Tobias Harris, Matisse Thybulle Remain Out for Sixers' Rematch vs. Knicks

The Philadelphia 76ers have dealt with a ton of setbacks lately. Although they've been shorthanded since the season started as their All-Star point guard Ben
Tobias Harris, Matisse Thybulle Remain Out for Sixers' Rematch vs. Knicks
Tobias Harris, Matisse Thybulle Remain Out for Sixers' Rematch vs. Knicks /

The Philadelphia 76ers have dealt with a ton of setbacks lately. Although they've been shorthanded since the season started as their All-Star point guard Ben Simmons has continued to sit out for personal reasons, the team has seen its fair of physical injuries and even COVID-related illnesses keeping players off the floor.

Last Monday, as the Sixers were gearing up for a matchup against the Portland Trail Blazers, veteran forward Tobias Harris was shocked to find out he would have to miss the game. Forty minutes before tip-off, Harris was entered into the NBA's health and safety protocol. Therefore, he missed the game versus the Blazers.

Two days later, it was confirmed that Harris tested positive for COVID-19 and was symptomatic. It then became apparent that Harris was going to miss ten days' worth of action, at the very least. 

He went on to miss Wednesday's game against the Chicago Bulls, Thursday's matchup against the Detroit Pistons, and the rematch against the Bulls in Chicago on Saturday. And when the Sixers face the New York Knicks at home on Monday night, Harris will be away from the team once again, and he won't be alone.

Last Thursday, Sixers' second-year guard Isaiah Joe became the second member of the team to test positive for COVID-19. While 76ers head coach Doc Rivers had a more promising update regarding how Joe felt after returning a positive test, the young guard is still expected to miss a handful of games, including Monday's matchup.

Lastly, Sixers' third-year guard Matisse Thybulle was the latest player to be entered into the health and safety protocol. Last week, he played in all but one matchup as he was ruled out ahead of Saturday's game against the Bulls. Unfortunately, he'll miss Monday's game against the Knicks as well, leaving the Sixers without three players when they face their Eastern Conference rival to kick off a new week.

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


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Justin Grasso
JUSTIN GRASSO

Title: Credentialed writer/reporter covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s FanNation Email: JustinGrasso32@Gmail.com Location: Philadelphia, PA Expertise: Reporting, insight, and analysis on the Sixers and the NBA  Justin Grasso is a credentialed writer and publisher covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s FanNation.  Grasso got his start in sports media in 2016 with FantasyPros, working the news desk, providing game-by-game player analysis and updates on the Portland Trail Blazers and the Golden State Warriors. By 2017, he joined FanSided’s Philadelphia Eagles site as a staff writer. After spending one season covering the Eagles as a staff writer, Grasso was promoted to become the site’s Co-Editor. For the next two NFL seasons, he covered the Eagles closely before broadening his NFL coverage. For a brief stint, Grasso covered the NFL on a national basis after joining Heavy.com as an NFL news desk writer. In 2019, Grasso joined the 76ers' beat on a part-time basis, stepping into a role with South Jersey’s 97.3 ESPN. Ahead of the 2019-2020 NBA season, he concluded a three-year stint covering the Eagles and joined the Sixers beat full-time. Grasso has covered the 76ers exclusively since then for Sports Illustrated. He is a member of the Pro Basketball Writer’s Association.  Twitter: @JGrasso_ Instagram: @JGrassoNBA