De’Aaron Fox calls Matisse Thybulle ‘one of the best’ defenders after Kings fall to 76ers
Defensive specialist Matisse Thybulle came off the bench to cause problems for the Kings when they played the Philadelphia 76ers back in February. He did it again in a rare start Saturday night.
Tobias Harris flirted with a triple-double and Thybulle frustrated Kings point guard De’Aaron Fox, leading the shorthanded 76ers to a 129-105 victory at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.
Harris finished with 29 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists for the 76ers (29-13), who won despite the absences of MVP candidate Joel Embiid, three-time All-Star Ben Simmons and starting shooting guard Seth Curry. Shake Milton added 28 points for Philadelphia.
Buddy Hield scored 25 points to lead the Kings (17-25), who struggled on the second night of a back-to-back after beating the Boston Celtics on Friday. Fox was held to 16 points on 5-of-14 shooting from the field and 0-of-4 shooting from 3-point range.
Fox has been virtually unstoppable in recent weeks, averaging 29.0 points and 7.9 assists over the past seven games, but Thybulle showed why he is considered one of the best young defenders in the league. Making his fifth start of the season with Simmons and Curry out of the lineup, Thybulle was a factor from the opening tip. He held Fox scoreless for more than seven minutes before the dynamic young point guard got his first basket with 4:44 remaining in the first quarter.
“He’s tall, long, has great anticipation skills, never gives up on a play, plays hard,” Fox said. “Those things help you be a great defender. It’s something he wants to do, knows he can do, and he knows he’s one of the best at it.”
Fox had 34 points in a 119-111 loss to the 76ers on Feb. 9 in Sacramento, but he was held to seven points on 3-of-13 shooting in the fourth quarter with Thybulle guarding him closely.
“I’m pretty sure (Thybulle) was Defensive Player of the Year in the Pac-10,” Kings coach Luke Walton said. “You can tell he’s got those defensive instincts. He might not always been in good position, but he recovers out of it because he has length and he understands angles. He’s a good young player. I see why Philadelphia likes him so much. I still don’t think anyone can keep De’Aaron in front of them in those situations, but he does do a nice job on the defensive end.”
The Kings kept the game close against the 76ers in their previous matchup, but not this time. There were zero ties and zero lead changes. Philadelphia dominated from the start.
The 76ers led 42-21 at the end of the first quarter and carried a 72-52 advantage into the halftime break. They led by as many as 36 points in the second half.
Philadelphia shot 55.8% from the field, made 11 of 23 (.478) from 3-point range and amassed a huge 51-34 rebounding advantage. The Kings shot 45.9% from the field, made 10 of 28 from beyond the arc and converted on just 17 of 27 (.630) free-throw attempts.
Up next
The Kings will conclude this six-game road trip when they face the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.
The Cavaliers (15-26) picked up a 117-110 victory over the Boston Celtics on Wednesday, but they have lost five of their last six games. Cleveland will be on the second night of a back-to-back after playing host to the Toronto Raptors on Sunday.
Collin Sexton leads Cleveland in scoring, averaging 23.9 points per game. Darius Garland is averaging 16.5 points and 5.9 assists. Andre Drummond, a 27-year-old center who averages 17.5 points and 13.5 rebounds, has not played since Feb. 12 as the Cavaliers continue to explore trade possibilities.
Injury report
Kings: OUT — Marvin Bagley III (left fourth metacarpal fracture); Chimezie Metu (right wrist fracture).
76ers: OUT — Seth Curry (left ankle sprain); Joel Embiid (left knee bone bruise); Ben Simmons (left knee soreness).
Kings upcoming schedule
March 22 at Cleveland Cavaliers, 4:30 p.m.
March 24 vs. Atlanta Hawks, 7 p.m.
March 25 vs. Golden State Warriors, 7 p.m.
March 27 vs. Cleveland Cavaliers, 7 p.m.
March 29 at San Antonio Spurs, 5:30 p.m.
This story was originally published March 20, 2021 at 8:33 PM.
