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NBA Scores: LeBron Leads Cavaliers Past the Pacers to Lock Up Playoff Birth
LeBron James scored 26 points, grabbed 7 rebounds and handed out 6 assists to lead the Cleveland Cavaliers (43-28) past the struggling Indiana Pacers (31-39) 105-94 and locked up a spot in the Eastern Conference playoffs.
Cleveland now sits two games behind the Detroit Pistons for the top seed in the playoff picture with 11 games left on their schedule. The Pacers, who at one time were 29-24 this year have fallen off the map and are just 2-15 in their last 17 games.
The Pacers grabbed a 12-6 lead early in the first quarter but the Cavs responded with a 14-4 run to go up 20-16 and from that point they never trailed again.
Cleveland extended their lead to 14 in the second quarter and appeared ready to blow the game open until the Pacers rattled off eight straight to cut the Cavs lead to six with 5:43 remaining in the half. LeBron answered the bell with an assist on Daniel Gibson’s three-pointer and seven points in 1:48 to push the lead back to twelve.
Indiana staged a comeback in the third quarter and by the end of the period they were down just three, 75-72.
Jermaine O’Neal pulled the Pacers to within one with 8:29 remaining in the fourth but Sasha Pavlovic hit a pair of jumpers for Cleveland to get some breathing room. The Pacers couldn’t get any closer than four the rest of the way.
O’Neal led the Pacers with 32 points in the loss.
The Cavaliers out-rebounded the Pacers 43-33 including a 10-2 advantage on the offensive glass.
