The Dallas Mavericks thrashed the Los Angeles Clippers to close the gap to fifth place in the Western Conference.
The Mavericks had seven players reach double figures as they shared the workload, dominating early on to take the game away from the Clippers, with Chandler Parsons finishing with 22.
The Denver Nuggets punished the Golden State Warriors for resting players as they came from behind to beat the Western Conference leaders.
Stephen Curry was one of several players that sat out for the Warriors, leaving Kenneth Faried to add 24 points for the hosts, including a trio of three-pointers late on to put the Nuggets ahead.
The Atlanta Hawks needed a strong finish to pick up a win over the Phoenix Suns at the US Airways Center.
The Eastern Conference leaders outscored their opponents 31-14 in the fourth quarter, with Paul Millsap adding 23 as seven Hawks players finished in double figures.
The Charlotte Hornets came from 19 points down to clinch a win over the Chicago Bulls, moving them up into the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
The Bulls looked to be cruising to a comfortable win as they opened up a commanding lead in the first half, but Gerald Henderson and Mo Williams led the Charlotte turnaround.
The Oklahoma City Thunder secured a comfortable win over the Minnesota Timberwolves as Russell Westbrook continued his recent strong form.
The point guard scored 15 of his 29 points in the fourth quarter as the Thunder pulled away in the final minutes, ending any hope of a Minnesota comeback.
The Toronto Raptors clinched their first win over the Miami Heat in more than five years as they picked up just their second win in 11 games.
Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan combined for 37 points to set up the victory, which cost the Heat eighth place in the Eastern Conference standings.
The Boston Celtics needed a late push to secure a win over the Orlando Magic, giving the team a fifth win in six outings.
The Celtics made a slow start to the second half, but Evan Turner added 24 of his 30 after the break to lead a late push, and the Magic could not respond.
The Detroit Pistons slipped to their ninth win in a row as they were comfortably beaten by the Portland Trail Blazers.
The hosts surged ahead early on, with Damian Lillard and LaMarcus Aldridge both hitting their stride in the first half, leaving the Pistons with too much to do after the break as they trailed by 18 at half time.
The Philadelphia 76ers put in a strong second-half performance to claim victory over the Sacramento Kings, giving them their 15th win of the season.
The Kings were well ahead at the break, and extended their advantage to 18 early in the third quarter, but Robert Covington led the comeback, finishing with 24 points to edge the Sixers ahead late on.
Results in full: Chicago Bulls 91-101 Charlotte Hornets, Sacramento Kings 107-114 Philadelphia 76ers, Orlando Magic 88-95 Boston Celtics, Miami Heat 92-102 Toronto Raptors, Minnesota Timberwolves 99-113 Oklahoma City Thunder, Los Angeles Clippers 99-129 Dallas Mavericks, Golden State Warriors 103-114 Denver Nuggets, Atlanta Hawks 96-87 Phoenix Suns, Detroit Pistons 99-118 Portland Trail Blazers
Sian Cowper
