Kyrie Irving's first ejection of his career proved pivotal as the Los Angeles Lakers romped home with a 126-101 victory over the Brooklyn Nets.
The sides were neck-and-neck throughout the first half until a verbal altercation between Irving and Lakers point guard Dennis Schroder saw both men removed from the game.
It was all Lakers from there as Andre Drummond anchored the team with 20 points and 11 rebounds.
The Philadelphia 76ers bounced back from their loss to the New Orleans Pelicans last time out by cruising past the Oklahoma City Thunder 117-93.
Joel Embiid was dominant at both ends for Philadelphia, finishing with 27 points and four blocks.
The win brings the Sixers back level with the Nets at the top of the Eastern Conference.
Steph Curry scored 38 points to lead the Golden State Warriors to a 125-109 win over the Houston Rockets.
The Rockets were left to rue a sloppy second quarter as they gave up a 15-point advantage which the Warriors maintained until the final buzzer.
A team-record 30 rebounds helped Enes Kanter propel the Portland Trail Blazers past the Detroit Pistons 118-103.
Kanter added 24 points in a performance which helped the Blazers avoid three-straight losses.
The Utah Jazz and Phoenix Suns both picked up impressive wins over the Sacramento Kings and Washington Wizards respectively on Saturday, while the Toronto Raptors kept their post-season hopes alive with a 135-115 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers.
