Tag: Sixers vs. Bulls

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.

The Philadelphia 76ers got their second straight win with a 100-89 victory over the Chicago Bulls Friday night. It’s a win that will be remembered as “the Furkan Korkmaz game.”

Throughout the first half, there was concern that the Sixers may be on their way to a disappointing home loss. The team continued to struggle from beyond the arc, and the Bulls were getting to the rim at will. As a result, Chicago took a three-point lead after the first quarter and maintained a one-point lead into the break.

That changed in the third quarter as the Sixers broke out, led by Korkmaz, posting 35 points in the frame and turning the one-point deficit into a 10-point lead. They were able to maintain the advantage throughout the fourth and cruise to an 11-point win.

It was all sparked by a career night from Korkmaz. He came off the bench for a career-high 24 points and a career-high six 3-pointers. Korkmaz added four rebounds and a block, knocking down 8-of-11 from the floor and 6-of-9 from 3. It wasn’t all just 3’s for Korkmaz either. He had an impressive drive to the basket that he finished with an emphatic dunk and knocked down a pretty floater. He also took a charge on Zach LaVine. Just how good was Korkmaz? Consider that he had two 3-pointers taken away, one because the Sixers hilariously had six players on the court and one on a questionable illegal screen call on Al Horford. Also consider that the rest of the Sixers were 3-of-20 from 3.

Korkmaz’s impact can’t be overstated, but he wasn’t alone. Al Horford had a very good game with 20 points, six assists, and five rebounds. Ben Simmons had 20 points as well, adding 11 rebounds and seven assists. Mattise Thybulle chipped in seven points, four rebounds, three blocks, two assists, and two steals.

The Sixers shot 58.4 percent on 2-point attempts and assisted on 30 of their 40 made shots. They only committed 11 turnovers and only allowed 42 second-half points. Philadelphia was also +7 on the glass and piled up nine steals and seven blocks.

It maybe wasn’t the dominant performance you might expect against a team that entered the game with a 15-27 record, but there was a lot to like about the showing. The Sixers improved to 27-16 on the season and 20-2 at home with the victory.

They’ll look to keep things going, and try to find a remedy for their road woes, on Saturday when they travel to Madison Square Garden to take on the Knicks.