Warriors 124, Timberwolves 115
76ers 105, Lakers 87
LOS ANGELES (AFP) – The Philadelphia 76ers, fueled by 26 points from Joel Embiid, cruised to a 105-87 victory Thursday over a Los Angeles Lakers team missing superstar LeBron James.
Embiid’s impressive streak of four straight games with at least 35 points and 10 rebounds ended.
But even his relatively quiet night ˗ which also featured nine rebounds, seven assists and two blocked shots ˗ was plenty for a Sixers team that drained 13 three-pointers to the Lakers’ six from beyond the arc.
Embiid did take his streak of games with at least 25 points to 16 straight — second longest in 76ers history after Allen Iverson’s 27-game streak in 2001.
With four-time NBA Most Valuable Player James, second in the league in scoring with 29.1 points per game, sidelined with a sore left knee, Anthony Davis did what he could to pick up the slack.
Davis, playing his second game since missing 17 with a sprained knee, scored 31 points and pulled down 12 rebounds for the Lakers in an impressive, aggressive performance.
But he had little support. Russell Westbrook added 20 points, but the remaining three Lakers starters combined for just 15.
Davis also got a scare, hurting his right wrist in the first half and playing with it taped the rest of the game.
“Anthony played a hell of a game on both sides of the ball,” Lakers coach Frank Vogel said. “It was good to see him get a rhythm. (He) made some terrific plays on Embiid.”
Vogel admitted it was frustrating to again find himself unable to get his star duo on the court at the same time.
The 76ers were missing injured Seth Curry and Shake Milton. But Tobias Harris contributed 23 points and Tyrese Maxey and Georges Niang scored 14 apiece for the hosts.
WARRIORS TAME WOLVES
In the only other game on Thursday’s slate, Stephen Curry shook off a sluggish start to score 29 points in the Golden State Warriors’ 124-115 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Klay Thompson added 23 points for the Warriors and Andrew Wiggins scored 19 points and pulled down five rebounds against his former team.
Curry, the league’s all-time leading three-point shooter, scored just eight points in the first half, but he warmed up and finished with six three-pointers on 10 attempts.
Thompson made five three-pointers and the Warriors withstood a 31-point, 12-rebound double-double from Karl-Anthony Towns.