LeBron James scored 39 points, including seven in overtime, and Larry Hughes added 21 points to lead the Cleveland Cavaliers over the Chicago Bulls 112-108 in the NBA on Saturday.
Cleveland leads Chicago by one-and-a-half games for second place in the Eastern Conference.
The three division winners are guaranteed the top four playoff seeds, meaning that the Bulls would be seeded fifth despite holding the third-best record in the conference.
Trailing 108-104 with a minute left in overtime, James drove to the basket and converted a three-point play.
He banked in the jumper in the lane to cut the lead to 108-107 with 42.3 seconds left.
Then Ben Gordon drove to the lane and missed with a wild shot, James got the rebound and put Cleveland ahead for good with a jumper in the lane, giving Cleveland a 109-108 lead with 20.7 seconds left.
Gordon finished with 37 points and Tyrus Thomas had a career-high 27 points with eight rebounds.
Nets 86, 76ers 82
At East Rutherford, New Jersey, a foul-plagued Vince Carter scored 13 of his 19 points in the third quarter and New Jersey posted one of its best defensive games of the season to defeat Philadelphia.
Richard Jefferson added 14 points and Jason Kidd had 12 and eight assists as the Nets pushed the 76ers five games behind in the race for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
Philadelphia has nine games left to play.
Veteran Clifford Robinson contributed nine of his 11 points in the fourth quarter as Lawrence Frank won his 150th game, tops among all Nets coaches.
Andre Miller and Joe Smith had 14 points apiece for the 76ers, who shot a woeful 11 of 22 from the free throw line.
Andre Iguodala finished with 13 points after spending most of the second half in foul trouble.
Hornets 103, Knicks 94, OT
At Oklahoma City, David West scored 20 points and New Orleans held New York to one field goal in overtime as the Hornets won.
Chris Paul scored seven of his 16 points in the extra period, when the Knicks went 1-for-8 from the field.
Eddy Curry and Stephon Marbury led New York back from an 11-point deficit in the final four minutes of regulation and Nate Robinson hit a 3-pointer from the left wing with just 10 seconds remaining to force the game into overtime.
Curry scored 34 points for his highest output since Dec. 9 and Marbury had 16 points.
Curry had 13 rebounds while Robinson and Mardy Collins each added 14 points for the Knicks. Collins' total was a career high.
Clippers 99, Trail Blazers 86
Playing in Portland, Oregon, Cuttino Mobley scored 25 points and Elton Brand added 21 to lead Los Angeles.
Quinton Ross added 17 points for the Clippers, who ran out to a huge lead and then held on.
Brandon Roy had 23 points to lead Portland, which was missing two starters, and also lost LaMarcus Aldridge early in the game.
Raef LaFrentz had a season-high 15 points and Jamaal Magloire and Travis Outlaw each had 13 for the Blazers.
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