NBA: Minnesota Timberwolves take advantage of injury-hit Golden State Warriors

A depleted Golden State Warriors side suffered a 119-99 defeat to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday.

The Warriors were without star players Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and Gary Payton II, who all missed the game through injury.

Karl-Anthony Towns starred for the Timberwolves, scoring 16 points in the first half and finishing with 26 points and 11 rebounds.

It was a fifth win in seven games for the Timberwolves.

Three-time NBA All-Star Green missed out for the Warriors because of a disc injury in his lower back, while former MVP Curry was sidelined with a hand injury.

The Warriors had little answer for Towns while Jaylen Nowell and Malik Beasley combined for 33 points - including eight three-pointers - off the Minnesota bench to help seal victory for the Timberwolves.

Jordan Poole scored a Warriors-high 20 points, but managed just three assists and committed four turnovers.

The defeat came at the end of a four-game road trip for the Warriors.

Elsewhere, Donovan Mitchell scored 31 points as the Utah Jazz beat the Denver Nuggets 125-102 for a first win in five games.

Bojan Bogdanovic also scored 21 points for the Jazz, while Rudy Gobert, who returned to action having missed five games, provided 18 points and 19 rebounds.

• Nets star Durant out with sprained MCL

The 11-time All-Star is currently averaging 29.7 points in the NBA this season

Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant has been diagnosed with a sprained medical collateral ligament (MCL) in his left knee.

Durant suffered the injury after a collision during the second quarter against the New Orleans Pelicans on Saturday.

He had 12 points in 12 minutes.
A Nets statement said the 11-time All-Star, who is currently averaging a league-leading 29.7 points, will be out "indefinitely".