The 76ers defeated the Mavericks 123-108 in tonight’s clash between the teams at the American Airlines Center in Dallas. During the fourth quarter, with less than three minutes left in a seven-point game at the time (115-108), V.J. Edgecombe of the 76ers pulled off an incredible display of his athleticism and defensive skills.
He blocked the same shot with his left hand and swatted it away with his right hand in the same play. Mind you, we have seen players use both hands simultaneously to block shots before, but using both arms differently during a block attempt on the same shot is probably unheard of before.
VJ Edgecombe blocked the same shot TWICE 🤯🤯 pic.twitter.com/t5N7gOgI7g
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) January 2, 2026
With such a close game at the time, Edgecombe blocked Brandon Williams from making it a two-possession game at the time. The Mavericks ended up failing to score from that point onwards.
This not only reflected poorly on the Mavericks’ offense with both Anthony Davis and Cooper Flagg being present on the floor during the clutch moments, but also reflected well on the 76ers’ overall defensive skill.
NBA fans saw this play and were left dumbfounded at the young 76ers rookie’s athleticism. They took to social media and expressed how amazed they felt to see Edgecombe pull this off.
“That’s just pure disrespect. Insane feat of athleticism and defensive dominance from the young rookie!”
“That’s not a block, that’s a reminder, try again and get the same result.”
“Blocking the same shot twice shows insane timing and anticipation. How many players can even pull that off at this level?”
“He’s been a stud so far. Big time athleticism and one of the only Sixers who has shown an ability to knock down shots in the clutch.”
“Can’t believe it.”
“Dude is turning into a massive MONSTER Fr. Young rookie dominating defense DAMN.”
Various such reactions flooded the internet as the 76ers ran away with the game down the stretch. This game marked the second meeting between the promising rookies V.J. Edgecombe and Cooper Flagg.
However, on both occasions, it was Edgecombe who got the last laugh as the 76ers remained undefeated against the Mavericks this season. Edgecombe displayed his incredible athleticism tonight and stuffed the box score.
He had 23 points, five rebounds, four steals, two assists, and one block while shooting 9-of-14 from the field (64.3%) and 3-0f-6 from the three-point line (50.0%).
Meanwhile, Flagg struggled on the offensive end tonight but contributed in other aspects for the Mavericks. He finished with 12 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists while shooting 5-of-15 from the floor (33.3%).
Both of them are frontrunners to grab the Rookie of the Year award alongside Kon Knueppel of the Hornets and Derik Queen of the Pelicans.
Cooper Flagg currently leads the race and is averaging 19.2 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 4.1 assists in the 34 games he played this season. He shot 48.2% from the field but a concerning 28.7% from beyond the arc.
Meanwhile, V.J. Edgecombe has been averaging 16.1 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 3.9 assists while shooting 42.8% from the field and an efficient 37.9% from the three-point line.
It will be interesting to see if Edgecombe, who is currently third on the NBA’s most recent rookie rankings, can remain consistent and dethrone Cooper Flagg from the No. 1 spot in the race eventually.
