Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers happily played the "Grinch" role at TD Garden on Christmas Day. Amid plenty of boos from the Boston crowd,

Sixers star Joel Embiid fell to the parquet during warmups before Wednesday's game against the Celtics but remained in the starting lineup for the Christmas Day matchup.

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

If the 76ers’ game against the defending champion Boston Celtics was a barometer of where they stand, the answer was clear after registering a 118-114 Christmas Day victory at TD Garden. The Sixers showed that they have the potential to be an elite team.

The third game on NBA Christmas Day pitted the Philadelphia 76ers (11-17) against the Boston Celtics (22-8) for the first time all season. The Sixers came to play in the early-evening showdown at TD Garden,