The Brooklyn Nets lost for the first time in six games when they faced the Toronto Raptors, ending their longest winning streak of the season.
DeMar DeRozan scored 26 points against a team who were still weary from a double-overtime win against the Miami Heat the night before.
The Oklahoma City Thunder bounced back from successive losses to thrash the Milwaukee Bucks.
Kevin Durant continued his strong point-scoring form with 33, while his teammates defended throughout to make it difficult for the Bucks.
Dirk Nowitzki led the Dallas Mavericks to a slender victory against the New Orleans Pelicans.
The forward scored a season-high 40 points, while Monta Ellis ensured that the visitors got ahead late on with 26.
The Houston Rockets had to come from behind in the fourth quarter after throwing away a 25-point advantage against the Washington Wizards.
The game had to be stopped twice because of a leaking roof at the Verizon Center, with the Rockets dominating each time after the restart.
However, the Wizards fought back from 25 points down to force a five-point lead in the final quarter, but a couple of late shots from James Harden sealed the win for the visitors.
The Chicago Bulls maintained their unbeaten run since trading Luol Deng to the Cleveland Cavaliers by beating the Charlotte Bobcats.
DJ Augustin led the way with 20 points, but the Bulls had five players in double figures as they shared the workload.
The New York Knicks clinched their fourth win in a row with victory against the Philadelphia 76ers.
JR Smith returned from a one-game benching to help the Knicks dominate early on, while Amar'e Stoudemire led the scoring with 21.
The Boston Celtics' poor run continued as they slipped to their eighth straight defeat against the Portland Trail Blazers.
After a close first half, LaMarcus Aldridge ensured that the Blazers pulled away, finishing the contest with 21 points and 13 rebounds.
The Detroit Pistons needed a couple of late points to secure a narrow win over the Phoenix Suns.
Josh Smith, who finished the game with 25 points, found the basket with 1.2 seconds to spare to ensure a win for the home side.
The Denver Nuggets made it five wins in a row by thrashing the Orlando Magic at the Pepsi Center.
The whole team pulled their weight to give the Nuggets an unassailable lead, with seven players scoring 13 or more points.
Results in full: Brooklyn Nets 80-96 Toronto Raptors, Houston Rockets 114-107 Washington Wizards, Phoenix Suns 108-110 Detroit Pistons, New York Knicks 102-92 Philadelphia 76ers, Charlotte Bobcats 97-103 Chicago Bulls, Milwaukee Bucks 85-101 Oklahoma City Thunder, New Orleans Pelicans 94-120 Denver Nuggets, Boston Celtics 104-112 Portland Trail Blazers
