76ers hand Bulls their 4th straight loss
76ers hand Bulls their 4th straight loss (Philadelphia, PA) – After having Sunday off, the Bulls will be facing the best team in the East record-wise, the Philadelphia 76ers. Chicago comes into this matchup tonight with only 8 games remaining in the season. That will make it difficult to overcome the 3 game lead that the Wizards have over them for the final playoff spot, but it’s never over until its over.
Without Nikola Vučević out due to an adductor injury, Daniel Theis will play a huge role against Joel Embiid. Embiid scored a career-high 50 points in their win over the Bulls on February 19th. Theis being an offensive threat and making Embiid work for his points will be a key in this game. Patrick Williams will also have to follow up on his 19 point effort from Saturday and continue to be aggressive.
Green and Curry lead Philly to dominant 1st half
Every Philadelphia starter made at least one shot to begin the game. They made 7 of their first 10 shots as a team, which gave them a 16-9 lead with 6 minutes left in the 1st. The 76ers led 34-20 going into the 2nd, behind 11 points from Seth Curry. The Bulls struggled in the opening quarter, missing 16 of their 24 shots.
Shake Milton scored 7 points for the 76ers to begin the 2nd. Milton helped them increase their lead to 45-26 with 8 minutes left. Later in the quarter, Danny Green scored on consecutive plays to join Curry with 11 points of his own. Green’s three pointer gave Philly a 55-34 lead with 3 minutes left in the half. The Bulls went on a 9-0 run to cut the lead down to 55-43, but the 76ers led 60-43 going into the 2nd half.
Green and Curry led the 76ers in scoring in the 1st half, with 14 and 11 points respectively. They also combined to hit 5 three’s. As a team, Philadelphia outscored the Bulls 26-18 in the paint and had a 9-0 advantage in fast break points. Chicago shot 16/46 (35%) from the field in the first half and didn’t generate any easy baskets like the 76ers did. Coby White led the Bulls with 8 points and 2 assists.
76ers lead by 20 going into the 4th
Curry started the 3rd quarter in a similar fashion to his first half play. He hit consecutive three-pointers, which extended the 76ers lead to 68-47, with 9 minutes left. Tobias Harris also played well for Philly in the quarter, scoring 6 points. Tomas Satoransky and Thaddeus Young scored 12 of the 20 Bulls’ points in the 3rd, but the 76ers still led 83-63 going into the 4th.
Philadelphia withstands the Bulls’ 4th quarter run
Javonte Green had an “and-one” and an emphatic putback dunk to begin the 4th for Chicago. Green led the team to a 9-0 run within the first two minutes of the quarter, which reduced their deficit down to 83-72. White did not let Green’s efforts go to waste, as he hit 3 straight three-pointers. White’s shooting made the score 88-81, with 8 minutes left in the game. After his heat-check, White had two assists to Denzel Valentine, who hit consecutive three-pointers himself to cut the Bulls deficit down to 88-87.
Harris, Embiid and Ben Simmons scored the next 12 points for Philly, which put them back up 100-92 with 2 minutes left. Their late surge allowed the 76ers to close the game out, as they beat the Bulls 106-94.
Behind Green’s effort and 15 points in the 4th from White, the Bulls were able to make the game competitive at the end. Ultimately, Chicago needed to have their 4th quarter urgency throughout all 48 minutes. White led the team with 23 points and 5 assists.
Harris led Philly with 21 points and 9 rebounds, with Curry adding 20 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists. Embiid had a double-double like Harris, with 13 points and 10 rebounds.
Up Next
Philadelphia (44-21) will play the Rockets (16-49) next on Wednesday at 7pm CT.
Chicago (26-39) will face the Hornets (31-33) on Thursday at 6pm CT.
76ers hand Bulls their 4th straight loss
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