The Golden State Warriors have been beaten for the second time in three days as Pacific Division rivals the Los Angeles Clippers dominated the second half of their Christmas Day game at the Staples Center.
The home side struggled to get going in the first quarter, but Jamal Crawford found his shooting form in the second half, making 12 of his 24 points in the fourth to secure the win.
The Warriors struggled to get a run going late on, missing 13 of 15 attempts in the final 12 minutes as they slipped to their fifth defeat of the campaign.
The Miami Heat beat the Cleveland Cavaliers as LeBron James faced his former team for the first time since his off-season departure.
The hosts pulled away early on, with Dwyane Wade scoring 24 of his 31 points before half time, while Luol Deng chipped in with 25.
James finished the game with 30, and gave the Cavaliers some hope in the second half, but Cleveland were unable to overturn the first-half deficit.
The Oklahoma City Thunder dominated the fourth quarter of their game against the San Antonio Spurs to secure victory over the NBA champions.
The Spurs were just in front going into the final period, but Russell Westbrook led a 20-7 run that gave the Thunder the lead, leaving the guard with 34 points.
The Chicago Bulls eased to victory over the Los Angeles Lakers, clinching their 20th win of the season.
Pau Gasol led the Bulls to a 16-point lead against his old team, but Wesley Johnson and Jordan Hill kept the Lakers in contention before Jimmy Butler and Derrick Rose put the win beyond doubt for Chicago.
The New York Knicks slipped to their 16th defeat in 17 games as they were easily beaten by the Washington Wizards.
The visitors never fell behind at Madison Square Garden, and led by 22 midway through the first half as John Wall topped the scoring with 24 as well as 11 assists for the Wizards.
Carmelo Anthony helped the Knicks close the gap in the second half, finishing the game with 34, but he was unable to prevent the defeat.
Results in full: Washington Wizards 102-91 New York Knicks, Oklahoma City Thunder 114-106 San Antonio Spurs, Cleveland 91-101 Miami Heat, Los Angeles Lakers 93-113 Chicago Bulls, Golden State Warriors 86-100 Los Angeles Clippers
Sian Cowper
