Tag: Matisse Thybulle

Matisse Thybulle feasted on the Kings, tallying a career-high in win

Matisse Thybulle started his Thanksgiving feast a bit early this year after recording a career-high 15 points on Wednesday night.

Matisse Thybulle started his Thanksgiving feast a bit early this year.

The Philadelphia 76ers rookie recorded a career-high 15 points, four steals, three rebounds and two blocks in 21 minutes off of the bench in a 97-91 win over the Sacramento Kings.

Thybulle finished a perfect 5-of-5 from the field, including 3-of-3 from 3-point range as the Sixers improved to 11-1 when the rookie logs at least 12 minutes. The performance by Thybulle marked his first game scoring in double figures.

The Sixers called upon him in the second half after Josh Richardson went down with a hamstring injury and Thybulle responded by scoring eight of his 15 points in the third quarter.

Thybulle has played sporadically this season as he has struggled to stay consistent on the floor but has certainly shown flashes thus far. He has been a standout on the defensive end of the floor and that skill set was on display Wednesday night.

The Sixers play next on Friday against the New York Knicks.

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Sixers coach Brett Brown praises Joel Embiid, Matisse Thybulle after win

Philadelphia 76ers coach Brett Brown has high praise Joel Embiid and Matisse Thybulle after a win.

The Philadelphia 76ers needed something to feel good about heading into Thanksgiving following a disastrous loss to the Toronto Raptors on Monday. They got their feel-good win on Wednesday when they knocked off the Sacramento Kings 97-91 to improve to 8-0 at home.

Superstar big man Joel Embiid led the way with 33 points and 16 rebounds following the scoreless night in Toronto and coach Brett Brown was happy with what he saw from his “crown jewel” as he bounced back in a big way.

Brown stated:

Did it surprise anybody? Going up against Marc Gasol, with due respect to Sacramento, is a difficult ask by any stretch and the way they defended him in Toronto along with Marc Gasol was effective on that night. Sacramento came at Joel and double teamed him and kind of everybody else as often as they could and I thought he did a pretty good job of playing out of the post and finding open shooters. The reality is we missed 2,002 open threes and he did a great job of passing. For him to come out the way that he did, it shouldn’t surprise anybody.

Embiid has proven a lot in his NBA career as he has already been selected an All-Star twice and he is considered one of the better players in the league regardless of position. The night in Toronto was definitely unacceptable, but it should come as no surprise that he came out the way he did on Wednesday.

The other star in the win was rookie Matisse Thybulle who scored a career-high 15 points on a perfect 5-for-5 shooting with four steals and he drilled three shots from deep. His play was a big game-changer in the third quarter.

Brown said on Thybulle:

I think when he can get his feet set, and he has proper footwork we talk about ‘are you a front stepper or a side stepper?’ and he looked like his shoulders were over his waist, his wasit was over his feet, he had proper footwork into his shot, and it looked good. It really looked balanced. Then he was getting deflections and steals and, I’m sure he felt good about his defense that you’d think carry into the confidence in his shot, but I thought fundamentally, just judging it, he looked proper. He looked fundamentally correct and balanced and he made them. We needed every one of them.

It challenged Brown to turn to Thybulle after the team lost Josh Richardson at halftime to a hamstring issue. His play on Wednesday might have just earned him a spot back in Brown’s rotation as the team continues on through the season. [lawrence-related id=20185,20173,20156]

Sixers rookie Matisse Thybulle reacts to big night after win over Kings

Philadelphia 76ers rookie Matisse Thybulle reacts to his big night after a win over the Sacramento Kings.

The Philadelphia 76ers were looking sluggish on Wednesday night. It was Thanksgiving Eve and they were coming off a tough night on Monday in a road loss to the Toronto Raptors. On top of that, they lost guard Josh Richardson at halftime to hamstring tightness. The team needed a spark and that’s when coach Brett Brown went to the rookie to help the team to a win over the Sacramento Kings.

Matisse Thybulle was called upon and he immediately made an impact as he as able to get a few deflections and he was able to knock down some timely 3-pointers on his way to a career-high 15 points. Thybulle has worked constantly on his game and he credited his teammates for finding him when he was open.

Thybulle stated after the game:

I think the guys just put me in a good position to make shots. I didn’t do anything crazy. I just spaced the floor and they were able to find me and the shots fell.

The rookie out of Washington had fallen out of the rotation a bit as he is still trying to find his way in the league. The growing pains can be tough for a rookie to handle in such a fast-paced league like the NBA, but he stayed ready and he was able to make an impact when he was needed the most.

He added:

You stay ready. It’s not a matter of just like getting ready, it’s like you need to be ready for every opportunity, because being a rookie, you don’t know what’s going to be coming your way and you’ve just got to be able to step up when it’s your time when they call your name.

The Sixers are now 11-1 when Thybulle plays over 12 minutes. After a stat line of 15 points on 5-for-5 shooting, 3-for-3 from deep, 2-for-2 from the line, and four steals, it appears that that type of production could win him a regular spot again in Brown’s rotation. [lawrence-related id=20173,20141,20132]

Joel Embiid bounces back, leads Sixers past feisty Kings 97-91

Led by Joel Embiid and Matisse Thybulle, the Sixers held off a feisty Sacramento Kings team Wednesday night at Wells Fargo Center.

The Philadelphia 76ers improved to 8-0 at home on Wednesday night with a 97-91 win over the Sacramento Kings.

The Sixers jumped out to an 11-2 lead, and it looked like they would be in for an easy night. The Kings, despite playing the last game of a four-game road trip, had other ideas. Sacramento refused to go away time and again on Wednesday night.

After building a seven-point lead after one quarter, the Sixers put forth a disastrous second quarter that was marred by turnovers and uninspired play. As a result, the Kings made a run and only a buzzer-beating floater by Raul Neto preserved a halftime lead for the Sixers.

The Sixers regrouped at halftime and asserted themselves in the third, getting a huge spark from Matisse Thybulle, who we will talk about more later. The Sixers won the quarter by 11 and carried a 12-point advantage into the final quarter.

Still, the Kings wouldn’t go away. After the Sixers built the lead as high as 17, Sacramento made yet another push, getting within five points with under three minutes to go. Fortunately, the Sixers had the answer and were able to keep the Kings at bay until the final buzzer.

It’s safe to say Joel Embiid was tired of hearing about his zero-point, 0-for-11 game in Toronto on Monday. The big guy asserted himself early and often on Wednesday, scoring the first four points for the Sixers and finishing with 33 points, 16 rebounds, two blocks, and an assist. He shot 10-of-19 from the field and made sure to get to the free-throw line, where he had 14 attempts, connecting on 12. Embiid was aggressive and did a much better job passing out of double teams.

Tobias Harris didn’t have his jump shot working but chipped in 14 points, six rebounds, two assists, and two blocks.

Al Horford added 12 points, seven rebounds, five assists, a steal, and a block.

Ben Simmons had 10 points, 14 rebounds, five assists, and two steals.

Josh Richardson, who didn’t play in the second half due to hamstring tightness, had nine points, three assists, and a block.

Thybulle provided a huge boost off the bench, playing a huge role in the team’s third-quarter push. He finished with 15 points, four steals, three rebounds, two blocks, and an assist. The rookie shot 5-of-5 from the floor, 3-of-3 from beyond the arc, and 2-of-2 from the line. It was a sight to behold and an incredibly encouraging sign for the Sixers.

It was far from a pretty performance. The Sixers had 17 turnovers and shot just 19.2% from beyond the arc. But Joel Embiid responded to the worst game of his career on Monday in exactly the way you’d hope, and if Matisse Thybulle can replicate what we saw from him Wednesday night it would be huge going forward. It was nice to see the Sixers answer each push from the Kings and close the game out down the stretch.

The Sixers improved to 12-6 on the season and will get back at it Friday night against the Knicks in New York.

Sixers rookie Matisse Thybulle has career-high effort vs. Kings

With Josh Richardson exiting the game early, Matisse Thybulle answered the bell, and then some. The Sixers prevailed over the Kings thanks in part to his effort.

As the NBA season reaches its first checkpoint, on the night before Thanksgiving, there were plenty of reasons for which Brett Brown should be grateful.

Among them are Sixers rookie Matisse Thybulle.

In short order, Thybulle has become a dependable (albeit sparingly-used) member of Brown’s rotation, already proving himself to be a defensive stalwart and a rookie worthy of the minutes he’s been rewarded.

Entering play on November 27, Thybulle has played just 14 minutes per contest, but his defensive prowess is partially evidenced in the fact that he’s managed to record 1.3 steals per contest. It’s his offensive game that’s left something to be desired. That was, until Wednesday night.

Thybulle recorded the first double-digit scoring night of his career in the Sixers’ matchup with the Sacramento Kings. With Josh Richardson being lost due to some hamstring tightness, Thybulle finished the game with his sixth 20-minute outing of the season, as well as a career-high 15 points.

More impressively than the points, however, was the fact that the rookie shot 5-for-5 from the field, including 3-for-3 from 3-point territory. He also had three rebounds, four steals and two blocks in what was easily his best performance of the season.

With Harris missing in action, Thybulle took full advantage of his opportunity.

The Sixers prevailed by a final score of 97-91, good for their 12th win on the season. They have also improved to 8-0 at Wells Fargo Center as they arrive at the Thanksgiving break with fifth-best record in the Eastern Conference.

Three reasons why Matisse Thybulle should be fixture in Sixers rotation

Philadelphia 76ers rookie Matisse Thybulle should be in Brett Brown’s rotation every night.

The Philadelphia 76ers are on a quest to win a title in the 2019-20 season. In order to do that. They will need contributions from just about everybody to make sure they’re in a position to win.

One player who deserves more playing time is rookie Matisse Thybulle. The Sixers first-round rookie was a fixture in coach Brett Brown’s rotation to begin the season when the team started 5-0, but when Ben Simmons missed two games with a shoulder injury, Thybulle played sparingly as Brown wanted to see what he had in Raul Neto and Trey Burke. When Simmons returned, Thybulle got his spot back in the rotation.

It should not have to be that way as he has earned a spot and should play every game. Here are three reasons why he should be in the rotation every night:

Impact

Thybulle is such a big defensive presence out on the floor for only being a rookie and his defensive rating is at a 97 to begin the season. He was leading the league in total steals before being pushed out of the rotation and he averages 3.4 steals and 2.4 blocks per 36 minutes. His ability to play the passing lanes and his anticipation for blocks is impressive for a kid so young. On top of that, when Thybulle plays at least 12 minutes in a game, the Sixers are 7-1.

Development

When he was drafted, the Sixers wanted Thybulle to become the team’s next 3-and-D player. In order to achieve that goal, he needs to be out there and get real NBA minutes. His 3-point percentage is at 29.2% to begin the season on two attempts per game. That number can go up when given the reps and the minutes to continue to work on his game in a real NBA setting. He has that 3-and-D potential in his game, his defense is terrific, but he needs the court time to get better on the offensive end and get those reps to develop.

Team strategy

The Sixers are a team built to be dominant on the defensive end. Brown had been upset with the team’s defensive effort in road losses to the Orlando Magic and the Oklahoma City Thunder, but then praised it in the win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday where Thybulle played over 15 minutes. If the defense is such a big thing on the mind of the Sixers, why not play the guy who specializes in defense? Thybulle should be receiving 12-18 minutes every night. His offense hinders him a bit, but his defensive work is something to really behold. He’s a guy that should be in this rotation every night. [lawrence-related id=19457,19450,19443]

Nine games into the year, Brett Brown is figuring out Sixers rotation

Nine games into the 2019-20 season, coach Brett Brown is still figuring out the Sixers rotation.

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The Philadelphia 76ers still have a lot to figure out after nine games. They still have to figure out things like who is going to be the closer with the game on the line, how will Joel Embiid and Al Horford really work together, and they’re still developing team chemistry.

One thing that will still need to be figured out is the rotation. Big things like who’s the backup point guard and what to do with rookie Matisse Thybulle who has been out of the rotation since Ben Simmons’ injury.

A big change in coach Brett Brown’s rotation, due to the Simmons injury, has been Raul Neto starting at point guard and Trey Burke being used as a backup. This is notable due to the fact that Josh Richardson was being used as the primary backup point guard when Simmons was healthy and in the lineup.

With everything that has happened in the first nine games, Brown is still experimenting as he stated:

I wouldn’t say anything is set. We’re finding our way and we have different options. I think that the phrase that I like to use, ‘horses for courses,’ is based on who you’re playing and who’s playing well. I don’t feel married to anything this early in the season. You just figure it out. I won’t put a death spell on any of the players either. I feel open to playing the people that I think it’s going to take to win that night.

Does that mean the Sixers will go back to Thybulle in the rotation once Simmons returns? Will Burke go back to being buried at the end of the bench? Will Richardson go back to backup point guard responsibilities? These are questions that Brown will have to answer and figure out.

I feel like there are outliers in every game. It is possible to put Raul Neto and Trey Burke in the rotation with Ben Simmons. Those two guards have played well and it’s exciting. It’s one of those in-game adjustments that you could make, knowing that it is a unique lineup.

At the end of the day, the team is 6-3 and they are in a good spot in the early going of the season. The challenge now is for Brown and his staff to figure out a solid rotation and settle on it. It doesn’t help that Simmons is out right now and Embiid’s absences have put a wrench into the plan, but it must be figured out soon. [lawrence-related id=19083,19074,19064]