Joel Embiid delivers block of the year candidate on Ja Morant in final minute of Sixers’ win over Grizzlies

Joel Embiid’s finest moments usually come on offense, but he’s an MVP candidate because he excels on both sides of the ball. He reminded everyone of that fact in stunning fashion on Thursday night as the Philadelphia 76ers came back from a 17-point deficit to beat the Memphis Grizzlies, 110-105.

With just over a minute to play, the Grizzlies were clinging to a one-point lead. As Ja Morant brought the ball up the floor, the Grizzlies went to a high pick-and-roll to give their electric guard a chance to get downhill. The plan seemed like it would work to perfection, as Morant got a head of steam, hit the paint and launched himself towards the rim. Most of the time, that would result in a bucket. This time, it resulted in Morant lying flat on his back. 

As Morant was preparing to take off, Embiid was doing the same on the other side of the basket. The Sixers big man timed his approach perfectly and met Morant at the summit. Any block of that manner would look spectacular, but because of the disparity in size and strength between the two players, Embiid was able to rip the ball out of Morant’s hands and send it straight down into the ground. 

This was one of those highlights where you have to take a look at the still photo as well to really get a sense of how impressive it was. 

Embiid got off to a tough start in this game, and finished with 27 points on 7 of 25 from the field for his least efficient game of the season. He didn’t let his poor shooting affect the other aspects of his game, though, and added 19 rebounds, six assists and six blocks. The rejection on Morant just might go down as the block of the season.