The Denver Nuggets beat fellow NBA conference leaders the Milwaukee Bucks 129-106 in a statement victory before the play-offs.
Nikola Jokic, the two-time reigning NBA Most Valuable Player, scored 31 points and had 11 assists for Western Conference leaders Denver.
Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo, the 2019 and 2020 MVP, also hit 31 points.
However, only seven of those came in the second half as the Nuggets came from behind in easing to the win.
The Nuggets are three and a half games clear of the Memphis Grizzlies in the west, with the Bucks two games up on the Boston Celtics in the east, making both favourites to secure top seed, with eight regular season games remaining.
Jokic and Antetokounmpo are both strong MVP candidates after fine seasons.
Serbia’s Jokic got the better of his Greek rival here, with Antetokounmpo withdrawn for the final five minutes as the Nuggets cruised to victory, outscoring their rivals 66-40 across the final two periods.
“It’s better to win games, but our goal is to do something in a play-offs,” said Jokic, whose side are aiming to win the Nuggets’ first NBA championship.
Elsewhere, the Sacramento Kings moved to within one victory of clinching their first play-off berth in 17 years by beating the Utah Jazz 121-113.
The Kings are third in the west, six games clear of the Phoenix Suns, who beat the Philadelphia 76ers 125-105.
Mikal Bridges scored 27 points as the Brooklyn Nets claimed a 129-100 win over the Miami Heat to replace their opponents in sixth place in the east.
Teams placed seventh to 10th in the Western and Eastern conferences will contest the play-in tournament, with two teams taking the final two spots in the plays-offs.
The New Orleans Pelicans beat the Los Angeles Clippers 131-110 and the Atlanta Hawks claimed a 143-130 win over the Indiana Pacers.
