The Indiana Pacers have lost their place at the top of the Eastern Conference after suffering a 103-77 defeat to the San Antonio Spurs on Monday night.
In a meeting between two sides bidding to be crowned NBA champions, it was the Spurs who were dominant throughout at both ends of the court as Tony Parker scored 22 points to help his side to a franchise-record 18th straight victory.
LeBron James guided the Miami Heat past the Pacers in the Eastern Conference with 32 points in a 93-83 win over the Toronto Raptors.
After closing the first half on a 22-9 run, the Heat never trailed again as they cruised to success in front of their own supporters at the AmericanAirlines Arena.
The Charlotte Bobcats fought back from an 11-point deficit in the fourth quarter to beat the Washington Wizards 100-94.
Kemba Walker finished with 21 points and 10 assists as the Bobcats prevented the Wizards from securing their spot in the playoffs.
The Atlanta Hawks ended a six-game losing streak by edging to a 103-95 triumph over the Philadelphia 76ers at the Philips Arena.
Paul Millsap recorded 28 points and 17 rebounds to help the Hawks continue their bid to finish in the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
A strong fourth-quarter display guided the Detroit Pistons to a 116-111 win in their meeting with the Milwaukee Bucks.
The Pistons went on a 12-0 run to take the lead in the final quarter, before a late three-point effort from Josh Smith secured the victory.
Mike Dunleavy scored 22 points as the Chicago Bulls a second win in as many days over the Boston Celtics.
Joakim Noah added 19 points and 11 rebounds for the Bulls, who took full control of the contest with 13 unanswered points early in the fourth quarter.
The Los Angeles Clippers dealt with the absence of two key players in perfect fashion as they beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 114-104 at the Target Center.
Blake Griffin and Jamal Crawford both sat out with injuries, but Chris Paul stepped up to finish with 22 points, seven rebounds and nine assists in the win.
DeMarcus Cousins starred for the Sacramento Kings to guide his team to a 102-97 success over the New Orleans Pelicans.
The Kings were just a point ahead of the Pelicans at one stage in the fourth quarter, but 35 points and 14 rebounds from Cousins proved to be key as they ended a three-game losing streak.
A late comeback from the Denver Nuggets was not enough to deny the Memphis Grizzlies an important 94-92 win at the Pepsi Center.
The Grizzlies, who are still in the hunt for seventh spot in the Western Conference, were put under pressure when Timofey Mozgov dunked to make it 93-92 late on, but they failed to find the final score which would have handed them the win.
Carmelo Anthony scored 34 points as the New York Knicks kept their playoff hopes alive by beating the Utah Jazz at the EnergySolutions Arena.
A 92-83 victory for the Knicks means that they remain strong contenders for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
Callum Mulvihill
