NEWSLETTER
The Philadelphia 76ers are the oldest team in the NBA, and they looked the part to start Sunday’s game against the Chicago Bulls.
The veteran squad appeared more than a step slow in the opening frame against the NBA’s team leader in PACE. Chicago leaned on their athleticism and speed, gaining a quick 12-4 lead largely because of their transition scoring. Josh Giddey did a nice job setting the tone on both ends and recorded 5 points, 5 assists, and 2 steals in the quarter. Zach LaVine also took full advantage of Philly’s lackluster defensive effort, posting 10 points in his first rotational stint.
Meanwhile, the 76ers struggled to find an offensive rhythm despite Joel Embiid’s return to the floor. The big man – who missed the previous seven contests – was appearing in only his fifth game of the season. The rust was more than apparent early on, as he went just 0-6 from the field to begin the night.
Nonetheless, it didn’t take long for the 76ers’ age to show up in a positive way. The ice-cold start didn’t phase the big man or his teammates. They let the Bulls tire themselves out before taking complete control in the second quarter. A 180 ensued and Embiid managed to put up 19 points before heading into the halftime locker room. Conversely, the Bulls couldn’t buy a bucket. They passed up layups for threes only to knock down two of their 12 attempts. Chicago shot just 25 percent in the quarter overall, while they allowed the 76ers to shoot 64 percent.
The rest of the game told a very similar story to the one we watched on Friday night. The Pacers had blown out the Bulls in the second quarter and rode that wave to victory. Once again, to the Bulls’ credit, they managed to play two far more competitive quarters coming out of the locker room. But the damage done early was enough for Philly to secure their seventh win of the season.
While the Bulls had shown the ability to erase some big deficits earlier this season, tonight is another example of why that’s not a consistent winning formula. Teams with as much talent as Philly – even with all their struggles – don’t allow a 19-point lead to go to waste. Not to mention, the Bulls’ defense simply isn’t good enough to string together the stops needed for repeated comebacks. The 76ers may have only shot 46.7 percent from the field, but the team dominated in the paint 54-30!
To be sure, Chicago sure didn’t help themselves with an uncharacteristic 40.2 percent shooting effort on the night. They have now shot 47.0 percent or worse from the field in two straight games after putting together SEVEN straight games with 50.0+ percent shooting.
Player Grades
Zach LaVine – A- ( Ankin Law: “Making it Personal” Player of the Game)
Stats: 30 PTS (11-21 FG), 4 REB, 3 AST
Zach LaVine made A LOT of tough shots tonight. He was able to put the Bulls in a position to reclaim the lead in the second half, but none of his teammates decided to lend a helping hand. The two-time All-Star now has back-to-back 30-point games.
Jalen Smith – B
Stats: 11 PTS, 4 REB, 1 BLK
The backup big man provided some energetic minutes off the bench. This included a much-needed buzzer-beater three at the end of the third quarter to bring the Bulls within single digits.
Josh Giddey – C+
Stats: 9 PTS, 11 AST, 7 REB, 2 STL
Josh Giddey was largely responsible for the Bulls’ hot start to this game. I also thought he provided some encouraging effort on the defensive end.
Nikola Vucevic – C
Stats: 13 PTS, 8 REB, 3 AST, 4 STL
This was kind of a weird Nikola Vucevic game. Facing off against Joel Embiid and Andre Drummond, he struggled to make his presence felt. When the Bulls did find him, however, he shot a decent 4-7 from the field and helped make something happen. I would’ve liked to see the Bulls use him more as a creator at times, especially when Philly whipped out their zone defense.
Coby White – D+
Stats: 13 PTS, 5 AST, 4 REB
Another rough game for White following his two-game absence. He just doesn’t look like the same scoring threat right now, and he’s shot a combined 12-36 from the field over the last two games. Yuck! The Bulls could have very well won this one if he was able to have even a decent shooting night.
Box Score
Check out the full box score here.
