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LeBron Gets Triple-Double As Cavs Beat Bulls, 99-94

CLEVELAND (AP) — LeBron James recorded his first triple-double since coming home, and the Cleveland Cavaliers made 16 3-pointers while winning their 18th straight home game, 99-94 over the Chicago Bulls on Sunday.

J.R. Smith made eight 3s, Kyrie Irving casually dropped one from 52 feet and scored 27 as the Cavs moved closer to a Central Division title and securing the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs.

Mike Dunleavy scored 24 and Aaron Brooks 17 for the Bulls, who could have star guard Derrick Rose back in the next few days.

James finished with 20 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds, his first triple-double in a Cleveland uniform since May 13, 2010, two months before he left as a free agent for Miami.

The Cavs notched win No. 50 and improved to a league-best 31-7 since Jan. 15.

Smith scored all 24 points from long range as the Cavs improved to 3-1 this season against the Bulls, a team they could face in the postseason. By then, Rose may be back following knee surgery, which would spice up a series that doesn't need any hype. James' teams have eliminated the Bulls three times in the past five seasons and the four-time MVP has a running feud with Bulls center Joakim Noah.

The two exchanged words Sunday and could soon see each other with more on the line.

The Cavs were up by 10 in the third when Irving hit his improbable 3 from well beyond half-court. After catching the inbounds pass, Irving realized there were less than 2 seconds left on the 24-second shot clock and launched his shot. After it swished through the hoop, Irving raised his hands as if to say "no big deal."

Still, the Bulls were within striking distance late before Kevin Love's 3 with 1:14 left gave the Cavs a 96-87 lead.

Smith drained an off-balance, 3-pointer from 40 feet just before the halftime horn, giving the Cavaliers a 54-45 lead. After hitting his sixth 3 of the opening half, Smith fell into one of the expensive courtside seats to admire his work. Irving, too, made a 3 from the corner at the conclusion of the first quarter for Cleveland.

The Bulls were without their starting backcourt as Kirk Hinrich (hyperextended knee) joined Rose on the sideline.

Rose did on-court drills before the game and is nearing a return. He was recently cleared for full-contact workouts as he returns from surgery on his right knee.

Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau hopes Rose, who had surgery on Feb. 27, will return this week, when the Bulls play at Orlando on Wednesday and Miami on Thursday.

"Ideally, the sooner the better, but he has to be comfortable enough to play," Thibodeau said. "We're not going to play him the amount of minutes he was playing before he got injured. We've got to re-establish his baseline, something where he can get his feet wet and start moving forward."

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TIP-INS

Bulls: Because of injuries, Chicago has had its starting lineup — Rose, Dunleavy, Noah, Jimmy Butler and Pau Gasol — just 19 times this season. The Bulls are 15-4 in those games. ... Thibodeau said Rose's presence alone makes the Bulls better. "Just Derrick on the floor helps our team," Thibodeau said. "We don't expect him to be playing 35 minutes a night or scoring a ton of points. Just give us what you have."

Cavaliers: James, who added three steals and a block, was stripped of a triple-double earlier this season against New Orleans. The NBA took away an assist after reviewing the Nov. 10 game. ... During the home winning streak, all five Cavs starters have averaged double figures. ... According to information provided by the Cavs, the team came in leading the NBA in alley-oop dunks with 74 since Mozgov arrived on Jan. 9. The Clippers were second with 47.

UP NEXT

Bulls: At Orlando on Wednesday.

Cavaliers: At Milwaukee on Wednesday.

(© 2015 by STATS LLC and Associated Press. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of STATS LLC and Associated Press is strictly prohibited.)

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