Joel Embiid Discusses Game-tying Shot That Wasn’t As Sixers Fall To Celtics

PHILADELPHIA–The Philadelphia 76ers found themselves in a tough position on Saturday night against the rival Boston Celtics With the game tied at 107, all the Sixers needed was one final defensive stop to go into overtime.

Instead, Celtics star Jayson Tatum drilled a clutch go-ahead triple over De’Anthony Melton with 2.2 ticks left. The shot gave Boston a 110-107 lead before Joel Embiid tried for a miracle.

Embiid heaved it from 3/4 court and he hit nothing but net, but the officials ruled that it left his hands too late and it was a Celtics win.

“I wish I would have shot it sooner, but as I turned, I saw Derrick White there so I couldn’t really get it off,” said Embiid. “So I had to kind of go back to my right side to try to get it off. Unfortunately, story of my life.”

Either way, it’s a shot that will be shared a million times over social media, but for Embiid, it won’t matter. The shot didn’t count. The Sixers lost and they are now 0-3 against the Celtics on the season.

“I don’t care,” Embiid added. “It didn’t count, but I guess it’s a good highlight for everybody, social media, and all that stuff, but it didn’t count and we lost the game. It’s frustrating losing these type of games, especially when you’re winning by so much and it’s frustrating.”

Philadelphia built a 15-point lead in the third quarter, but former Sixers big man Al Horford drilled four triples in the third quarter in order to get the Celtics back in the game a bit and they eventually took a 10-point lead in the fourth. Embiid and the Sixers were able to rally, but it wasn’t enough late.