NEW YORK: Point guard Chris Paul returned from injury and the Los Angeles Clippers crushed the Philadelphia 76ers.
Paul, who missed the previous 18 games with a separated right shoulder, scored seven points, handed out eight assists and recorded four steals in 23 minutes.
Blake Griffin, who played 25 minutes and was not needed in the fourth quarter, led Los Angeles with 26 points and added 11 rebounds and six assists as the Pacific Division-leading Clippers (36-18) beat the 76ers for the fifth consecutive time.
Rookie guard Victor Oladipo scored 23 points and sparked a fourth-quarter turnaround, leading the Orlando Magic to a 93-92 victory over the Eastern Conference-leading Indiana Pacers.
The Magic (16-37) erased a 17-point, third-quarter deficit in beating the Pacers, who have the best record in NBA.
On Friday, Orlando also came from 17 points down to beat the Oklahoma City Thunder, who have the best record in the Western Conference.
Indiana forward Paul George scored a game-high 27 points, but he missed a jumper in the final seconds that could have won the game.
Guard Lance Stephenson had 16 points and nine rebounds for the Pacers (39-11).
Kevin Durant posted 41 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists to lead the Oklahoma City Thunder to victory over the New York Knicks.
The Knicks (20-31) trailed by just eight entering the third quarter but Oklahoma City (41-12) pulled away as Durant and forward Serge Ibaka helped push the lead to 15 with three minutes left in the contest.
Raymond Felton paced New York with 16 points, seven assists and seven rebounds.
Carmelo Anthony, the league’s second-leading scorer, was held to 15 points on 5-of-19 shooting.
The Chicago Bulls handed the Los Angeles Lakers their fifth consecutive home loss in a defeat that saw Steve Nash once again succumb to injury.
Kirk Hinrich led the Bulls (25-25) with 19 points, while centre Joakim Noah and forward Taj Gibson scored 18 apiece
Nash, who has been ailing with back and leg problems that have limited him to just nine games this season, left the contest in the third quarter with a leg injury and did not return.
Mason Plumlee scored a career-high 22 points and grabbed 13 rebounds to help spark the Brooklyn Nets to victory over the New Orleans Pelicans.
The 6ft-11 inch forward/centre wound up recording his second career double-double in just 28 minutes of action for the Nets (23-26).
Pelicans forward Anthony Davis had a game-high 24 points on 11-of-19 shooting, and he grabbed nine rebounds for New Orleans (22-28).
Dirk Nowitzki scored 20 points as the Mavs cruised to their fifth straight victory as they knocked off the Boston Celtics.
Dallas (31-21) moved into a virtual sixth-place tie with the idle Phoenix Suns, a half-game ahead of the also-idle Golden State Warriors.
REUTERS
