The Atlanta Hawks continued their winning streak with a franchise-record 17th consecutive victory as they beat the Brooklyn Nets.
A dominant run before the break ensured that the Eastern Conference leaders opened up enough of a lead to make sure of the victory, while Paul Millsap led the scoring with 28.
The San Antonio Spurs helped coach Gregg Popovich celebrate his 66th birthday with a win over the Charlotte Hornets at the AT&T Center.
The NBA champions were ahead at the break, but gave the Hornets hope in a sluggish third quarter before Tony Parker finished with a flourish to lift the Spurs to victory.
The Cleveland Cavaliers made it eight wins in a row as they edged past the Portland Trail Blazers, despite missing LeBron James.
The four-time MVP sat out with a wrist injury, but Kyrie Irving stepped up in his absence, adding 55 to help the home side establish an early lead, which the Blazers never managed to overturn.
The New York Knicks continued their resurgence with a fourth win in five games, sinking the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Russell Westbrook kept the Thunder close as he scored 40 while current league MVP Kevin Durant missed out with a toe injury, but Carmelo Anthony led the charge for the Knicks before Tim Hardaway Jr added three late three-pointers to give the home side the win.
The Los Angeles Clippers needed a late push to edge to a win over the Utah Jazz, clinching their 13th straight win against the Salt Lake City side.
Enes Kanter and Derrick Favors battled hard to keep the Jazz in contention inside the final five minutes, but Blake Griffin led a fourth-quarter surge from the Clippers to give the Pacific Division side the edge.
The Houston Rockets came out on top in a closely-fought battle with Texas rivals the Dallas Mavericks.
Josh Smith and James Harden stepped up while Dwight Howard sat out with an ankle injury, combining for 35 to give the Rockers a third straight win, while leaving the Mavericks on a four-game losing streak.
The Toronto Raptors scored a season-high 17 three-pointers to wrap up a comfortable win over the Sacramento Kings.
There was little to separate the sides in the first half, but a 29-10 run in the third quarter ensured that the Canadian side came out on top, with Lou Williams leading the scoring with 27.
A quick start ensured that the Phoenix Suns secured a win over the Washington Wizards at the US Airways Center.
Goran Dragic helped the Suns establish a 22-point lead in the first half, leaving the Wizards chasing the game before PJ Tucker ended any hopes of a Washington comeback with 10 points in the fourth quarter.
The Philadelphia 76ers ended a run of six games without a win as they cruised to victory over the Detroit Pistons.
The Sixers made a quick start to the game, opening up a 12-point lead by the end of the first quarter as Michael Carter-Williams started strongly before JaKarr Sampson took over in the second half.
The Denver Nuggets snapped their seven-game losing streak with a comfortable win over the New Orleans Pelicans at the Smoothie King Center.
After letting a 16-point lead slip, the Nuggets needed a late run of points to clinch the win, but Arron Afflalo and Ty Lawson both made sure of the victory.
A strong second-half performance from the Minnesota Timberwolves gave the side a win over the Boston Celtics.
Kevin Martin returned from a two-month absence with a fractured wrist to lead his side with 21 points, ending a 10-game run of losses for Minnesota.
Results in full: Portland Trail Blazers 94-99 Cleveland Cavaliers, Detroit Pistons 69-89 Philadelphia 76ers, Sacramento Kings 102-119 Toronto Raptors, Brooklyn Nets 102-113 Atlanta Hawks, Dallas Mavericks 94-99 Houston Rockets, Boston Celtics 98-110 Minnesota Timberwolves, Denver Nuggets 93-85 New Orleans Pelicans, Oklahoma City Thunder 92-100 New York Knicks, Charlotte Hornets 86-95 San Antonio Spurs, Los Angeles Clippers 94-89 Utah Jazz, Washington Wizards 98-106 Phoenix Suns
Sian Cowper
