The sliding Philadelphia 76ers have their work cut out for them as they endeavor to stop Anthony Edwards and the red-hot Minnesota Timberwolves in Minneapolis on Sunday.

It will be the second leg of a back-to-back road set for the Sixers, whose losing streak stretched to four — all by double digits — with a 126-111 defeat against the lowly Pelicans in New Orleans on Saturday.

Philadelphia coach Nick Nurse admits his team, which has been without Joel Embiid (right knee and shin injury) for all four of those losses, is in a difficult space.

“It’s tough,” he said. “It’s really tough. Certainly our toughest moment of the season, for sure — all year, without question. We’ve got to get back to being able to play the 48 (minutes).”

Tyrese Maxey, who is averaging 28.9 points per game, had a game-high 27 in New Orleans. But his haul came on a ragged 9 of 23 from the floor, including 2 of 11 from deep.

Across his past seven games, Maxey has shot 41.4% from the field and 25.4% from 3-point range.

He has cooled off after his blistering start to the season, with opposition sides now throwing extra attention his way.

“Obviously, he’s getting a lot of focus,” Nurse said. “They (opponents) are putting two on the basketball a lot, they’re parking another defender in the lane, so there’s a lot that he’s looking at there. … Earlier in the year, he was getting freer movement than he’s ever had, and we just haven’t been able to find that (since).”

In Minnesota, Edwards bumped his season scoring average to a career-best 29.5 as he continues to add new weapons to his burgeoning repertoire.

Fresh off being crowned All-Star Game MVP, Edwards poured in 40 points to lead the Timberwolves to a 122-111 victory over the Dallas Mavericks in Minneapolis on Friday.

It was Minnesota’s third straight win and the 27th 40-plus haul of Edwards’ career.

His performance in the clutch against Dallas stood out.

Subbing in with the score locked at 103 midway through the fourth quarter, Edwards single-handedly outscored the Mavericks 14-8 down the stretch, with a combination of 3-pointers, drives, pullups and turnarounds.

“Ant was awesome,” Wolves coach Chris Finch said. “He finished the game like he can. I thought his shot selection was really good for the most part — took the right shots. In clutch time, he got to his spots, pretty simply.”

Edwards, who had been accused of settling predictably for 3s in big moments, is mixing it up more now.

He credited Finch’s tough love for him extracting the best form of his career.

“Finchy, I’m not going to lie, he’s the toughest coach I’ve ever had,” Edwards said. “But it works out in my favor because he tells me what I need to work on and what I need to get better at. The past summer, he told me I needed a go-to shot at the end of games. And I was working on that all summer, finding my spots, getting to the spots I’m comfortable in. He’s a big part of my success, honestly.”

Rudy Gobert posted 22 points and 17 rebounds against the Mavericks, but his flagrant foul in the second quarter — his seventh of the season — triggered a one-game suspension, sidelining him for the 76ers clash.

Philadelphia and Minnesota have met 68 times overall, for a 34-all split. The Timberwolves took both encounters last season.

–Field Level Media

The Phoenix Suns’ double-overtime victory over Orlando came at a huge cost.

Suns forward Dillon Brooks suffered a broken left hand, according to an ESPN report, and he is expected to miss an extended period of time after leaving in the first quarter of the 113-110 win over the Magic on Saturday.

“That’s my guy,” said guard Jalen Green, who scored the Suns’ final six points and hit the game-winning 3-pointer as time expired. “He’s needed out there.”

The Suns will be right back at it Sunday when they host the Portland Trail Blazers, who were blown out 157-103 at home against Denver on Friday.

“One of the worst games of the season,” Blazers interim coach Tiago Splitter said. “We were just not ready. Sometimes you get punched in the face. Then you react.”

The Suns know that punching bag feeling.

They lost both Brooks and reserve guard Jordan Goodwin against Orlando, two days after All-Star guard Devin Booker suffered a strained right hip that has caused him to miss Saturday’s game. Booker is to be reevaluated in a week, and Goodman (calf) is to undergo an MRI on Sunday after leaving late in regulation Saturday.

“It’s happened back-to-back games for us,” Suns coach Jordan Ott said. “We can’t feel sorry for ourselves. No one cares. The only group that can help you when you are stranded is your group. So we just have to find a solution.”

Grayson Allen returned from a four-game absence with a knee injury against the Magic and had 27 points in his return Saturday, while newly healthy Green salvaged a 6-for-26 night with his game-winner. He has played nine games this season.

“That’s my first game-winner,” Green said. “I needed that one, too.”

Brooks was averaging 21.2 points and 3.7 rebounds entering the Orlando game. Booker, who is averaging 24.7 points, has missed nine of 12 games, initially sidelined by sprained right ankle.

“This is what we talk about,” Ott said. “You find any way you can to win and then you move on. In the standings, it doesn’t matter.”

The Trail Blazers will look to regroup after their worst loss of the season, when they tied the mark for the third-most points given up in franchise history.

Portland gave 41, 41 and 43 points in the first three quarters against Denver, which set a franchise record for the most points in a road game.

“I think we’re going to bounce back,” Splitter said. “Go to Phoenix and bounce back like (the Nuggets) did. Come in with a sense of urgency to win and do the right things — effort on defense, talk, communicate.”

Blazers small forward Deni Avdija, having a breakout season, is leading the team in scoring (25.0) and assists (6.8) per game and is second in rebounding (7.2). He had 15 points, 13 assists, eight rebounds and six turnovers against Denver.

Second-leading scorer Shaedon Sharpe (21.4 points) has missed the last five games and will be out for a “little bit” with a strained calf, Splitter said.

“Everybody has to look inside yourself,” Splitter said. “How can we be ready in these moments, stay together? We all have to do this together. There is no individual who is going to take us and do it by himself.”

Like the Suns, the Blazers will attack from the perimeter. They are averaging 14.5 3-pointers per game and have made 14 or more threes in the last eight games and nine of 10.

–Field Level Media

The Orlando Magic sustained a double-overtime loss in Phoenix on the front end of a back-to-back and then hopped a plane for the flight to Los Angeles.

Though the Clippers, their next opponent, are well-rested, it might not be a bad time for Orlando to face a team on shaky ground.

The Magic play the third contest of a four-game excursion on Sunday night when they visit the Clippers at Inglewood, Calif.

The Clippers started poorly this season, going 6-21 before streaking with 16 wins in 19 games and then splitting their past 10.

But they traded James Harden to the Cleveland Cavaliers earlier this month, leaving Kawhi Leonard without a high-scoring running mate.

Leonard also doesn’t sound too keen about the team’s championship chances as he expressed his doubts after Thursday’s 115-114 home win over the Denver Nuggets.

“I think it’s over now,” Leonard told reporters. “It’s the second half, like (final) fourth of the season left, but every day is a day to grow, a day to learn and get better. So, you just got to keep looking over time and see in two weeks if we’re getting better, and see what happens from there.”

Clippers coach Tyronn Lue attempted damage control the following day, saying he interpreted Leonard’s comments as meaning there has been change in the organization.

Lue said he has no doubts — even at two games under .500 — that the Clippers can put together a postseason run.

“I just feel confident. I just feel confident in our players,” Lue said. “I feel confident in our coaching staff and I just feel confident in the environment, like the culture we’ve set. And why wouldn’t you want to play to win?

“That’s our mindset. That’s my mindset every single night. And as tough as it may be or you start 6-21 or whatever it may be, you’re playing to win. And so, we make the playoffs and then anything can happen.”

Leonard sprained his left ankle during Friday’s 125-122 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers and is listed as questionable for Sunday. He has scored 20 or more points in each of his last 35 appearances.

Orlando opened its road trip by making a franchise-record 27 3-pointers in a 131-94 rout of the lowly Sacramento Kings on Thursday.

The opportunity to be 2-0 on the trip was there with Phoenix shooting just 34.2% from the field over 58 minutes on Saturday. But Jalen Green (who was 6 of 26) drained a game-winning trey as the second OT ended to give the Suns a 113-110 win.

“Our guys fought to the end minus bodies,” Magic coach Jamahl Mosley said. “But we’ve got to make sure we continue to do the little things.”

Guard Jalen Suggs (back) missed the contest and is listed as questionable for Sunday’s game. Standout Franz Wagner (left ankle) isn’t on the trip and is out indefinitely.

Desmond Bane scored 34 points and Paolo Banchero had 26 points, 14 rebounds, eight assists and four blocked shots for Orlando.

Mosley was beaming about Banchero’s all-around play.

“He’s a young man that continues to get downhill, created double teams, got a lot of guys wide-open looks,” Mosley said about Banchero. “We’ve got to step in and knock those down.

“He attacked the basket a ton. Wasn’t getting the call necessarily going his way, but I loved the way that he was attacking downhill, being aggressive in those situations.”

Orlando defeated the visiting Clippers 129-101 on Nov. 20 in the first meeting. Leonard was sidelined with foot and ankle injuries.

–Field Level Media