LeBron powers Cavs to win over Pacers

CLEVELAND (AP): eBron James scored 45 points and got some needed help in Game 7 to stay unbeaten in the opening round of the play-offs, leading the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 105-101 win over the Indiana Pacers, who pushed the game’s best player to the limit.

James improved to 13-0 in the first round and kept Cleveland’s strange season alive - for the time being. It took everything James and the Cavs had to hold off the Pacers, who were swept by Cleveland a year ago and came in confident after a 34-point win in Game 6.

The Cavs will open the conference semi-finals tomorrow at top-seeded Toronto.

James played 43 minutes, leaving late in the third quarter and heading straight to the locker room to be treated for cramps. The 33-year-old was going to leave it all on the floor in what some Cleveland fans feared could have been his last game with the franchise.

Tristan Thompson made a rare start for the Cavs – Cleveland coach Tyronn Lue used his 34th different starting line-up this season – and added 15 points and 10 rebounds. Kevin Love made four 3-pointers, and George Hill returned after missing three games with back spasms to score 11 in 19 second-half minutes.

Victor Oladipo scored 30 and Darren Collison had 23 for the Pacers.

James Harden scored 41 points and Houston raced out to a huge lead and sailed to a 110-96 win over Utah in Game 1 of the Western Conference semi-finals.

Houston were up by 25 at half time behind 34 points combined from Harden and Chris Paul. The Jazz, who didn’t wrap up their first-round series with Oklahoma City until late Friday night, looked sluggish and struggled to keep pace with the energy of the top-seeded Rockets, who hadn’t played since eliminating Minnesota on Wednesday.

It was Houston’s fourth straight win by 10 or more points this postseason.

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