James scores 46 to keep Cavs alive, force Game 7

LeBron James scored 46 points and preserved his reign atop the Eastern Conference for at least one more game as the Cavaliers shook off losing All-Star Kevin Love with a head injury and beat the 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.

The Rockets 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 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 finals.

“I hate it for him, above all,” coach Mike D’Antoni said. “He’s practically won us the last two games. But great opportunity for other guys.

“(Other players) see the challenge, whether CP’s there or not, it’s a heck of a challenge, and they’re up to it. They’re looking forward to it.”

Eric Gordon, the star of Game 5, will start in Paul’s place Saturday night when the series shifts to Oracle Arena. 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,” D’Antoni said.

Paul’s right leg will be re-evaluated after the team returns to Houston following Game 6. On Friday, he was with the team, laughing and joking with teammates as they walked on the court for practice.

Harden said the Rockets don’t have time to dwell on the absence of their nine-time All-Star.

“We don’t want to be pouting around,” he said. “We want to keep our same swagger, our same positive energy. We try to feed that off to him as well: ‘Be happy, be ready; get this thing right, get this thing going and be back in no time.’ ’’

Paul is in the conference finals for the first time after failing to advance past the second round in nine previous postseason trips.

D’Antoni said Paul will travel with the team to Oakland for the game Saturday.