Sunday, November 8, 2026
55 ° Mostly Cloudy
55 ° Mostly Cloudy
The Philadelphia 76ers are in Chicago to take on the Bulls for the second time in a week, looking to rebound from a disappointing 119-95 loss to the Cavaliers on Friday. The Bulls have lost six straight games but should be well-rested, having last played in a 135-105 blowout loss to the Knicks on Wednesday. Both teams will be looking to get back into the win column, though the Sixers should have the advantage.
Who: Philadelphia 76ers (8-2) at Chicago Bulls (1-7)
When: 3:30 p.m. EST
Where: United Center, Chicago, Illinois
Watch: NBC Sports Philadelphia, NBA League Pass
The Sixers arrived in Cleveland on a five-game winning streak and, after their miraculous comeback against the Cavaliers just two weeks earlier, had to feel confident they could extend it. Cleveland, which had blown out Philadelphia in the first half of their previous meeting, started much the same way and never took its foot off the gas.
The Sixers, for their part, couldn't get much right, losing the battles on the boards, in assists, turnovers and points in the paint. The list goes on. It was easily their worst performance of the young season.
While VJ Edgecombe and Jaylen Brown played well for the most part, combining for 39 points on 17-of-32 shooting, Brown was just 2-of-9 from three-point range. Meanwhile, Joel Embiid and LeBron James combined for 14 points, shooting just 3-of-21 from the field and 0-of-6 from beyond the arc. It was arguably one of the worst performances of Embiid's career, raising questions about whether his lingering plantar fasciitis played a role.
The Sixers are among the worst three-point shooting teams in the league at just 33.3 percent, yet they continue to fire away. Too often, they're rushing attempts or forcing shots instead of looking for better opportunities inside the arc. It's costing them points.
It's on head coach Nick Nurse to find a way out of this, as the Sixers are 10 games into the season and don't seem to be improving in that area. Working the ball inside, attacking driving lanes and drawing fouls could help address some of those issues while creating more efficient scoring opportunities.
The Bulls have struggled to find consistency early this season, particularly on the offensive end. They're in the middle of the league in scoring and rebounding but rank last in three-point shooting and 29th in field goal percentage. Chicago is also one of five teams with just one win.
Norman Powell has been one of the team's more experienced offensive contributors, but the Bulls have struggled to find consistent production throughout their lineup.
Chicago hasn't played since being blown out by the Knicks, 135-105, on Wednesday night, its sixth consecutive loss. The Bulls shot just 22.7 percent from three-point range and 38.5 percent from the field. The Knicks, the defending NBA champions, are a very good team, but Chicago struggled on both ends of the floor.
The Bulls' future rests largely with young players like Caleb Wilson and Matas Buzelis, along with players in their mid-20s such as Josh Giddey, Jalen Smith and Tre Jones. Their development will be important as Chicago looks to establish a more competitive foundation, particularly with limited future draft capital.
The biggest question today is how the Sixers respond after being blown out by the Cavaliers. This is the first real adversity the team has faced in the early stages of the season.
Based on how both teams have performed so far, Philadelphia has an opportunity to bounce back in a big way. The Bulls have the league's worst defense, allowing 129.6 points per game, and the Sixers would be wise to take advantage of that both inside and outside the paint.
This is a game in which Nurse should be able to utilize a steady rotation, giving Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Anfernee Simons and Dean Wade extended minutes while mixing in opportunities for Labaron Philon and Justin Edwards.
The Sixers are near the bottom of the league in bench scoring, despite improved depth being one of the touted benefits of their offseason moves. Four players rank among the top 50 in minutes per game, with Tyrese Maxey and Brown in the top 10.
Getting back into a familiar flow, applying defensive pressure and pushing the pace for easy baskets in transition should be priorities. That would allow LeBron James to create opportunities for Maxey, Brown and Edgecombe throughout the game.
Ball movement and getting squared up on three-point attempts should also be priorities, both today and moving forward. The Sixers have capable shooters who simply aren't hitting their marks consistently, and a matchup against the struggling Bulls could provide an opportunity to get back on track.
Sixers 127, Bulls 96
MORE: Latest Sixers news, analysis and more
Follow Philly Sports Network on Twitter for the latest in Philly sports.
