NBA: James triple-double lifts Cavs over Bulls
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LeBron James notched his first triple-double of the season on Sunday as the Cleveland Cavaliers all but clinched the NBA Central Division title with a 99-94 win over Chicago.
Cleveland pulled four games ahead of the second-placed Bulls in the Central Division with five games to play.
J.R. Smith made half of Cleveland`s whopping 16 three-pointers and finished with 24 points.
Kyrie Irving added 27 points, including a stunning shot from beyond halfcourt as the shot-clock ran down late in the third quarter.
The shot -- from more than 50 feet out -- swished through the net, part of a 10-0 Cleveland scoring burst that extended their lead to 75-60.
Mike Dunleavy led Chicago with 24 points, while Aaron Brooks added 17 and Jimmy Butler chipped in 16 in the Bulls` second defeat in three games.
Among Cleveland`s 10 three-pointers in the first half were impressive buzzer-beaters by Irving and Smith to end the first and second quarters, which helped the hosts take a 54-45 lead into halftime.
The Bulls narrowed the gap to 79-71 going into the fourth quarter, and pulled within five at 92-87 with just over three minutes to play.
Two of their next three possessions ended in turnovers, and Nikola Mirotic missed a three-pointer on the other.
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