James carries Cavs into East semifinals

LeBron James scored 45 points and got some needed help in Game 7 to stay unbeaten in the opening round of the NBA playoffs, leading the Cavaliers to a 105-101 win over the Indiana Pacers, who pushed the game’s best player to the limit in Cleveland.

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 semifinals 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-yearold 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 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, who were still within four points in the final minute before a cutting James scored on a bullet pass from Kyle Korver with 30 seconds left.

Rockets 110, Jazz 96 — James Harden scored 41 points and host Houston raced out to a huge lead and sailed past Utah in Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals.

The Rockets were up by 25 at halftime behind 34 points combined from Harden and Chris Paul.