The Cleveland Cavaliers have taken a 3-2 lead in their Eastern Conference semi-final series against the Chicago Bulls following a 106-101 victory in game five at the Quicken Loans Arena.

LeBron James overcame a sprained ankle to lead the charge for the home side, finishing the game with 38 points and 12 rebounds in a 41-minute stint.

There was little to separate the two sides in the first quarter, but Cleveland started to pull away before the break, with James adding their first 10 points of the second quarter, before JR Smith and Tristan Thompson also found the target.

Jimmy Butler kept the visitors in contention with a strong run after the break, while Mike Dunleavy helped the Bulls cut the gap to just six points with less than five minutes remaining.

Butler continued to close the gap in the final moments, leaving Chicago just two behind before Kyrie Irving added a run of free throws late on to seal the win.

The teams play again on Thursday, when the Cavaliers will be able to seal their place in the conference finals with another win.