Celtics

CLEVELAND (AP) – Lebron James scored 46 points and preserved his reign atop the Eastern Conference for at least one more game as the Cleveland Cavaliers shook off losing all-star Kevin Love with a head injury and beat the Boston Celtics 109-99 on Friday night to force a game 7.

James, playing in perhaps his final game for the Cavs in Cleveland, delivered another sensational performance — he added 11 rebounds and nine assists while playing all but two minutes — to avoid elimination and delay any decisions about his future.

The King is not dead, and he still has a chance to make his eighth straight NBA finals.

This back-and-forth series, in which home court has meant everything, will have a climatic conclusion Sunday at TD Center, where the Celtics are 10-0 this postseason.

George Hill added 20 points, and Jeff Green 14 for the Cavs. They won their eighth straight at home and will play their second game 7 of these playoffs.

Terry Rozier paced the Celtics with 28 points, and Jaylen Brown had 27.