NBA roundup: Lakers triumph over Warriors in Christmas thriller, Knicks and 76ers secure wins

LeBron James (39) and Steph Curry (36) showcased an exhilarating Christmas Day matchup, with the Los Angeles Lakers narrowly defeating the Golden State Warriors 115-113 on Wednesday.

Curry executed a remarkable 31-foot three-pointer with just 7.1 seconds remaining, leveling the score, but Austin Reaves clinched the victory for the Lakers with a driving layup just 1.1 seconds before the final buzzer.

Throughout the closing moments, Curry and James, who is three years older, exchanged three-pointers, providing fans with a thrilling conclusion featuring two future Hall of Famers.

James recorded 31 points and ten assists, despite the absence of teammate Anthony Davis, who exited the game in the first quarter due to an ankle injury.

Reaves, who scored the decisive basket, achieved a triple-double with 26 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists.

Curry's impressive performance included 38 points, highlighted by an 8-for-15 shooting from beyond the arc, while Andrew Wiggins contributed 21 points and 12 rebounds. However, Golden State suffered its 11th loss in 14 games.

"Today is a day of giving, and that is what Steph and I strive to do for our fans and for this wonderful game," James remarked.

"We cannot predict how many more times we will face each other. We aim to honor the game that has given us so much by giving back," he further stated.

James participated in a record 19th Christmas Day game and took the opportunity to subtly address the NFL's growing presence on this holiday.

"I have great respect for the NFL, but Christmas belongs to us," he asserted.

In another thrilling encounter, Mikal Bridges and the New York Knicks narrowly defeated Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs 117-114 at Madison Square Garden.

The French sensation Wembanyama delivered an outstanding performance with 42 points, 18 rebounds, and four blocks for the Spurs. However, Bridges shone in the fourth quarter, scoring 15 points and finishing with a season-high 41 points to secure the victory.

The 20-year-old, standing at 7-foot-3 (2.21m), shot 16-for-31 from the field and made six of 16 attempts from three-point range. While Bridges received accolades from the home crowd, he was quick to commend the French star.

San Antonio trailed by just one point with two minutes left on the clock when Bridges scored consecutive jumpers, establishing a five-point advantage.

Karl-Anthony Towns contributed significantly to the Knicks' victory with 21 points, while Jalen Brunson added 20 points and nine assists.

The defending champions, the Boston Celtics (22-8), experienced their first back-to-back losses of the season, suffering a home defeat to the Philadelphia 76ers with a score of 118-114.

Despite sustaining an ankle injury in a pregame fall, injury-prone star Joel Embiid managed to start the game and demonstrated his value by scoring 27 points, securing nine rebounds, and making the decisive free throws that sealed the victory for the 11-17 Philadelphia team.

Tyrese Maxey was instrumental, scoring 33 points and providing 12 assists, with 13 of those points coming in the crucial fourth quarter as Philadelphia, which had a 16-point lead at halftime, withstood a rally from Boston in the third quarter.

Jayson Tatum led the Celtics in scoring with 32 points and also recorded 15 rebounds.

The Dallas Mavericks faced a challenging Christmas as they lost their star player Luka Doncic to a calf injury in the second quarter during their 105-99 defeat to the Minnesota Timberwolves, a rematch of last season's Western Conference finals.

Doncic, who had tallied 14 points, exited the game with a limp and did not return. The Mavericks made a commendable effort to stage a comeback in his absence but ultimately fell short.

Anthony Edwards scored 26 points for Minnesota.

The Timberwolves held a 57-40 lead at halftime and increased their advantage to 28 points before Dallas, led by Kyrie Irving's 39 points, began to close the gap.

The game tightened in the final moments, but Irving's missed three-point attempt that could have given Dallas the lead, along with a two-foot shot from Edwards and a pair of free throws from Julius Randle, ensured the victory for Minnesota.

In the day's concluding match, the Phoenix Suns triumphed over the Denver Nuggets, finishing with a score of 110-100.