James keeps Cavaliers' hopes alive

Cleveland

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.

"It feels good just to be able to play for another game," James said. "Like I've always said, Game 7 is the best two words in sports. ... We should relish the opportunity and have fun with it."

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.

"We have one game to be able to compete for a championship, and what more could you ask for?" James said. "If I'd have told you at the beginning of the season we only needed one game to make the NBA Finals, we'd take it."

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.

The Celtics were still within seven in the final three minutes before James made consecutive 3-pointers, punctuating the second by pounding his chest with both fists and screaming along with 20,562 others.

Rockets: Houston will be without star guard Chris Paul for Game 6 because of a strained hamstring, a huge blow for a team trying to close out the Golden State Warriors. Paul was injured in the fourth quarter of Thursday night's victory that gave the Rockets a 3-2 lead in the Western Conference final. Eric Gordon, the star of Game 5, will start in Paul's place Saturday night. He started 30 games this season while Paul and James Harden dealt with injuries. "It will not change anything that we do or how we do it," coach Mike D'Antoni said.

Bucks: Milwaukee player Sterling Brown said Friday he "gave in" when police used a stun gun as they detained him for a parking violation because he didn't want officers to "pull out their guns." He said he still gets upset when he watches the video of his interaction with officers in a parking lot on Jan. 26. Three officers involved in the arrest were disciplined with suspensions ranging from two to 15 days. Eight others will undergo remedial training in professional communications. Police Chief Alfonso Morales personally apologized to Brown last month.