Bobcats 96, Cavaliers 94 (OT): Al Jefferson collected 24 points and 15 rebounds and Gerald Henderson knocked down the go-ahead shot in overtime as visiting Charlotte outlasted Cleveland and clinched a playoff berth.

Kemba Walker added 20 points and seven assists and Henderson scored 15 as the Bobcats moved within a game of the Washington Wizards for the No. 6 spot in the Eastern Conference. Jefferson scored Charlotte’s first six points in overtime and Henderson’s jumper made it a 90-89 lead before Walker, Henderson and Jefferson combined to hit six free throws in the final 17 seconds to seal it.

Kyrie Irving scored 31 of his career-high 44 points after the half and added eight assists and seven rebounds for the Cavaliers, who dropped 3 1/2 games behind idle Atlanta for the No. 8 spot in the East. Dion Waiters was the only other player in double figures with 14 points while Tristan Thompson grabbed 12 rebounds for Cleveland.

The Bobcats knotted it at 72 on Chris Douglas-Roberts’ layup with 6:33 to play in regulation but the Cavaliers scored six of the next eight points to regain control. Walker put Charlotte back on top 82-80 with a 3-pointer but Irving buried a tying jumper and Walker could not connect at the end of the fourth quarter.

Cleveland shot just 29.5 percent in the first half to limp into the break down 40-33. The deficit reached 11 points early in the third before the Cavaliers began to storm back, using an 8-0 run to pull within three and getting a pair of 3-pointers from Irving during a 13-4 push closing the quarter to take a 66-62 lead into the fourth.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Bobcats F Josh McRoberts (ankle) sat out his third straight game. … Irving went 5-of-9 from 3-point range while the rest of the Cavaliers combined to hit 2-of-13 from beyond the arc. … C Cody Zeller collected his first career double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds for Charlotte, which is headed to the playoffs for the second time in franchise history and first time since 2010.