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The Chicago Bulls and Philadelphia 76ers tip off a busy Sunday of NBA action! Their matinee matchup will be the first of 12 games between 12:00 p.m. CT and 8:30 p.m. CT. League Pass was made for days like today!
Also, with the Bears playing in the afternoon slate, you get to pre-game Caleb Williams with Matas Buzelis!
- With such an early game today, I will keep this morning’s post pretty short. Let’s start things off by looking at the latest injury report. The Bulls have listed Lonzo Ball (knee management), Coby White (ankle), and Nikola Vucevic (back) as probable for this afternoon. Vucevic is a new addition to the report after Friday night’s loss, but the designation suggests the big man isn’t dealing with anything serious. As for Patrick Williams, he will miss his 10th straight game with a foot injury. The good news is that the Bulls will have four full days off before their next contest, which feels like it bodes well for Williams to finally return on Friday night against the Hornets. Fingers crossed.
- The 76ers have a surprisingly thin injury report ahead of today’s game in Chicago. Rookie big man Adem Bona is out due to a knee injury, while Joel Embiid is listed as questionable with his lingering knee injury management. If Embiid is given the green light, it would only be his fifth appearance of the season and his first in seven games. Likewise, it would be only the second game where the 76ers had their full trio of Tyrese Maxey, Paul George, and Embiid on the court.
- If Embiid does play, it sounds like he’ll be on a minutes restriction:
- The 76ers have started the year 6-15. While injury trouble has played a significant role in that, the vibes behind the scenes have been nothing short of atrocious. Whether it be Embiid shoving a new columnist or leaks about a contentious locker room meeting, the 76ers have been a soap opera. Nevertheless, the Bulls can’t take this group lightly. They still have an incredibly talented nucleus and a relatively deep roster. They’ve also found a slight groove over the last week or so, winning three of their previous four games. It also sure doesn’t help that Embiid is one of the most notorious Bulls killers in the league.
- At the same time, my main concern heading into this game isn’t the former MVP. I’m worried a lot more about Chicago’s backcourt limiting drives and open shots for Tyrese Maxey and rookie Jared McCain. While Maxey’s efficiency has been a problem this year, we all know he has the speed and downhill burst to take advantage of a weak perimeter defense. As for McCain, he’s been just as good as I expected coming into the league, averaging 16.0 points on 37.9 percent shooting from downtown. The Duke guard may not be the most explosive, but he never stops moving and is very smart with the basketball.
- I chuckled …
- The Chicago Bulls gave fans a little behind-the-scenes look at how Josh Giddey is settling into his new city. As always, the BullsTV crew does a really great job putting together these All-Access videos.
- The San Francisco 49ers haven’t looked the same this season. Could that lead to a surprising Bears win out West?
- The Cody Bellinger rumors continue to heat up, and Brett has more on one trade idea the Cubs weren’t crazy about.
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