NBA roundup: Sixers too good for LeBron-less Lakers, Warriors stars click in impressive win
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania - Joel Embiid scored 26 points as the Philadelphia 76ers continued their hot form with a 105-87 win over the Los Angeles Lakers without LeBron James on Thursday.
James missed the game with left knee soreness but Anthony Davis, in his second game back after a knee sprain, scored a game-high 31 points with 12 rebounds in his absence.
The 76ers, however, were too good, clinching their 13th win from their past 16 games, to improve to 29-19 and fifth in the Eastern Conference.
Embiid, matched up on Davis, was not at his best but still had 26 points with nine rebounds and seven assists. The 76ers center's haul marked 16 straight games with 25 or more points.
Tobias Harris scored 23 points for Philadelphia who were always in control, while second-season guard Tyrese Maxey contributed 14 points, seven rebounds and 10 assists.
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Meanwhile, Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson combined for 11 three-pointers as the Golden State Warriors clinched their fourth straight win, triumphing 124-115 over the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Curry finished with 29 points including six triples, eight rebounds, and six assists, while Thompson added 23 points, five rebounds, and four assists as the Warriors rallied from a three-point half-time deficit with a 38-20 third quarter to improve to 36-13, with the best home record (23-4) in the NBA.
Former Rookie of the Year Andrew Wiggins, on the same night he was named an All-Star for the first time, contributed 19 points, five rebounds and four assists.
Karl-Anthony Towns had 31 points, 12 rebounds and six assists and Anthony Edwards added 27 points with six rebounds and six assists.
The returning Klay Thompson assured ESPN there's more to come: "It's going to get better every night. And when our full squad is back, it's going to be real scary."
Cover photo: IMAGO / ZUMA Press