LeBron James hits jumper at buzzer as Cavaliers even series with Bulls

LeBron James watched his coach draw up the final play -- and then drew up one of his own. "Give me the ball and get out of the way," he said.

James overruled Cleveland coach David Blatt's idea for a last-second inbounds play and drained a jumper from the corner at the buzzer to give the Cavaliers an 86-84 victory over the host Chicago Bulls yesterday, tying the Eastern Conference semifinal series at 2-2.

"I was supposed to take the ball out," James said. "I told Coach there was no way I'm taking the ball out unless I could shoot it over the backboard and go in. So I told him, 'Have somebody else take the ball out.' "

James, playing the final quarter on a sprained left ankle, finished with 25 points to help the Cavaliers win, returning the favor after Chicago took Game 3 on Derrick Rose's banked three-pointer at the horn.

This time, James got whistled for an offensive foul when he elbowed Mike Dunleavy Jr., and Rose scored on a driving layup with 9.4 seconds left. Blatt tried to call a timeout but didn't have one and assistant Tyronn Lue alertly pulled him off the court.

Then, following an animated break, James ended it with the 21-foot jumper over Jimmy Butler. Game 5 is tomorrow night in Cleveland.

James rolled his left ankle in the third quarter, but fought off the injury. He committed eight turnovers and struggled again from the field, hitting 10 of 30 shots after going 8-for-25 in Game 3. But he also had 14 rebounds and eight assists.

Kyrie Irving, playing with a sprained right foot, was 2-for-10 and had 12 points and two assists.

Timofey Mozgov had 15 points and nine rebounds, and J.R. Smith, who was suspended for Games 1 and 2, scored all 11 of his points in the fourth quarter.

Clippers 128, Rockets 95: DeAndre Jordan scored 26 points, surviving Houston's intentional-foul fest in the first half, and host Los Angeles took a 3-1 lead in the series. Jordan made 14 of 34 free throws, attempting an NBA playoff-record 28 in the first half, and had 17 rebounds.

James Harden scored 21 points for the Rockets. Dwight Howard was held to seven points and six rebounds after being in foul trouble and he fouled out with 9:52 left.

Jordan's 28 attempts in the first half eclipsed the old mark of 27 by Shaquille O'Neal in 2000.

-- AP