Tom Thibodeau leaves Minnesota Timberwolves despite win over Los Angeles Lakers

Minnesota Timberwolves sacked head coach Tom Thibodeau shortly after their 108-86 win over the Los Angeles Lakers.

Notching up a 16-point lead after the first quarter, the Timberwolves continued to pile on the pressure as the Lakers struggled without LeBron James, who was out with a groin injury.

Karl-Anthony Towns led the way with 28 points and 18 rebounds, while Andrew Wiggins added 28 points – 25 of them in the first half – and five rebounds.

Minnesota got rid of Thibodeau despite the win, with assistant coach Ryan Saunders taking on the role on an interim basis for the remainder of the season.

The Toronto Raptors snapped the Indiana Pacers’ six-game winning streak, claiming a 121-105 victory.

Norman Powell made a season-high 23 points, while Kyle Lowry returned to post 12 points after missing the previous six games with a sore back.

Bradley Beal dominated with 25 points to help the Washington Wizards clinch their first-ever win in Oklahoma City.

The 116-98 victory against the Thunder marked Washington’s first on the road in more than a month, while Oklahoma recorded just their fifth home loss of the season.

Despite trailing by as many as 11 early in the first quarter, Beal led the first of many Wizards runs to edge Washington ahead.

Meanwhile, D’Angelo Russell registered 28 points to help the Brooklyn Nets power to a 117-100 win over the Chicago Bulls.

The Los Angeles Clippers beat the Orlando Magic for the 11th time in a row, recording a 106-96 victory.

Elsewhere, Trae Young finished with 19 points as the Atlanta Hawks ended a three-game slump with a 106-82 win over the Miami Heat, while Kemba Walker scored 18 points in the final four-and-a-half minutes to lead the Charlotte Hornets to a 119-113 triumph over the Phoenix Suns.