"I think he has a chance to be defensive player of the year” - Joel Embiid lobbies for teammate Matisse Thybulle to win DPOY as the Australian international plays lockdown defense on MVP candidate Steph Curry
All eyes were on Steph Curry coming into the game between the Philadelphia 76ers and the Golden State Warriors as Curry was chasing Ray Allen's record for most three-pointers made. Steph Curry finished the night with 18 points after having an atrocious shooting night as he went 3/14 from beyond the arc.
The Baby-Faced Assassin now finds himself just six shots off the record held by Ray Allen and was hoping to breach that record against his brother's team, the Philadelphia 76ers. However, the main reason why that didn't happen is because of Matisse Thybulle and the incredible defense he showcased on Curry.
Thybulle was so good in this game that he received massive praise from teammate Joel Embiid. Embiid said:
“He’s probably the best perimeter defender in the league. I think he has a chance to be defensive player of the year.”
The Warriors went on to lose the game 93-102 against the 76ers as the Oakland-based franchise lost for only the fifth time this season. Joel Embiid came up big time for Philadelphia with 26 points and 9 rebounds while shooting the ball better than 43% from the field.
.@JoelEmbiid says Matisse Thybulle was “amazing” tonight:
“He’s probably the best perimeter defender in the league. I think he has a chance to be defensive player of the year.”
How did Thybulle defend Steph Curry?
For starters, it is nearly impossible to shut down Curry completely in a game. But Matisse Thybulle probably came closest to achieving that. The Australian is 6'5 which gives him an advantage in terms of height and length when guarding opposing guards and wings. He used his length and impressive 7ft wingspan to full effect tonight against Steph Curry as he blocked three of Curry's shots in the game.
Replacing Danny Green in the starting five, Thybulle had to justify his inclusion and lock down Curry. The game started exactly the way Thybulle would have wanted it to as Curry missed all four of his initial field goals attempts. As the game went on, Thybulle recorded a block as he thwarted away a Steph Curry three-point shot early in the second quarter and then again in the third.
Matisse Thybulle held Steph Curry to 2/13 shooting in their individual matchup.
He also became the only player who has blocked two Steph Curry 3-point attempts in the same game.
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With Curry realizing how in the zone Thybulle was , he started to renounce the ball and get the other Warriors players into the game. This is a testament to how good Thybulle is defensively. However, the personal fouls accumulated by Thybulle meant he had to go and sit on the bench with just a little over two minutes left in the first half. This allowed Chef Curry to get going as he closed out the second quarter by scoring eight points.
Thybulle, who won the Bronze medal with Australia at the Tokyo Olympics over the summer, contained Curry using his size, speed, athleticism and defensive know-how. After accumulating another personal foul before the end of the third quarter, everyone expected Doc Rivers to bench Thybulle. But that did not happen, as the 76ers decided to take a gamble and leave their best defender on the court.
The gamble paid off as the Warriros lost to the 76ers thanks to the incredible defense showcased by Thybulle. Leaving Steph Curry to continue his chase of Ray Allen's three point record.