Austin Reaves made the game-winning layup with one second remaining to cap a dramatic finish, LeBron James had 31 points and 10 assists in his NBA-record 19th Christmas Day game and the Los Angeles Lakers edged the Golden State Warriors 115-113 on Wednesday.
Golden State's Stephen Curry scored 38 points and made eight 3-pointers, including a game-tying shot with six seconds remaining, only to be overshadowed by Reaves' late-game heroics.
With the game clock winding down, Reaves drove along the left baseline past Andrew Wiggins for the winning layup, capping a night in which he had 26 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists.
Reaves and James carried the Lakers on offence after Anthony Davis exited in the first quarter with a sprained left ankle and did not return.
James won his 11th career game on Christmas Day, extending his own NBA record.
Timberwolves hold on vs. Mavs after Doncic injures calf
Anthony Edwards' 26 points led a balanced Timberwolves attack, and Minnesota topped the Mavericks 105-99 after Dallas star Luka Doncic exited with a left calf strain.
Minnesota exacted some revenge for last year's Western Conference finals loss to the Mavericks, but Dallas' comeback effort came up short after Doncic exited late in the second quarter.
Doncic, playing in his second game back from a left heel contusion, scored 14 points in 16 minutes before limping off the court.
Rallying around Kyrie Irving, the Mavericks erased a 28-point third-quarter deficit but were unable to convert late. Irving finished with 39 points but missed a 3-pointer in the last minute that would have given Dallas the lead.
Edwards added eight rebounds and five assists to go along with his 26 points for Minnesota, and Julius Randle contributed 23 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists as the Timberwolves ended a three-game skid.
Embiid recovers from pre-game fall, 76ers top Celtics
Joel Embiid bounced back from a concerning fall in pre-game warm-ups to score 27 points, Tyrese Maxey led the way with 33 points and the Philadelphia 76ers beat the Boston Celtics 118-114.
Embiid took a tumble while warming up after stepping on a barrier meant to keep fans away from the players, appearing to twist his right ankle.
The former MVP remained on the floor for a few minutes, grabbing at his ankle, then returned to the locker room for examination. He returned to the court in time for the opening tip and helped his team beat the defending NBA champions.
Embiid was 4 of 5 from 3-point range and added nine rebounds to go with his 27 points.
Maxey had 12 assists to go along with his 33 points, and Caleb Martin made seven 3-pointers to finish with 23 points.
Philadelphia improved to 8-3 over their last 11 games after starting the season 3-14.
Jayson Tatum had 32 points and 15 rebounds to lead the way for Boston, who played the second half without center Kristaps Porzingis due to ankle soreness.
Wednesday's scores
New York Knicks 117, San Antonio Spurs 114
Dallas Mavericks 99, Minnesota Timberwolves 105
Boston Celtics 114, Philadelphia 76ers 118
Golden State Warriors 113, Los Angeles Lakers 115
Phoenix Suns 110, Denver Nuggets 100
