Over in the West, Mills sparks San Antonio against Clippers.
There were nine games on the NBA schedule on Tuesday night as the Miami Heat and LeBron James got straight back to work after the All-Star break.
James scored a season-high 42 points as the Heat secured a 117-106 win over the Dallas Mavericks ahead of their showdown with the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday.
The 29-year-old admitted that he was still feeling tired after the All-Star weekend, but understands what is required of him as the leader of the team, as the onus is on him to make things happen.
Dirk Nowitzki responded with 22 points to lead the Mavericks, who were unable to follow up their win over the Indiana Pacers which came prior to the break, as they succumbed to a third straight season sweep to Miami since defeating them in the 2011 NBA Finals.
Chris Bosh added 22 points while Dwyane Wade had 13, however it was Chris Andersen who stepped up to add a season-high 18 points and was praised by his teammates after the game for his contribution.
Elsewhere, over in the Western Conference the San Antonio Spurs dispatched of the Los Angeles Clippers in a 113-103 win at the Staples Center.
With coach Gregg Popovich ruling out Tony Parker for the “foreseeable future” as he looks to recover from various niggling injuries, it was Patty Mills who took his opportunity and ended with 25 points, five rebounds and five assists.
“Down a couple of guys, not being able to practice yesterday, and to be able to come in here and put together a 48-minute performance like this was great for us,” said Tim Duncan, who had 19 points and 13 rebounds during a foul-plagued 38 minutes.
“It was a big win for us, especially on the road against a very good ballclub.”
Blake Griffin had 35 points and 12 rebounds while Jamal Crawford and DeAndre Jordan added 25 points and 18 rebounds respectively, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the short-handed visitors.
Manu Ginobili made his comeback from a tight hamstring to score nine points in 14 minutes, but both Thiago Splitter and Kawhi Leonard remain on the sidelines with shin and hand injuries.
The Spurs also had good production from Marco Belinelli, but with Mills scoring 16 of his 25 points in the fourth quarter, they will be delighted with the win and his early ability to replace what Parker offers the team.
Meanwhile, the Indiana Pacers were also victorious on Tuesday, with Paul George (26 points) leading them to a win over the Atlanta Hawks.
David West and Lance Stephenson were also integral to the win, while Hawks shooter Kyle Korver went 5-for-7 on three-pointers for 19 points to continue his streak from beyond the arc.
Other notable performances on Tuesday included Phoenix Suns star Gerald Green scoring 36 points in their overtime win over the Denver Nuggets, while Kyle Lowry won the battle of the point guards against John Wall as the Toronto Raptors sealed the win over the Washington Wizards.
NBA Results:
Atlanta Hawks 98-108 Indiana Pacers
Cleveland Cavaliers 114-85 Philadelphia 76ers
Toronto Raptors 103-93 Washington Wizards
Charlotte Bobcats 108-96 Detroit Pistons
New York Knicks 93-98 Memphis Grizzlies
Orlando Magic 100-104 Milwaukee Bucks
Miami Heat 117-106 Dallas Mavericks
Phoenix Suns 112-107 Denver Nuggets
San Antonio Spurs 113-103 Los Angeles Clippers
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