The two teams with NBA-best 9-1 records met last night and it was the Memphis Grizzlies who picked up a handsome win over the Houston Rockets to go clear at the top of the Western Conference.
Seven Memphis players had double-figure points hauls as their team effort proved too strong for the error-prone Rockets in a 119-93 win.
The Cleveland Cavaliers slumped to their second home defeat of the season as the Denver Nuggets earned a surprise victory at Quicken Loans Arena.
Ty Lawson had 24 points and 12 assists for the visitors, while Arron Afflalo added 23 on another disappointing night for LeBron James and the Cavs.
In the day's final game, the Chicago Bulls pulled off an impressive 105-89 win at the Los Angeles Clippers without Pau Gasol or Derrick Rose.
Jimmy Butler stepped up to lead Chicago with 22 points, six rebounds and eight assists, while Jamal Crawford had 24 points off the bench in defeat for the Clippers.
The Portland Trail Blazers have the longest winning streak in the league after they rallied in the fourth quarter to beat the New Orleans Pelicans 102-93 at Moda Center.
Damian Lillard had 24 points and seven assists to lead the Blazers, while Anthony Davis continued his impressive form with 31 points, 11 rebounds, three assists, three steals and three blocks in defeat.
While the Blazers can't stop winning, the Philadelphia 76ers are still without a victory this season after their 10th straight defeat.
It was always going to be a tough ask at the defending champions San Antonio Spurs and they fell to 75-100 loss at AT&T Center.
Both the Brooklyn Nets and the Miami Heat entered their encounter in New York on three-game losing streaks and it was the Heat who got back to winning ways with a 95-83 success.
Mario Chalmers top-scored for Erik Spoelstra's side with 22 points, while Nets rookie Bojan Bogdanovic had the same total to equal his season-high.
It was a high-scoring affair at the TD Garden as the Phoenix Suns beat the Boston Celtics 118-114.
Markieff Morris had a career-high 30 points for the Suns, who were behind going into the final minute but then scored six unanswered points to claim the win and improve to 6-5.
Dirk Nowitzki became just the fourth player to score 27,000 NBA points with a single franchise in the Dallas Mavericks' convincing 107-80 win away at the Charlotte Hornets.
Nowitzki joins an exclusive club that includes NBA greats Michael Jordan, Karl Malone and Kobe Bryant.
In Motor City, Nikola Vucevic scored 25 points and grabbed 14 rebounds as the Orlando Magic won 107-93 on the road at the Detroit Pistons.
Results in full: Dallas Mavericks 107-80 Charlotte Hornets, Denver Nuggets 106-97 Cleveland Cavaliers, Phoenix Suns 118-114 Boston Celtics, Miami Heat 95-83 Brooklyn Nets, Orlando Magic 107-93 Detroit Pistons, Houston Rockets 93-119 Memphis Grizzlies, Philadelphia 76ers 75-100 San Antonio Spurs, New Orleans Pelicans 93-102 Portland Trail Blazers, Chicago Bulls 105-89 Los Angeles Clippers
Pascal Lemesre
