Anthony Davis hit a long floater with 4:39 remaining to reach 50 points for the first time with the Los Angeles Lakers. The shot that got him to the half-century mark was hardly representative of the work that preceded it.

Davis had a relentless series of fast-break points, second-chance opportunities and attacks in the paint that pummeled the Minnesota Timberwolves, a performance Lakers coach Frank Vogel described as a "smash mouth way of getting 50."

"No 3s, 20 for 29, and then living at the free throw line, post ups, offensive rebounds, crashes, all those types of things. Just an old-school performance and one for the ages," Vogel said.

Davis had a season-high 50 points and the Lakers improved to a league-best 21-3 with a 142-125 win over the Timberwolves on Sunday night.

Davis was 20 of 29 from the field and made all 10 of his free throws to go along with seven rebounds and six assists, reaching the 50-point mark for the fourth time in his career.

"It was very special to do something like this in front of these great fans, a historical franchise and my teammates, especially the way we've been playing," Davis said. "It was nothing but amazing."

LeBron James had 32 points and 13 assists despite committing four fouls in the first half. Alex Caruso added 16 points as the Lakers won their fourth straight and improved to 10-2 at home.

While it looked like it could be a special night for Davis as he hit his first six shots, including a thunderous dunk on a no-look alley-oop from James as he racked up seven of the Lakers' first nine points, the eighth-year forward was a bit more cautious.

"I mean, I've had nights where I started off like that and ended up with 30 and didn't score in the second half," Davis said.

But it was evident Davis would keep adding to his total. He was at his most relentless to close the first half, helping fuel an 11-0 run that gave the Lakers a 73-65 lead at the break after James got his fourth foul with 2:27 left in the second quarter.

Much of Davis' damage this season had come off the pick-and-roll with James, but Vogel was impressed how he was able to be effective without the Lakers' primary ball handlers in James or Rajon Rondo on the court. Rondo did not play because of a strained hamstring.

Davis had 42 points through three quarters, one more than his previous single-game high this season, 41 points in his return to New Orleans on Nov. 27. He tacked on 15 points in the third, but balanced scoring allowed Minnesota to stay within 110-103 as the quarter closed.

The Timberwolves had seven players with at least 12 points, including all five starters. Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins each had 19 points as Minnesota lost its fourth straight game.

It wasn't until the fourth quarter that the Lakers could finally relax, with Rondo and DeMarcus Cousins keeping Davis informed on his progress before he finally got to 50 for the first time since Feb. 26, 2018.

Thunder open road trip with 108-96 win in Portland

The Thunder opened a four-game trip with a 108-96 victory over the Trail Blazers on Sunday night.

The Thunder, who led by as many as 18 points in the first half, have won four of their last five games, the team's best stretch of the season. Chris Paul finished with 20 points.

"Obviously, the last time we came here we were really beat handily, from start to finish. We did get it back to nine, but we never really were in control of the game, constantly fighting an uphill battle," Thunder coach Billy Donovan said, recalling the 136-119 loss n Nov. 26. "It was good that we were able to come into a tough place and play and find a way to win the game."

Damian Lillard had 26 for the Blazers, who have lost three of four.

"I think we kind of just play well in stretches, and we don't really have the luxury of playing well in stretches. We're a team that if the ball's not going in, we gotta be getting to the 50-50 balls, we can't be letting teams get second and third opportunities. We foul every 30 seconds," Lillard said. "I mean we are are doing a lot of things as a team that are putting us at a disadvantage."

Portland made a move to shore up the frontcourt with the Nov. 19 signing of 10-time All-Star Carmelo Anthony, who hadn't played for more than a year.

Anthony has fit in well with the Blazers, averaging 16.7 points and 5.6 rebounds through his first nine games. But he struggled against the Thunder, going 4 of 18 from the field and finishing with just nine points.

Neither team looked sharp at the start on Sunday. Oklahoma City held a slight 21-20 lead at the end of the first quarter, on 31.8% shooting. Portland shot 27.6% to open the game.

Schroder's pull-up jumper stretched the Thunder's lead to 41-29 midway through the second quarter.

Portland clawed back into it and closed to within 51-47 on Anthony's 3-pointer, which capped a 10-0 Blazers run. But Portland couldn't get closer and trailed 55-47 at the break. Paul led all players with 16 points.

Portland closed within 62-60 on Lillard's 3-pointer in the third quarter. The Blazers eventually pulled in front when Lillard made a trio of free throws, but it was short-lived and the Thunder led 82-78 going into the final quarter.

"That's what's fun about our team," Paul said afterward. "It's a team effort every night. As long as we keep playing like that I think we're going to keep grinding."

Other results on Sunday (home teams in bold):

Los Angeles Clippers 135 - 119 Washington Wizards

Sacramento Kings 110 - 106 Dallas Mavericks

Denver Nuggets 102 - 105 Brooklyn Nets

Toronto Raptors 104 - 110 Philadelphia 76ers

Chicago Bulls 105 - 110 Miami Heat

Atlanta Hawks 122 - 107 Charlotte Hornets