LeBron James scores season-high 22 points, wakes up Sixers in 127-121 win against the Bulls
James recovered from his worst game of the season against the Cavaliers on Friday to help a slow start to Sunday's game in Chicago. Jaylen Brown added 29, while Tyrese Maxey scored 27.
CHICAGO — LeBron James had his eyes trained on finding teammates to start Sunday’s matinee here in Chicago — so much so that he almost appeared passive.
That changed in the second quarter. James took the temperature of his team and took it upon himself to force the issue, leaning into the physical advantage he still possesses even at 41 years old. James played bully ball, scoring twice at the rim and making two trips to the free-throw line. He capped that run with a three-pointer, successfully waking up the Sixers after a slow start to their 127-121 win against the Bulls.
It was a rare instance of James taking the bull by the horns this season. James scored a season-high 22 points and added five rebounds and five assists after previously being content to play the facilitator role. Yet he turned back the clock when the Sixers needed him and recovered from his worst game of the season against the Cavaliers on Friday, when his struggles — eight points on 3-of-12 shooting — dampened a hometown coronation. With his first three-point make of the game, James surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (1,895) for the most points scored against Chicago. He is now up to 1,916 career points against the Bulls.
Jaylen Brown added 29 points, seven rebounds and four assists, Tyrese Maxey posted 27 points and seven assists after a quiet first half, and Joel Embiid added 18 points and 10 rebounds despite struggling with his shot once again. That trio of Sixers stars closed out the Bulls down the stretch.
Embiid’s confidence
Embiid has suffered his share of injuries over the years. One thing that never appeared broken was his spirit.
But after admitting it’s hard “not look at yourself and be down” during his shooting slump, Embiid spent the final moments before the start of Sunday’s game shooting in the dark during pregame warmups. When the game started, Embiid passed up two wide-open three-pointers in the first quarter and missed another.
Embiid opened up the game a little in the second quarter. He knocked down a midrange jumper, forced the issue on a put back and finished the half with 15 points on 5-of-12 shooting. Embiid struggled in the second half as a defender and passer.
The numbers were solid but his performance didn’t feel like the dominant stuff of old.
Sixers rebounding
Sixers coach Nick Nurse lamented his team’s rebounding woes in the first week of the season. Maxey added that his team needed to show more fight amid injuries to big men Dominick Barlow and Adem Bona. They were also down Ariel Hukporti, who suffered a torn Achilles in the first preseason game of the season. The Sixers still aren’t among the league’s best rebounders. At 42.3 per game, they sat at 22nd entering Sunday’s games and were the worst offensive rebounding team in the league with 9.5 per contest.
The Sixers made meaningful steps in the right direction against the Bulls. They posted 26 second-chance points in the first half off 14 offensive rebounds. The Sixers then flexed their lineup to close the half and keep playing up their physical advantage on the smaller Bulls, bringing James back in to a group that included Embiid and Dean Wade. Jabari Walker was a plus-player in this category as well, posting nine points and 11 rebounds in 19 minutes as Embiid’s backup.
Of course, that didn’t stop the Bulls’ Jalen Smith from feasting on the Sixers’ defense. He posted 17 points and eight rebounds, including 10 in the first quarter.
