By: Kylan Watson
The Philadelphia 76ers and Chicago Bulls faced off again for the second time in the last few days. The Bulls were looking to win their third game of the season against Philly, but that was not meant to be tonight as Philly blew them off the court 110-97.
The Sixers finally got Joel Embiid back in this contest and he made his presence felt early in this game. His presence opened the spacing for Philly’s offense as they did not struggle to get the shot off as they were the majority of the last few games. The shots started falling with the increase space and before the Bulls could even settle into this game they were down by double digits. Embiid scored 31-points, grabbed 15-rebounds, and had 10-assists (his second triple double of the season and seventh in his career). He clearly worked on his playmaking while recovering from his sprained ankle, because the way he was passing people open should make Jalen Hurts jealous. He was finding his teammates in their sweet spots, and they rewarded his trust by finding the bottom of the net. The only thing Embiid was really missing to become a complete player was getting those assist numbers up. He is doing that this season and it has opened up the Sixers offensive capabilities and made them one of the best watches in the NBA. In one example from this contest in the second quarter Embiid scored or assisted on 18-points for Philly in that period. If he can continue to become a better passer and combine that with his two-way ability the Sixers will be a title contender in the loaded Eastern Conference.
The Chicago Bulls did not give up in this game despite the Sixers scoring explosion they battled throughout this contest. However, the Sixers were just too much for them in this contest and they just did not have enough horses available to keep up with them. DeMar DeRozan’s effectiveness was limited tonight as he scored 16-points after hitting five/10 shots. Philly started a line-up that featured the three-headed defensive monster of Kelly Oubre Jr., Nicolas Batum, and Tobias Harris. The trio took turns making him work for every shot and it worked tonight and may be a line-up that Nick Nurse needs to use in the future because it did the job on DeRozan and no one else could help the Bulls stay competitive tonight.
The Sixers will now prepare for a primetime matchup with the New York Knicks on Friday Night. Philly will need to continue using ball movement to increase their offensive capabilities like they did in tonight’s contest. Additionally, they will need to stay attached to their man to keep the Knicks shooters in check. The shooting of the Knicks got a boost with the addition of OG Anunoby and the Sixers will have to be careful because he is now a featured player in New York, which makes him even more dangerous than when he was in Toronto. If the Sixers can implement these things, they should be able to get their 24th victory of the season.
