Ben Simmons was kept quiet but Minnesota couldn't shut down returning Joel Embiid as Philadelphia topped the Timberwolves 118-112 in overtime on Tuesday night.
Embiid, back in action after missing two games with back tightness, hit two free throws with 14.8 seconds remaining to force overtime. He then scored seven points in the extra session, including a three-pointer that gave Philadelphia a seven-point lead in the final two minutes.
He finished with 28 points.
J.J. Redick scored 24 points and was a perfect 11-of-11 from the free throw line for the Sixers, who snapped a four-game losing streak.
Australian Simmons, the leading scorer in this year's rookie class, was in danger of going a full 48 minutes without a point, but with 67 seconds to go, he cranked out a clutch jam to put the Sixers in front, 96-94.
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He finished the night with seven points and eight assists.
Jimmy Butler led Minnesota with a season-high 38 points, including a pair of three-pointers in the final minute of regulation.
Embiid got the better of Karl-Anthony Towns as the talented 7-footers battled down low all night. Towns had 17 points and 15 rebounds, his 22nd double-double of the season.
Butler had 17 fourth-quarter points and helped the Timberwolves build a seven-point lead early in the period. But his late heroics weren't enough.
Minnesota shot just five-for-29 from three-point range. Andrew Wiggins hit eight of 24 shots overall and one of seven from beyond the arc.
Elsewhere Kristaps Porzingis had 37 points and 11 rebounds as the New York Knicks recorded a 113-109 overtime victory over the Los Angeles Lakers at Madison Square Garden.
Beasley had 13 points, including the tie-breaking shot, and an assist in the extra period as the Knicks improved their win-loss record to 14-13.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope scored 24 points for the Lakers, with rookie Kyle Kuzma adding 19 points off the bench and Lonzo Ball contributing 17 points, eight rebounds and six assists.
LeBron James tied a career high with 17 assists to go with 25 points to lead the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 123-114 win over the Atlanta Hawks.
James was 11 of 13 from the field, had seven rebounds and was given a standing ovation when he left the court with the game safe late in the final quarter.
Cleveland won for the 15th time in 16 games to be 20-8 and trailing only the Boston Celtics in the eastern conference.
Atlanta fell to 6-21, the worst record in the league.
San Antonio Spurs welcomed back Kawhi Leonard for his season debut in their 95-89 loss to the Dallas Mavericks.
The All-Star forward played 16 minutes and recorded 13 points and six rebounds.
Denver and Brooklyn were also winners.
