The Cleveland Cavaliers put their Christmas Day defeat behind them with victory over the Orlando Magic on Boxing Day in the NBA.

The home side had a narrow lead going into the fourth quarter, but LeBron James ensured that Cleveland turned the game around late on, finishing with 29 points.

Dirk Nowitzki moved up to eighth in the NBA's all-time scoring list as the Dallas Mavericks secured a victory over the Los Angeles Lakers.

The forward finished the game with 14, while Rajon Rondo led the team with a season-high 21 to ensure that the Mavericks held off a late comeback from the Lakers.

The San Antonio Spurs slipped to their sixth defeat in seven games as they were beaten by the New Orleans Pelicans.

The hosts edged in front just before the break, and Anthony Davis made sure that they kept hold of the lead in the third, finishing the game with 11 points and 12 rebounds.

The Atlanta Hawks' five-game winning streak came to an end as they were thrashed by the Milwaukee Bucks.

The visitors pulled away in the second quarter, and looked comfortable for the remainder of the game, led by Jared Dudley, who scored with all 10 of his shots to pick up 24 points.

A dominant first half ensured that the Oklahoma City Thunder wrapped up a comfortable win over the Charlotte Hornets.

Russell Westbrook made sure that the hosts got off to a quick start, scoring 13 of his 29 points in the first quarter to leave the Hornets facing too big a deficit.

The Houston Rockets needed overtime to clinch a win over the Memphis Grizzlies at FedExForum, leaving the hosts with four straight defeats.

Josh Smith, who signed for the Rockets earlier in the day, marked his debut with 21 points, adding a pair of late free throws to secure the win.

Damian Lillard continued his recent strong shooting form as the Portland Trail Blazers cruised past the Philadelphia 76ers.

With LaMarcus Aldridge, Chris Kaman and Robin Lopez all missing the game, Lillard and Wesley Matthews stepped up, combining for 52 as the team scored a season-high 18 three-pointers.

The Phoenix Suns extended their winning streak to five games with victory against the Sacramento Kings.

The teams were close throughout, but a run of late points from Isaiah Thomas ensured that the Suns came away with victory over his former team.

The Brooklyn Nets won for the third time in a row after a fourth-quarter comeback against the Boston Celtics.

Jarrett Jack tied the scores inside the final 30 seconds before Joe Johnson put Brooklyn ahead with a free throw, and Jared Sullinger missed a chance to win it for the home side on the buzzer.

The Detroit Pistons ended a run of four games without a win as they brushed the Indiana Pacers aside.

Greg Monroe and Andre Drummond combined for 39 points as the Pistons had dominant runs in the first and third quarters to open up a lead.

The Denver Nuggets needed a strong finish to see off the Minnesota Timberwolves at the Pepsi Center.

The visitors made a strong start to the fourth quarter to take a four-point lead, but Kenneth Faried made sure that the Nuggets hit back, finishing the game with a career-high 25 rebounds, as well as 26 points.

Results in full: Brooklyn Nets 109-107 Boston Celtics, Cleveland Cavaliers 98-89 Orlando Magic, Milwaukee Bucks 107-77 Atlanta Hawks, Indiana Pacers 109-119 Detroit Pistons, Houston Rockets 117-111 Memphis Grizzlies, San Antonio Spurs 90-97 New Orleans Pelicans, Charlotte Hornets 75-98 Oklahoma City Thunder, Los Angeles Lakers 98-102 Dallas Mavericks, Minnesota Timberwolves 102-106 Denver Nuggets, Philadelphia 76ers 93-114 Portland Trail Blazers, Phoenix Suns 115-106 Sacramento Kings