The Atlanta Hawks clinched their 60th win of the season for the first time in the franchise's history as they cruised to a win over the Charlotte Hornets.
The home side were just in front at the break, but the Eastern Conference leaders soon pulled away in the second half, led by Mike Muscala.
The San Antonio Spurs jumped up to third in the Western Conference with a single-point victory over the Houston Rockets.
The defending NBA champions restricted James Harden to 16 points and blocked his attempt to add a game-winning shot with just over two seconds remaining, giving the Spurs a 10th win in a row.
A strong start set the Boston Celtics up for a win over the Cleveland Cavaliers, strengthening their hold on one of the remaining playoff places.
The Cavaliers rested several of their players late on, but it was a quick start from Marcus Smart and Isaiah Thomas that set up the win, while five Celtics players finished in double figures.
The Oklahoma City Thunder drew level with the New Orleans Pelicans for the final playoff place in the Western Conference after sealing a comfortable win over the Sacramento Kings.
Russell Westbrook rediscovered his form to end the Thunder's four-game losing streak, adding 27 points and 10 assists as the hosts established a big lead early on.
The Pelicans made sure that they stayed ahead though as they picked up a comfortable win over the Phoenix Suns.
The Pelicans took a narrow lead into the break, but Eric Gordon and Tyreke Evans made sure that the increased the advantage in the second half to keep themselves well in front throughout the fourth.
The Brooklyn Nets ensured that they kept hold of the final playoff place in the Eastern Conference with an emphatic win over the Washington Wizards.
Brook Lopez led the way with 26 points, while Bojan Bogdanovic finished with a career-high 22 as Brooklyn piled on the points in the first quarter and never looked like getting caught.
Rodney Stuckey added a series of shots late on to make sure that the Indiana Pacers picked up a narrow win over the Detroit Pistons.
There was little between the two sides throughout, but Stuckey made three jump shots in a row in the final minute to ensure that the Pacers claimed a fourth straight win to keep them in the playoff hunt.
The Milwaukee Bucks know that they need just one more win to put their place in the playoffs beyond doubt after beating the New York Knicks.
Giannis Antetokounmpo returned from a brief spell out to score 23 points, leaving the team on the verge of post-season basketball just a year after finishing with the worst record in the league.
The Dallas Mavericks needed double overtime to beat the Denver Nuggets by the smallest of margins.
The Mavericks were 21 points ahead at half time, but Ty Lawson got the Nuggets back into the game in the second half to force the additional time.
Danilo Galinari led the way in the first overtime with eight points, but it was Raymond Felton who sealed the win, putting Dallas in front with a late effort.
The Toronto Raptors needed a late basket from Lou Williams to give them a narrow win over the Orlando Magic after throwing away an early lead.
The visitors were 10 points up by the end of the first quarter before Tobias Harris led the comeback, putting Orlando ahead inside the final minute before Williams responded.
The Los Angeles Lakers ended a five-game losing streak as they wrapped up a victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Ryan Kelly and Jabari Brown combined for 41 as the Lakers cruised to a big lead early on before ending any hopes of a Minnesota comeback with a fourth-quarter surge.
The Memphis Grizzlies survived a late push from the Utah Jazz to strengthen their hold on second in the Western Conference.
Gordon Hayward had a chance to force overtime for the Jazz after Marc Gasol had put Memphis ahead, but he missed a free throw as time expired to leave the Grizzlies to take the win.
Results in full: Toronto Raptors 101-99 Orlando Magic, Charlotte Nornets 80-104 Atlanta Hawks, Washington Wizards 80-117 Brooklyn Nets, Boston Celtics 99-90 Cleveland Cavaliers, Indiana Pacers 107-103 Detroit Pistons, Milwaukee Bucks 99-91 New York Knicks, San Antonio Spurs 104-103 Houston Rockets, Phoenix Suns 75-90 New Orleans Pelicans, Sacramento Kings 103-116 Oklahoma City Thunder, Dallas Mavericks 144-143 Denver Nuggets, Memphis Grizzlies 89-88 Utah Jazz, Minnesota Timberwolves 98-106 Los Angeles Lakers
Sian Cowper
