Mikal Bridges scored a season-high 41 points, and the New York Knicks overcame 42 from Victor Wembanyama in a monster Christmas debut to edge the San Antonio Spurs 117-114 on Wednesday.
Wembanyama set a Spurs’ record for points on the holiday and added 18 rebounds, four assists and four blocked shots. The reigning Western Conference player of the week made six three-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.
San Antonio had a chance to pull out a terrific win but gave up 17 offensive rebounds and was unable to get its hands on the ball at the end, with Hart grabbing two misses in the final half-minute to run out the clock.
Bridges is often needed more for his defense than offense in his first season with the Knicks, but he reminded people on Wednesday just how good he can be with the ball in his hands.
The Spurs were within one point with two minutes to go after two free throws by Chris Paul before Bridges made consecutive jumpers for a five-point lead with 1:18 to play.
Wembanyama broke the Spurs’ record for points on Christmas. LaMarcus Aldridge had 33 in 2016.
The Spurs remain in New York to visit Brooklyn on Friday, while the Knicks visit Orlando on Friday.
Minnesota Timberwolves 105-99 Dallas Mavericks Anthony Edwards scored 26 points, and the Minnesota Timberwolves held on for a 105-99 Christmas Day victory over Dallas after Mavericks superstar Luka Dončić left the game with a strained left calf.
A rematch of last season’s Western Conference finals won by Dallas fell flat when Dončić pulled up lame while running a play late in the second quarter Wednesday. 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 Dončić’s second game back after missing two with a left heel contusion.
Kyrie Irving scored 39 points but was short on a three-pointer that would have put the Mavs ahead in the final minute after they trailed by 28 late in the third quarter. Dončić scored 14 points.
Rudy Gobert had 14 points and 10 rebounds.
Philadelphia 76ers 118-114 Boston Celtics Joel Embiid popped up from a pregame fall and scored 27 points with nine rebounds, making 4 of 5 from three-point range and sinking a pair of free throws with three seconds left to turn back Boston’s final rally and lead the 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 three-point range.
Jayson Tatum scored 32 with 15 rebounds for Boston, Jaylen Brown scored 23 and Derrick White had 21. Boston wore red socks and leggings with their green jerseys for an extra dose of Christmas spirit.
Celtics 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.