Doc Rivers Reacts to Matisse Thybulle's Playing Status vs. Raptors

When the Philadelphia 76ers resume their regular-season schedule on Thursday night in Toronto, they'll miss a key player.

Philadelphia's defensive ace Matisse Thybulle was ruled out for Thursday's game on the road. While Thybulle's not dealing with any physical setbacks, the Sixers labeled his status as "ineligible to play."

Although it was believed that Thybulle received the COVID-19 vaccination in the past, it turns out that's not the case. Therefore, Thybulle is not cleared to play against the Raptors as Canada has yet to lift its restrictions.

During Philly's Thursday morning shootaround in Toronto, Sixers head coach Doc Rivers addressed the situation and made it known the Sixers aren't currently worried about potentially playing the Raptors in the first round and having Thybulle as a part-time player.

Rivers' Reaction

Doc Rivers on Matisse Thybulle being ineligible to play in Toronto tonight: “It’s one game tonight. We’ll go from there.”

On the possibility that this could be an issue in a playoff series: “We don’t know who we’re playing yet, so we’ll just handle that when it comes.”
— Gina Mizell (@ginamizell) April 7, 2022

"It's one game tonight. We'll go from there... We don't know who we're playing yet, so we'll just handle that when it comes."

According to Gina Mizell of The Philadelphia Inquirer, Rivers isn't stressing over Thybulle's absence ahead of Thursday's game. That shouldn't come as a surprise considering the 76ers are already locked into their spot in the playoffs.

It's two weeks from now that Rivers and the Sixers should be worried about. As the 76ers are currently the Eastern Conference's fourth seed and the Raptors are right behind them, the Sixers and the Raptors would play each other in the first round of the playoffs if the season ended today.

Is Rivers optimistic about Thybulle's chances of playing full-time against the Raptors if that's the Sixers' first-round opponent? "We'll find that out in two weeks," he said, according to Mizell.

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