NBA scores 2014: Joe Johnson vaults Nets over .500 mark, Al Jefferson lifts Charlotte past Indy

The Brooklyn Nets surpassed the .500  mark for the first time this season after defeating the Memphis Grizzlies, 103-94, but it wasn't without some tense moments.

After being down by as many as 30 points, the Grizzlies came surging back with a 34-16 fourth quarter that nearly shocked everyone at Barclay's Center. However, the Nets held on and continue to make a push toward the postseason. At 20-8 since the new year, they're peaking at the right time.

Joe Johnson led the way for the Nets with 21 points, two rebounds, four assists and one steal while going 8-of-13 from the field. Deron Williams added 16 points to go along with seven assists.

John Leuer came off the bench to spark his flailing team and led the Grizzlies with 19 points on 6-of-10 from the field to go along with five rebounds in 26 minutes.

The Grizzlies are fighting for a coveted Western Conference playoff spot and remain looking up at the surprising Phoenix Suns for the final bid into the postseason.

But that wasn't all of the action on Wednesday as the stars were out in full force elsewhere around the league.

Charlotte Bobcats, 109, Indiana Pacers 87

Al Jefferson dominated the game in every aspect and led the Bobcats to a win over the deflated Pacers in Charlotte. The big man finished with 34 points on an efficient night, including eight rebounds, three assists and one blocked shot one night after Indiana lost in heartbreaking fashion to the Golden State Warriors.

Paul George couldn't buy a shot as he finished with a woeful two points on 0-of-9 from the field with his only points coming from two free throws. Evan Turner had his best game with the Pacers to date and finished with 22 points.

Houston Rockets 101, Orlando Magic 89

James Harden scored 31 points to lead all scorers as the Rockets defeated the Magic in Central Florida. Dwight Howard had a 19-point, 13-rebound double-double effort and Chandler Parsons added 19 of his own to go along with 19 points, seven assists and six rebounds.

Arron Afflalo paced the Magic with 18 points and four assists. Nikola Vukevic had a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds and Maurice Harkless did this:

The Rockets overcame a whopping 22 turnovers to hang on for the victory by shooting 49 percent from the field and winning the rebounding margin, 49-34.

Washington Wizards 104, Utah Jazz 91

John Wall had the highlight of the night...

... but Trevor Ariza had the game of the night, netting 26 points for the Wizards as they took down the Utah Jazz in the nation's capital. The former UCLA standout also added five rebounds and notched a steal as Washington shot a blazing 54 percent from the field and made all ten of their free throw attempts.

Alec Burks had game-highs in both minutes and points of the bench with 37 and 19, including four assists and one steal. Rookie Trey Burke added 14 points and four rebounds.

Golden State Warriors 108, Boston Celtics 88

Klay Thompson and the Dubs made quick work of the C's at TD Garden to win their second game in as many nights. One night after shocking the Pacers with a game-winner, Thompson put together an intriguing stat line that included 18 points on 7-of-15 shooting, three rebounds and three steals. He was 1-for-8 from beyond the arc, and only one of his eight misses came from inside long range.

And Stepen Curry dunked!

The Warriors sharpshooter finished with 14 points, three rebounds and four assists in addition to that rare display of athleticism. David Lee finished with a double-double of 18 points and 10 rebounds.

Kelly Olynyk led the Celtics with 19 points off the bench and added five rebounds in the loss as Boston committed 22 turnovers and shot just 40 percent from the field.

Chicago Bulls 105, Detroit Pistons 94

Joakim Noah showcased why he's the reason the Bulls have succeeded without Derrick Rose and Luol Deng with a triple-double effort against the Pistons including 10 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists. D.J. Augustin led the Bulls' scoring effort with 26 points off the bench and dished out six assists.

Taj Gibson continued his bid for NBA Sixth Man of the Year honors with a strong 22-point, five-rebound performance in 30 minutes of action. Jimmy Butler had the highlight of the night:

Greg Monroe finished with a game-high 27 points and added seven rebounds on 12-of-20 shooting for the Pistons.

New York Knicks 118, Minnesota Timberwolves 106

Carmelo Anthony poured in 33 points for the Knicks and added five rebounds and assists apiece while Raymond Felton scored 18 points and dished out eight assists in the Knicks' win over Minnesota.

The T-Wolves shot 43 percent from the field against 52 percent shooting on the Knicks' end.

Kevin Love finished with 19 points but struggled to find rhythm going 6-for-17 from the field and 3-of-10 from the three-point line. Minnesota saw six players score in double figures, including all five starters.

Denver Nuggets 115, Dallas Mavericks 110

Dirk Nowitzki led all scorers with 27 points, but the Mavs couldn't overcome the Nuggets' balanced attack.

Denver had six players score in double figures, including a team-high 21 points from Wilson Chandler in the winning effort. The Nuggets collected 43 rebounds against the Mavs' 33 to garner extra possessions that made the difference in the narrow margin of victory.

The Nuggets also had to overcome being out-shot from the field as Dallas poured in 53 percent of their shots while Denver managed 47 percent.

Sacramento Kings 116, Milwaukee Bucks 102

Isaiah Thomas scored 25 points and had six assists to lead the Kings to a road win in Milwaukee. Thomas shot 9-for-16 from the field and hit three three-pointers, and was one of three Kings to score at least 20 points. DeMarcus Cousins added 21 and 10 rebounds as Sacramento outrebounded the Bucks 45-37.

Brandon Knight led the Bucks with 25 points in defeat.

Portland Trail Blazers 102, Atlanta Hawks 78

Portland put the clamps down on Atlanta for a lopsided home win, holding the Hawks to just 33 percent shooting. The Trail Blazers, trying to secure a top-four seed and home court advantage in the first round of the playoffs, were able to put Atlanta to bed early, leading 56-38 at halftime, allowing the starters to rest.

No Portland starter needed to play more than 29 minutes and the Blazers had six score in double figures in the win. Nicolas Batum scored 14 points and grabbed 18 boards in the win.