Wizards overpower Celtics

BOSTON — Bradley Beal scored 25 points, John Wall had 21 points and 14 assists, and the Washington Wizards beat Boston 111-103 on Monday in the Celtics’ first Christmas Day home game in franchise history.

Otto Porter Jr. added 20 points and Kelly Oubre Jr. finished with 16, helping Washington take the first meeting between the teams since Boston’s Game 7 victory at home in the second round of the playoffs last spring.

Eastern Conferenceleading Boston lost for the third time in four games. Kyrie Irving and Jayson Tatum each scored 20 points for the Celtics, and Terry Rozier had 16.

Boston opened a 95-90 lead on Irving’s 3-pointer with 6:18 left, but the Wizards responded with a 12-0 run. Beal capped the spurt with a threepoint play and a breakaway dunk off a turnover.

Wall added a layup and two free throws down the stretch to help Washington hold on.

The Wizards led by two at halftime and opened the third quarter by scoring 13 of the first 17 points, pulling ahead 65-54 on Marcin Gortat’s three-point play. Gortat had 11 points and 10 rebounds.

Joel Embiid had 25 points and 16 rebounds, JJ Redick scored 24 points, and Philadelphia snapped a five-game losing streak with a road victory over New York. Embiid, who has been battling a bad back, powered through a big-man duel with Enes Kanter, who had a season-high 31 points and a career-best 22 rebounds. Redick, who missed the last game with right hamstring tightness, helped the 76ers pull away from an 89-all tie midway through the fourth quarter. Kristaps Porzingis scored 22 points for the Knicks.