In his first game of the season playing more than a handful of minutes, Matisse Thybulle contributed to a key Philadelphia 76ers win. The Sixers beat the Toronto Raptors 112-90 and got a solid performance from their young wing.
Thybulle played 22 minutes and recorded six points (making two 3-pointers in five attempts), three assists, three rebounds, two blocks and one steal. He had played just six minutes across the Sixers' first four games before getting a DNP-CD in their last game. With De'Anthony Melton getting the bump to the starting lineup with no Joel Embiid, Thybulle came through with some big plays off the bench.
In the postgame press conference on NBC Sports Philadelphia, Doc Rivers was asked why Thybulle got so much playing time. His response: “I read this article by somebody and I thought, ‘Oh my goodness, I gotta play Matisse tonight!’” The Sixers coach gave his initial answer in a joking manner but, coincidentally, Bryan Toporek of Liberty Ballers did write about the possibility of Thybulle playing more before the game.
Rivers then gave a longer answer to the question. “We started the season, we thought we liked the rotation we were gonna have and honestly, it wasn’t working for us,” the Sixers coach said. “So, we decided as a staff, we needed to add a defense guy to our group…The key for him is, there’s gonna be teams that try to game-plan him and not guard him. And he’s worked on his shot and he’s just gotta keep shooting it. I was really proud of him.”
Rivers has said that he wants to add someone to the Sixers' rotation, which would firmly make it a 10-man group. Thybulle is one of the contenders for the spot due to his strong defense. Thybulle's future with the Sixers is uncertain after he and the team did not agree to a contract extension but he can earn himself a bigger role with more strong performances when he gets the chance to play.
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