Stephen Curry is a top-tier point guard, and many would consider him a top-5 player in the league at the very least. He’s an extremely versatile offensive player, but the bread and butter of his offensive game is shooting 3PT shots. In fact, he is on the verge of breaking the all-time 3PT record.
A lot of people wanted Stephen Curry to break that particular record against the Philadelphia 76ers, as seeing him break the record against his brother Seth Curry would be amazing for fans. With that being said, that didn’t end up happening, as Stephen Curry struggled and the 76ers got the win.
A large part of the 76ers being able to stop Stephen Curry was the perimeter defense of Matisse Thybulle, who hounded Curry all night and prevented him from catching a rhythm.
Guarding Stephen Curry is no easy feat. Matisse Thybulle mentioned that the “hardest part” of guarding Stephen Curry is the mental side, as he can “just lull you to sleep” leading to an open shot.
The physical part is easy… The hardest part is the mental side of understanding where he’s trying to score, not falling asleep on plays. He can just lull you to sleep and before you know it, he’s wide open shooting a 3.
There is no question that this was a good defensive night for the 76ers, and their scheme to shut down Stephen Curry clearly worked this game. Of course, Stephen Curry will likely bounce back in the near future, but it was a good performance regardless.
The 76ers are still without Ben Simmons, but they have managed to be a respectable team without him. They are currently 6th in the Eastern Conference and have won 4 of their last 5 games. Hopefully, their success continues, and Matisse Thybulle’s defense on stars will continue to be a crucial part of the team winning.
