Sixers record ‘professional win’ and rare respite vs. Bulls after early season full of fireworks
In a season already full of immense attention, supercharged arenas, and a slew of comebacks and down-to-the-wire finishes, this felt like the closest thing to a “normal” night for the Sixers.
LeBron James chucked a slick pass to VJ Edgecombe, who stood nearly a full court away as he picked the ball up off one bounce and threw down the one-handed dunk.
It was another highlight moment for this star-studded 76ers roster, this time as part of an early push-the-pace strike against the overmatched Chicago Bulls. Yet in a season already full of immense attention, tangibly supercharged arena environments at home and on the road, and a slew of comebacks and down-to-the-wire finishes, this felt like the closest thing to a “normal” Monday night in the NBA for the Sixers.
They handled business against an inferior opponent in a 126-107 victory at Xfinity Mobile Arena, putting it in that category coach Nick Nurse refers to as “professional wins.”
“A lot of these teams play a way that’s a little scary,” Nurse said of such on-paper mismatches. “It’s fast and it’s furious and lots of threes. … They’re not easy games, and I’m glad we handled it professionally tonight.”
» READ MORE: Jaylen Brown and Tyrese Maxey lead the way as Sixers beat the Chicago Bulls, 126-107, and improve to 7-1
Monday was a sharp contrast to the bulk of the Sixers’ first two-plus weeks, a mostly dizzying road that has yielded a 7-1 record. Six of their first seven games fell into the “clutch” category, when the scoring margin was within five points with five minutes or less to play. The Sixers won all six, doubling the total of any other team in the league entering Monday. Their only loss so far was to the Detroit Pistons, on the second night of a back-to-back, in a game played without former NBA Most Valuable Player Joel Embiid and Edgecombe.
Remembering the quality of Monday’s opponent is critical. The 1-6 Bulls, with a first-year coaching staff and front office, are now in a full rebuild and expected to finish near the bottom of the Eastern Conference. The development of fourth overall draft pick Caleb Wilson, who totaled 24 points and four steals Monday, and Matas Buzelis, who had four points and five turnovers, is far more important than win total.
So the Sixers deliberately and immediately kicked the ball ahead in transition, with the dynamic Edgecombe accounting for a significant portion of their 29 fastbreak points. They recorded 23 assists on their first 25 baskets and finished the night with a season-high 26 helpers, propelling all five starters to record at least 15 points. They soundly squashed the Bulls’ mini push at the start of the third quarter, eventually increasing their lead to 22 points in garbage time. And Tyrese Maxey, the NBA’s third-leading scorer, amassed 15 of his 26 points in the fourth quarter.
The Sixers’ sample size remains small.
Embiid lamented that the Sixers “haven’t been as good as we should be” offensively — they exited Monday ranked 19th in the NBA in efficiency (110.6 points allowed per 100 possessions) — but maintained the “intent” to efficiently blend has been sound, with four players with vast experience as their team’s leading scorer. Backup center remains a glaring issue, with the Bulls’ second-quarter surge aligning with Adem Bona’s minutes and Dean Wade replacing Bona after he picked up his fifth foul with about five minutes remaining.
» READ MORE: Longtime Sixers fan Troy Clemons shares a memorable moment, and his drink, with LeBron James
Even the most routine night was not completely free of a couple eyebrow raises, with Embiid and All-NBA wing Jaylen Brown discussed playing through discomfort in their foot and knee, respectively. And the road makes another challenging shift later this week, on the season’s first true road trip. That begins with rematches against the Pistons and Cavaliers, whom the Sixers rallied from 29 points down to beat in their Oct. 22 home opener.
Still, the Sixers are 7-1. The hot start runs counter to when James has typically switched teams, and the clunkiness of the figuring-it-out process was reflected in the early-season record.
And in a deep East, every win matters.
The thrilling comebacks in front of a wild crowd.
And the professional win that felt most like a “normal” Monday in the NBA.
“It feels kind of good to just kind of blow a team out,” Embiid said. “It’s good for guys’ legs. It’s good for the morale of the team.”
Inquirer beat reporters Gina Mizell and Chris Hine go behind the scenes of covering LeBron James, Jaylen Brown and the Sixers’ star-studded roster, and debate what’s real and not real about the team’s hot start. Watch here.
Watch the full interview below and subscribe to the Sixers Extra podcast on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.
