The Los Angeles Lakers are barely hanging on to a NBA play-in spot for the playoffs after a 20-point loss at the in form Minnesota Timberwolves.

Karl-Anthony Towns scored 16 of his 30 points in the fourth quarter as Minnesota closed out a comprehensive 124-104 home win.

Anthony Edwards had 20 of his 27 points in the second quarter to lead the early surge by the Timberwolves, who led by 21 points at halftime.

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Minnesota, with a league-best 9-1 record in their past 10 games, are within touching distance of Denver for sixth place in the western conference and a direct spot in the playoffs.

Conversely, the Lakers have won just five of their past 21 games and with Anthony Davis still sidelined by a foot injury, are limping their way through the second half of this season.

LeBron James, playing through knee soreness, had 19 points for the 29-40 Lakers.

The superstar has not played on a team that far below even since his rookie year, when Cleveland finished the 2003-04 season at 35-47.

Stephen Curry went down with a left foot injury late in the first half and didn't return as Marcus Smart and the Boston Celtics routed the Golden State Warriors 110-88.

Curry was injured with 4:19 remaining in the second quarter along the sideline while scrambling for a loose ball as Smart made a diving lunge on the play and landed on the reigning scoring champion's leg.

He grimaced in pain and got up but hobbled along before exiting on the next dead ball moments later.

That came when Smart made another aggressive play, receiving a Flagrant 1 foul 4:09 before halftime when he leapt and caught his leg on Klay Thompson's shooting arm.

Smart got an earful from furious Warriors coach Steve Kerr.

The team said Curry, who had three points on 1-for-4 shooting, experienced soreness in the foot.

Jayson Tatum had 26 points and 12 rebounds to lead Boston, while Jalen Brown scored 14 of his 26 points in the first half.

The NBA-leading Phoenix Suns continue to get the job done without injured All-Star guard Chris Paul.

Devin Booker led all scorers with 36 points in a 129-112 defeat of the Houston Rockets, the worst team in the league.

Spencer Dinwiddie made a 3-pointer at the buzzer against his former team to give the Dallas Mavericks a 113-111 win over the Brooklyn Nets.

Dinwiddie hit the winning basket with nine seconds left on Sunday in Boston and came through again on the road for Dallas, after Kevin Durant had given the Nets a one-point lead with a 3-pointer with 10 seconds to play.

Joel Embiid had 35 points and 17 rebounds while James Harden added 21 points and added 11 assists as the Philadelphia 76ers overcame the Cleveland Cavaliers 118-114.

Embiid was a game-time decision with a sore back, but showed no signs of the injury on his 28th birthday.

Other winners the Denver Nuggets, the Charlotte Hornets, the New York Knicks, the Toronto Raptors, the Milwaukee Bucks, the Utah Jazz and the San Antonio Spurs.