Joel Embiid’s best moments usually come on offense, but he’s an MVP contender because he excels on both sides of the ball. He impressively reminded everyone of that fact Thursday night when the Philadelphia 76ers came back from a 17-point deficit and defeated the Memphis Grizzlies 110-105.
With just over a minute to go, the Grizzlies were clinging to a one-point lead. When Ja Morant grounded the ball, the Grizzlies went for a high pick and roll to give their electric keeper a chance to get downhill. The plan seemed to be working perfectly as Morant caught a burst of steam, hit the paint and lunged for the rim. Most of the time that would result in a bucket. This time, this resulted in Morant lying flat on his back.
As Morant prepared to start, Embiid did the same on the other side of the basket. The Sixers’ big man timed his approach perfectly and caught Morant at the summit. Any block of this nature would look spectacular, but due to the difference in size and strength between the two players, Embiid was able to snatch the ball out of Morant’s hands and send it straight into the ground.
This was one of those highlights where you also have to watch the still image to really get a sense of just how impressive it was.
Embiid says no. Getty Images
Embiid had a difficult start to this game, finishing with 27 points on 7 of 25 from the field for his least efficient game of the season. However, he didn’t let his poor shooting spoil the other aspects of his game, adding 19 rebounds, six assists and six blocks. Morant’s rejection could go down as the block of the season.