Joel Embiid popped up from a pregame fall and scored 27 points with nine rebounds, making 4 of 5 from 3-point range and sinking a pair of free throws with 3 seconds left to turn back Boston’s final rally and lead the visiting Philadelphia 76ers to a 118-114 victory on Wednesday.

Tyrese Maxey had 33 points and 12 assists. He scored 13 in the fourth quarter, including a quick-trigger layup to open a seven-point lead with about a minute left after the Sixers inbounded the ball with 1.1 seconds on the shot clock. Caleb Martin scored 23, hitting 7 of 9 from 3-point range.

Embiid was shooting near the sideline about 45 minutes before tipoff and appeared to get caught up in a security rope separating the players from the fans sitting courtside. The 2023 NBA MVP grabbed his right ankle and remained on the court for a minute before walking off to the locker room.

When the Sixers returned to the court for a separate shooting session a few minutes before tipoff, Embiid was late to join them. He eventually did come out and warmed up as usual.

Jayson Tatum scored 32 points with 15 rebounds for the Celtics, Jaylen Brown added 23 pointd.

Boston center Kristaps Porzingis, who has missed all but nine games this season with injuries, did not return for the second half. The team said he had an ankle injury.

KNICKS 117, SPURS 114: Mikal Bridges scored a season-high 41 points, and New York overcame 42 from Victor Wembanyama in a monster Christmas debut to edge San Antonio at Madison Square Garden.

Wembanyama set a Spurs’ record for points on the holiday and added 18 rebounds, four assists and four blocks. He made six 3-pointers.

But Bridges shot 17 for 25 from the field, 6 for 9 behind the arc, to make sure the Knicks had just enough offense to win their fifth in a row and improve to 20-10.

Karl-Anthony Towns added 21 points and nine rebounds, and Jalen Brunson scored 20 points. Josh Hart finished with 12 points, 12 boards and six assists.

Jeremy Sochan had 21 points and nine rebounds for the Spurs.

TIMBERWOLVES 105, MAVERICKS 99: Anthony Edwards scored 26 points, and Minnesota held on for a road victory over Dallas after Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic left the game with a strained left calf.

Doncic pulled up lame while running a play late in the second quarter. Then it got wild when the Mavs erased almost all of a 28-point deficit in the second half.

The five-time All-Star never made it back to the defensive end and limped off the court after Dallas called timeout. It was Doncic’s second game back after missing two with a left heel contusion.

Kyrie Irving scored 39 points but was short on a 3-pointer that would have put the Mavs ahead in the final minute.

Rudy Gobert had 14 points and 10 rebounds.

Doncic, who scored 14 in 16 minutes and is averaging 28.1 points, 8.3 rebounds and 7.8 assists per game, missed five games this season with a right wrist sprain.

Dallas coach Jason Kidd had no update on Doncic after the game.

HEAT’S BUTLER DOUBTFUL: The Miami Heat are listing Jimmy Butler as doubtful for their game today at Orlando, saying he needs time to recondition before returning to the lineup.

Butler did not fly with the team to Orlando on Wednesday night, and his intentions for future games seem a bit unclear as well.

Butler has not asked the Heat to be moved, but ESPNreported Wednesday that the six-time All-Star wants a trade by the Feb. 6 deadline.

It is the latest twist in a long-running saga involving Butler’s future with the Heat, one that began picking up steam back in May when Heat president Pat Riley was noncommittal about giving Butler an extension.

Butler is eligible for an extension that would guarantee him $113 million for the 2025-26 and 2026-27 seasons. But he is 35 and misses, on average, about one out of every four games in his Heat tenure.