ANKARA
The Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Chicago Bulls 106-101 on Tuesday night to take a 3-2 lead, thanks to the 38-point performance of their superstar Lebron James.
The fifth game of the Eastern Conference Semi-Final matchup started with a dominant display from James, who finished the half with 24 points with a superb 10-12 shooting.
The Cavaliers finished the half with a 10-point lead, 54-44.
However, the Bulls did not go down easily and, with their shooting guard Jimmy Butler's hot-shooting, they closed the margin to only 2 points with a minute left on the clock.
The Chicago Bulls were not able to throw the last punch to the Cavaliers as the Cavs won the important fifth match 106-101 to lead the series 3-2.
Lebron James finished with 38 points, 12 rebounds and 6 assists and zero turnovers, while point guard Kyrie Irving dropped 25 points and dished out 5 assists.
For the Chicago Bulls, Jimmy Butler's 29 points, small forward Mike Dunleavy's 19 points and point guard Derrick Rose's 16 points were not enough to beat the Cavs.
The Cavaliers now have a chance to close out the series with a Game 6 win on Thursday in Chicago's home ground United Center.
The United Center saw some exciting showdown between these two teams last weekend, as Derrick Rose's buzzer-beating three pointer in Game 3 gave the Bulls a 2-1 lead, but Lebron James hit a last-second shot to even the series at 2-2.
If the Cavs win on Thursday, it will be their first Eastern Conference Finals appearance since 2009, when Lebron James left the team for Miami Heat after the 2008-2009 campaign.
Houston Rockets stay alive
The Houston Rockets, who were trailing 3-1 until the Game 5 of the Western Conference Semi-Finals, were in a must-win situation on Tuesday night.
The Rockets responded to the challenge and defeated the Lost Angeles Clippers 124-103, thanks to their superstar James Harden's "triple-double".
Harden finished the game with 26 points, 10 assists and 11 rebounds to prevent him from being eliminated from the best-of-seven series.
Rockets' Center Dwight Howard also helped his team with 20 points and 15 rebounds.
For the Clippers, power-forward Blake Griffin's 30-point and 16-rebound performance were not enough to win and advance against the Rockets.
Point guard Chris Paul added 22 points and dished out 10 assists for the Clippers but, facing elimination, the Rockets "were more focused," as the Clippers coach Doc Rivers said after the loss.
The Clippers have a chance to close out the series in their home court Staples Center on Thursday and advance to the Western Conference Finals.
