Defending champions the Miami Heat confirmed their spot in the playoffs by beating the Washington Wizards on Monday night.

The Heat edged closer to the Indiana Pacers, who lead the Eastern Conference, as they ended a three-game losing streak by dominating the Wizards in the final quarter.

All-Star Blake Griffin played a starring role for the Los Angeles Clippers in a 112-105 victory over the Detroit Pistons.

Griffin made 14 of his 16 shots on the way to 37 points before fouling out late in the game as the Clippers kept the pressure on the teams above them in the Western Conference.

The Brooklyn Nets continued their impressive home form by beating the Toronto Raptors 101-97 in a tight game at the Barclays Center.

An eighth straight victory in front of their home supporters was inspired by Deron Williams and Shaun Livingston, who both contributed 18 points to the Brooklyn effort.

Al Jefferson recorded 26 points and 13 rebounds as the Charlotte Bobcats earned a 105-98 win over the Denver Nuggets.

Kemba Walker added 24 for the Bobcats, who have now won seven home games in a row, while Gary Neal came off the bench to score 19 points for the hosts.

The Philadelphia 76ers continued their disappointing form as they suffered a 123-110 defeat at the hands of the New York Knicks.

Tim Hardaway Jr topped the scoring charts with 28 points for the Knicks, who condemned Philadelphia to a 17th straight defeat.

The Milwaukee Bucks fought back from 18 points behind to beat the Orlando Magic in a dramatic meeting at the BMO Harris Bradley Center.

Despite building such a big lead in the first half, the Magic were unable to prevent Brandon Knight and Khris Middleton from leading the Bucks to the 105-98 win.

The Atlanta Hawks ended a six-game losing streak by edging past the Utah Jazz with a 112-110 triumph at the EnergySolutions Arena.

Kyle Korver scored 26 points for the Hawks and Paul Millsap added 23 more as Atlanta won their first game on the road since the end of January.