The Miami Heat closed on Eastern Conference leaders the Knicks while the Los Angeles Lakers' recovery continued in the NBA.
The Heat overcame a sluggish start to defeat the Minnesota Timberwolves 103-92, led by 24 points from Dwyane Wade, while superstar LeBron James finished the game with 22 points, 11 assists and seven rebounds.
Outscored 27-21 in the first quarter, the Heat stormed back into the contest, winning the next three terms to post their second successive victory and close the gap on the Eastern Conference-leading New York to two games.
Andre Kirilenko was the top-scorer for the Timberwolves with 22 points.
The Lakers, meanwhile, posted their third win in a row with a 101-100 triumph over the Charlotte Bobcats, led by 30 points from Kobe Bryant.
Despite the win, the powerhouse is still struggling with a 12-14 record for the season, sitting in 12th place in the Western Conference.
The Atlanta Hawks remain in third place in the East after their 100-95 overtime win over the Washington Wizards, who slumped to 3-19, while the Chicago Bulls are in fourth spot following their 100-89 victory against the Boston Celtics, powered by 21 points apiece from Carlos Boozer and Luol Deng and a rare triple-double by Joakim Noah.
The Utah Jazz overcame a late rally from the Brooklyn Nets to post a 92-90 win, a final-quarter surge from the Toronto Raptors saw them take a 113-99 victory over fellow strugglers the Cleveland Cavaliers, and 34 points from Brandon Jennings helped the Milwaukee Bucks defeat the Indiana Pacers 98-93.
Elsewhere, the Denver Nuggets upset the San Antonio Spurs 112-106 while the Golden State Warriors got past the New Orleans Hornets 103-96.