NBA: Los Angeles Lakers lose as LeBron James absent with injury; Steph Curry stars in Golden State Warriors win | NBA News

Joel Embiid hit 26 points to guide the Philadelphia 76ers past a LeBron James-less Lakers, while freshly named All-Stars Stephen Curry and Andrew Wiggins combined for 11 3-pointers vs the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Los Angeles Lakers 87-105 Philadelphia 76ers

Joel Embiid had 26 points, nine rebounds, seven assists and two blocked shots to lift the host Philadelphia 76ers past the Los Angeles Lakers 105-87.

Tobias Harris added 23 points while Tyrese Maxey contributed 14 points and 10 assists and Georges Niang chipped in with 14 points for the Sixers. Lakers star LeBron James did not play due to left knee soreness.

Anthony Davis led the Lakers with 31 points, 12 rebounds and four blocked shots while Russell Westbrook added 20 points. Malik Monk also had 11.

Philadelphia led by 12 early in the second quarter, but Davis threw down a dunk with 3:27 left in the period to bring the Lakers within 46-41.

Embiid responded with a 15-foot jumper on the Sixers’ ensuing possession. The Sixers led 54-48 at half-time thanks in large part to Embiid’s 13 points. Davis was stellar for the Lakers before the break with 23 points on 10-of-13 shooting.

The Sixers came out aggressive in the third quarter and extended their advantage to 70-58 after Harris connected on a 3-pointer from the corner with 6:07 remaining.

In a bizarre scene with 7:01 left, Anthony appeared to confront a couple of fans courtside before referee Leon Wood stepped in to intervene. The two fans looked to be ejected.

When Westbrook scored with 3:33 to go, the Lakers trailed 98-84, causing Sixers coach Doc Rivers to call timeout. However, the visitors never got any closer.

Golden State Warriors 124-115 Minnesota Timberwolves

Freshly named All-Star starters Stephen Curry and Andrew Wiggins combined for 11 3-pointers and Klay Thompson added five of his own, shooting the Golden State Warriors to a 124-115 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves in San Francisco.

Curry went for a team-high 29 points, Thompson scored 23 and Wiggins had 19 for the Warriors, who won their fourth straight and their fifth out of six on an ongoing seven-game homestand.

Karl-Anthony Towns recorded 31 points, 12 rebounds and six assists for the Timberwolves, who lost D’Angelo Russell in the third quarter to a shin injury.

After breaking out of a 3-point-shooting slump by making 17 of 43 in a 130-92 home romp over the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday, the Warriors picked up right where they left off, burying 21 of 36 against the Timberwolves.

The 58.3 percent accuracy rate from beyond the arc was easily the Warriors’ best of the season, while the 21 made threes equalled their second most of the campaign.

Curry, who earned his eighth All-Star selection when starters were named for the February 10 showcase earlier in the day, shot 6-for-10 from deep to account for a majority of his points.

Wiggins, a former Minnesota player who was mobbed by teammates upon arriving at the arena to celebrate the announcement of his first All-Star assignment, went 5-for-8 from 3-point range.

Thompson completed the 16-bomb, three-man attack with 5-for-9 accuracy, his first game with more than three since returning from knee and Achilles surgeries on January 9.

Jordan Poole joined in the long-range barrage with three on a 19-point night, while Otto Porter Jr. added 11 points.

In avenging a 20-point loss at Minnesota earlier this month, the Warriors shot 53.7 percent overall.