After a sluggish start to the season, the New Orleans Pelicans recorded their third straight win by ousting the Phoenix Suns 120-114 in one of 12 Wednesday night NBA games.
Anthony Davis put up 26 points and 17 rebounds as the Pelicans improved to 4-11 and inflicted a third straight defeat on the Suns.
At the other end of the Western Conference, the San Antonio Spurs have won eight home games in a row after seeing off fellow Texans the Dallas Mavericks 88-83 at AT&T Center.
The Spurs never trailed and held on for the win in the closing stages as Kawhi Leonard finished with 26 points, eight rebounds and five assists.
LeBron James contributed 24 points, six rebounds and eight assists, but the Cleveland Cavaliers lost on the road for the third game in a row by going down 103-99 at the Toronto Raptors.
Toronto snapped the Cavs' three-game winning streak and now have that record themselves, with Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan combining for 47 Raptor points.
The Philadelphia 76ers matched the longest losing streak in US professional sports history by blowing a late five-point lead against the Boston Celtics.
Philly have now lost 26 games in a row including the end of last season and are two defeats away from matching the worst-ever 18-0 start to an NBA season. They scored only three points in the final six minutes of the match as Isaiah Thomas (30 points) led Boston to their first win in three.
Another team that suffered from fourth-quarter jitters were the Washington Wizards, as the Charlotte Hornets closed the match on a 25-2 run to come out on top 101-87.
The Hornets extended their home winning run to seven games, with Jeremy Lamb (18 points, seven rebounds) and Nicolas Batum (16 points, 11 assists) helping the late surge.
James Harden put up 40 points for the Houston Rockets, but they fell to their third straight defeat at the hands of the Memphis Grizzlies.
Last year's Western Conference finalists are now 5-10, while the Grizzlies, who won for the sixth time in seven games, improved to 9-7.
There was another 40-point performance from Blake Griffin, but the Los Angeles Clippers were beaten 102-93 by the Utah Jazz at Staples Center.
It was a first win in 14 against the Clippers for Utah, whose forward Gordon Hayward poured in 33 points, 14 of which came in the fourth to seal victory.
In a battle of two in-form centers at the Palace of Auburn Hills, it was the Detroit Pistons' Andre Drummond that dominated Hassan Whiteside and the Miami Heat.
Drummond finished with 18 points, 20 rebounds and a season-high five blocks as the Pistons eased to a 104-81 success.
The Oklahoma City Thunder cemented their place in third in the Western Conference with a 110-99 victory over the struggling Brooklyn Nets.
In his second game back after injury, Kevin Durant again impressed with 30 points, while Russell Westbrook added 27 points and 13 assists.
Victor Oladipo scored a season-high 24 points to help the Orlando Magic see off the New York Knicks 100-91 at Amway Center.
Carmelo Anthony put up 28 points and 13 rebounds for the Knicks, but they shot just 37% during the match as the Magic improved to 7-8.
The Sacramento Kings won for just the second time on the road this season by downing the Milwaukee Bucks 129-118 in a high-scoring affair at BMO Harris Bradley Center.
Rudy Gay top-scored with 36 points on 13-21 shooting as Bucks coach Jason Kidd was ejected late in the fourth quarter and escorted off the court for arguing with an official.
The Minnesota Timberwolves have won back-to-back home games after starting the season 0-6 at Target Center thanks to a 99-95 triumph over the Atlanta Hawks.
With Ricky Rubio struggling with an ankle problem, Zach LaVine stepped up off the bench with 18 points and six assists. Paul Millsap and Jeff Teague both scored 22 in defeat for the Hawks.
Results in full: Washington Wizards 87-101 Charlotte Hornets, New York Knicks 91-100 Orlando Magic, Philadelphia 76ers 80-84 Boston Celtics, Miami Heat 81-104 Detroit Pistons, Cleveland Cavaliers 99-103 Toronto Raptors, Memphis Grizzlies 102-93 Houston Rockets, Sacramento Kings 129-118 Milwaukee Bucks, Atlanta Hawks 95-99 Minnesota Timberwolves, Brooklyn Nets 99-110 Oklahoma City Thunder, Dallas Mavericks 83-88 San Antonio Spurs, New Orleans Pelicans 120-114 Phoenix Suns, Utah Jazz 102-91 Los Angeles Clippers
Pascal Lemesre
