The San Antonio Spurs slipped to a fourth consecutive defeat as they were crushed by the Portland Trail Blazers at the Moda Center.

The NBA champions found themselves 16 points down at the end of the first quarter as Wesley Matthews led the rout for the hosts.

Tony Parker and Danny Green cut the gap to four for the Spurs before the break, but Matthews and LaMarcus Aldridge ensured that Portland stayed in control in the second half.

The Atlanta Hawks extended their lead at the top of the Eastern Conference with a comfortable win over the Dallas Mavericks.

The visitors were just ahead at half time, but Dennis Schroder led a 13-0 run for Atlanta at the start of the third quarter to give the hosts the lead.

The Houston Rockets needed a fourth-quarter push to clinch a narrow win over the Los Angeles Clippers.

The hosts struggled to get going in the first three quarters, but a 15-1 run at the start of the fourth put the Rockets in front, with Corey Brewer scoring 13 of his 20 points in the final 12 minutes.

A strong finish from the Charlotte Hornets handed them a win over the Chicago Bulls, giving the visitors their first win in six outings.

The Bulls were without Derrick Rose, who will undergo knee surgery, but Pau Gasol added a run of baskets in the first half, before the Hornets surged ahead after the break, led by Michael Kidd-Gilchrist.

The Phoenix Suns ended their five-game losing streak with a victory over the injury-hit Denver Nuggets.

Brandon Knight, who joined the team in a trade last week, had an immediate impact, scoring 19 points, including two three-pointers late on to end the Nuggets' hopes of a comeback.

The Miami Heat needed overtime to secure a narrow win over the Orlando Magic at the Amway Center after the hosts threw away a lead late on.

The Magic were eight points up going into the final minute of regulation, but Dwyane Wade tied it up before Goran Dragic added the game-winning points.

The Sacramento Kings secured their second win under new coach George Karl against the in-form Memphis Grizzlies.

The Grizzlies headed into the clash with 16 wins from their previous 19 outings, and were ahead at the start of the fourth, but Rudy Gay and DeMarcus Cousins ensured that the Kings finished strongly to edge back in front.

The Minnesota Timberwolves recovered from a slow start to record a big win over the Washington Wizards as Kevin Garnett made his first appearance since being traded back to the side.

The forward rejoined the team that drafted him at the trade deadline, scoring five points in a 19-minute stint, while Kevin Martin led the scoring with 28 as the Wolves overturned an early 15-point deficit.

The Boston Celtics thrashed the New York Knicks, leaving their Atlanta Division rivals on an eight-game losing streak.

The Knicks had a six-point lead midway through the third quarter, but Evan Turner and Jonas Jerebko led the comeback as the Celtics made eight three-pointers in the fourth quarter to open up a big lead late on.

The Los Angeles Lakers needed a big fourth-quarter performance to edge out the Utah Jazz, having lost at the EnergySolutions Arena earlier in the season.

Gordon Hayward helped the home side open up a lead, but Jordan Clarkson finished with a career-high 22 to ensure that the Jazz surrendered their advantage late on.

The New Orleans Pelicans clinched their 30th win of the campaign as they edged out the Brooklyn Nets, extending their winning run to three games.

The tie was closely fought throughout, but Quincy Pondexter, who finished with a career-high 25, added a three-pointer with less than 50 seconds to play that all but sealed the win.

The Milwaukee Bucks made a quick start in their game against the Philadelphia 76ers in their way to an emphatic win at the BMO Harris Bradley Center.

John Henson and Khris Middleton combined for 40 as the Bucks opened up a 29-point lead before the break, leaving the Sixers with too much to do in the second half.

Results in full: Miami Heat 93-90 Orlando Magic, Dallas Mavericks 87-104 Atlanta Hawks, New York Knicks 94-115 Boston Celtics, Charlotte Hornets 98-86 Chicago Bulls, Los Angeles Clippers 105-110 Houston Rockets, Philadelphia 76ers 88-104 Milwaukee Bucks, Washington Wizards 77-97 Minnesota Timberwolves, Brooklyn Nets 96-102 New Orleans Pelicans, Phoenix Suns 110-96 Denver Nuggets, Los Angeles Lakers 100-97 Utah Jazz, Memphis Grizzlies 90-102 Sacramento Kings, San Antonio Spurs 95-111 Portland Trail Blazers