The Cleveland Cavaliers bounced back in emphatic fashion on Tuesday, thumping the Boston Celtics 110-79 as LeBron James took another step up the NBA's all-time scoring table.

The Cavaliers had lost their previous two games but were always comfortable at home, leaping out to a 13-point lead at the end of the first quarter and scoring over 30 in the next two stanzas to build towards a 31-point victory.

James top-scored with 27 points, rising above former Miami Heat team-mate Ray Allen to 21st in the standings with 24,508 career points.

"He [Allen] is one of my best friends," James said after the match.

"He's a guy I competed against and grew up watching, and to be able to team with him the last two years when I was with Miami, I learned so much from him. To know I passed him, it's very humbling."

Seven Cavs players reached double figures with Kyrie Irving (18 points), Kevin Love and J.R. Smith (both 12) providing the most significant support to James.

Boston slumped to a second straight defeat.

Cleveland's win took them to a 38-24 win-loss record this season in the Eastern Conference, 11 games adrift of leaders the Atlanta Hawks.

In Atlanta, the Hawks surged home with a 32-15 final quarter to triumph 104-96 against the Houston Rockets.

Mo Williams sank three of four free-throws in the last seven seconds as the Charlotte Hornets prevailed 104-103 against the Los Angeles Lakers.

The Hornets held off the Lakers in the final quarter, despite the visitors outscoring Charlotte 33-30 and Jeremy Lin's last-second three-pointer.

Williams (20 points, 13 assists) and Al Jefferson (21 points, 16 rebounds) led the way for the Hornets, while Gerald Henderson also sank 21 points for the hosts.

Lin started on the bench for the Lakers but produced a game-high 23 points including three-of-four from beyond the three-point line.

Pau Gasol (20 points, 10 rebounds) and Joakim Noah (14, 12) both notched double-doubles in the Chicago Bulls' 97-92 win over the Washington Wizards and the Sacramento Kings crushed the New York Knicks 124-86.

In other results, the Utah Jazz defeated the Memphis Grizzlies 93-82 and the Denver Nuggets won 106-95 against the Milwaukee Bucks.