The Philadelphia 76ers came into Sunday’s game against the Chicago Bulls looking to build on Friday’s win over the Grizzlies. They got off to a good start, and despite the Bulls showing impressive fight, the Sixers were able to walk away with their second straight win.
The Sixers came out looking good, and after a back-and-forth first six minutes they began gaining some separation from the Bulls. Led by Furkan Korkmaz, who continued his hot play by pouring in 17 first-quarter points, the Sixers took a 13-point advantage after the first quarter.
Philadelphia would lead by as many as 15 in the second quarter, but the offense slowed a bit down the stretch and the Bulls were able to trim the Sixer advantage all the way down to five by the halftime buzzer.
That trend continued into the third quarter, and Chicago was able to erase the rest of the deficit and head into the final quarter in a tie game.
The Sixers scored the first four points of the final quarter, all by Joel Embiid, and that was enough for them to take control and earn the victory. The lead would grow as high as 11 in the fourth, but the Bulls remained pesky and closed to within five with 1:15 to go. Embiid answered with a 3, and that would prove to be enough for the Sixers.
It wasn’t the blowout win it looked like it might be early, but the Sixers aren’t going to be picky right now. The Bulls deserve credit for continuing to fight after the early deficit, but the Sixers deserve credit for responding and securing the win.
Despite some hiccups throughout the game, the Sixers were pretty good offensively. They shot 50% from the field and 40.7% from 3 while assisting on 29 of 42 made field goals.
Korkmaz was once again fantasic, following up his career-high 34 on Friday with 31 Sunday night. He hit 12-of-17 from the floor and 6-of-11 from 3, adding five rebounds and three steals.
Joel Embiid added 28 points, 12 rebounds, five assists, three steals, and four blocks, having an excellent game. Ben Simmons had another triple-double with 19 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists. Glenn Robinson III made his Sixers debut and chipped in 10 points.
After a disastrous road trip, the Sixers were desperate for wins and will take them any way they come. Considering the opponent and the start to the game, a blowout would have been nice. Still, it was good to see the team fight through some adversity to get the victory.
The Sixers will get one last test before the All-Star break when they host the Clippers on Tuesday.