LeBron pushes Cavaliers to Game 7 against Celtics

CLEVELAND — LeBron James scored 46 points and preserved his reign atop the NBA 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 ASSOCIATED PRESS The Cleveland Cavaliers’ LeBron James, center, drives to the basket against the Boston Celtics’ Aron Baynes, left, and Jayson Tatum in the first half of Game 6 of the NBA Eastern Conference finals Friday in Cleveland. The Cavaliers won 109-99.