Doc Rivers Says Matisse Thybulle's Setback is 'More Serious' Than Initially Thought

When the Philadelphia 76ers boarded their flight to Miami, Florida on Friday night, one of the team's key rotational players wasn't able to make the trip.

Sixers' third-year guard Matisse Thybulle had himself a stellar outing on Friday night against the Boston Celtics. The defensive standout played an aggressive matchup on both ends of the floor, but his night eventually had to come to an early end.

As Thybulle had a clear path to the net in transition, the flying guard took a slight push from behind from Celtics guard Dennis Schroder. Despite Schroder making contact with Thybulle, the young Sixer still took flight and threw down a big dunk.

However, Thybulle lost control of his body in the air and took a hard fall. Although he was slow to get up, he was able to go to the free-throw line and attempt his foul shots. Thybulle also remained in the game for a little longer but his night did wrap up early.

Eventually, Thybulle was ruled out for the rest of the game with shoulder soreness. At that point, his absence didn't make much of a difference as the Sixers had their Atlantic Division rival matchup in the bag.

After the win over Boston, Sixers head coach Doc Rivers didn't have an in-depth update on Thybulle's shoulder. While Rivers and the Sixers didn't seem too concerned, they did hold Thybulle back from traveling with the team.

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When the Sixers arrived in Miami in the middle of the night, Thybulle was not present. Therefore, he was ruled out early for Saturday's matchup.

Before the Sixers and the Heat tipped off, Doc Rivers offered a subtle but slightly concerning update on the defensive ace.

“He took a hard fall, obviously,” said Rivers during his pregame press conference in Miami. “He’s not on the trip so it’s obviously more serious than we want it to be. But I have no idea how long that means. I think he got an MRI today or he was getting one and I haven’t heard the results or anything.”

As the Sixers wait for an official diagnosis, Thybulle's status for Monday afternoon's game against the Washington Wizards remains unclear. While the team waits on Thybulle's MRI results, it seems there is a chance that the young wing could miss some additional time as there might be more to his setback than just soreness.

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.