BOSTON — Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid wasn't going to let a pregame stumble keep him from playing the rival Boston Celtics in one of the NBA's marquee games.
Embiid got caught up in a barrier used to keep courtside fans away from the players and fell to the parquet floor during pregame warmups, twisting his right ankle. He took a while to return to the court before the opening tip, but he played 31 minutes and scored 27 points with nine rebounds in the Sixers' 118-114 victory over the defending NBA champions.
