Joel Embiid on Late Buzzer Beater vs. Celtics: ’Story Of My Life’

What Joel Embiid had to say about his late buzzer beater against the Celtics on Saturday night.

Joel Embiid nearly pulled off the biggest highlight of his season on Saturday, and that’s saying a lot. 

As the Philadelphia 76ers failed to prevent a Jayson Tatum three-pointer in the last seconds of their matchup against the Boston Celtics, the Sixers had less than two seconds to get off a final shot from the other side of the court.

The ball got to Embiid. As the big man caught the ball and dribbled once, he picked it up and threw a Hail Mary attempt from the opposite three-point line. The shot was successful, but after further review, it was determined that Embiid did not get the ball out before the buzzer went off.

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

DOESN’T COUNT BUT JOEL EMBIID MY GOODNESS. 🔥🔥🔥

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— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) February 26, 2023

Although Embiid’s buzzer-beater didn’t count, it set social media on fire as the shot was still impressive. While it’s become a highlight for fans after the game, Embiid didn’t have the same positive reaction after the matchup.

“I don’t care,” he finished. “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. We lost the game. It’s frustrating losing this type of game, especially when you’re winning by so much. It’s frustrating.”

Since Embiid’s shot didn’t count, the Sixers ultimately came up short. With a 110-107 loss, the Sixers collected their 20th loss of the year, falling short to the Celtics three times this season. 

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for All76ers, a Sports Illustrated channel. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.