The Philadelphia 76ers squared off with the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday night in a battle between two of NBA’s best teams this year.
Let’s just say that the match-up didn’t disappoint.
In fact, the game came down to the last possession, as Chris Paul found himself on the free throw line with a chance to clinch with the win. After sinking the first, the Suns point guard front-rimmed his second shot, opening the door for the 76ers to get one last desperation heave.
With 0.6 seconds left on the clock, Joel Embiid snagged the rebound and quickly released a one-handed throw towards the basket from his own free throw line. The Philadelphia 76ers center watched as the ball sailed through the air, bounced off the backboard, spun around the rim and fell out.
The Suns escaped with the 116-113 win and improved to 42-16 on the year.
Take a look at Embiid’s last-second heave:
Embiid was so close on the potential game-tying shot!
The replay is wild 😯 pic.twitter.com/bDVS5csph3
— ESPN (@espn) April 22, 2021
Embiid’s shot will go down as one of the biggest “what if” moments of the NBA regular season. If the three-quarters court heave had fallen it would’ve ben remembered as one of the craziest buzzer-beaters in league history.
Embiid finished the game 14-for-23 with 38 points and 17 rebounds, but it’s likely the last three points that will eat away at the 76ers MVP candidate.
Paul led a balanced scoring attack for the Suns, pouring in 28 points and dishing out eight assists in the close win. Phoenix had five players score in double-digits and had just eight turnovers.
It’s possible that NBA fans were treated to an NBA Finals preview in Wednesday’s game. Despite the loss, the 76ers still the best record in the Eastern Conference, narrowly ahead of the Brooklyn Nets. The Suns currently sit second in the Western Conference standings, just a game and a half behind the Utah Jazz.
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