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Thybulle Just Might Steal an NBA Championship for the 76ers

The former University of Washington guard has a night for the ages in Philadelphia playoff victory.
Dan Raley|
Thybulle Just Might Steal an NBA Championship for the 76ers
Thybulle Just Might Steal an NBA Championship for the 76ers

Matisse Thybulle is the last Husky remaining in the NBA playoffs.

Of all the players still in contention, regardless of their collegiate background, no one plays the defensive end any tougher than him in what typically an offensive playground.

Thybulle is a throwback, a leap ahead, someone who just might steal an NBA championship for the Philadelphia 76ers.

On Wednesday night, the 6-foot-5 former University of Washington defender with the 6-foot-11 wingspan drew plaudits across the basketball world after he came off the bench to block 5 shots and steal the ball 4 times in the 76ers' 120-95 victory over the Washington Wizards in Philly.

In just his second season in the NBA, Thybulle became just one of 20 players in the history of the league to record those hard-earned but gilded numbers or better.

Playing just 20 minutes, Thybulle became one of just eight players to do this since 1983, joining Hakeem Olajuwon, Ben Wallace, Draymond Green, Scottie Pippen, Kevin Garnett, Chris Webber and Kawhi Leonard. Olajuwon, Wallace and Green have each done this multiple times.

By any means, young Thybulle still is just getting started as a defensive dominator. In two playoff games against Washington over 34 minutes, he has 7 blocks and 6 steals.

"He’s tall, has long arms, he’s physical and is a willing defender," the Wizards' Bradley Beal said. "I think that’s what separates a lot of guys in the league. He takes pride in defending. He doesn’t care about what happens on offense, if he’s involved, or gets shots. His job is to keep me from doing what I do, and I respect that."

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Dan Raley
DAN RALEY

Dan Raley has worked for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, as well as for MSN.com and Boeing, the latter as a global aerospace writer. His sportswriting career spans four decades and he's covered University of Washington football and basketball during much of that time. In a working capacity, he's been to the Super Bowl, the NBA Finals, the MLB playoffs, the Masters, the U.S. Open, the PGA Championship and countless Final Fours and bowl games.

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