Sixers - Bulls Preview: Philadelphia looks to keep rolling over undermanned Chicago
Coming off of an exciting but too close for comfort win, Philadelphia travels to Chicago on the second night of a back-to-back. Here are some things to watch during the game, which starts at 9:00 PM EST.
Load Management
The Sixers went into overtime last night versus the Spurs and played their starters deep into the game. Their entire starting unit played at least 34 minutes, and it’s important to keep those guys fresh for the playoffs. Look for guys like Tyrese Maxey, Shake Milton, Dwight Howard, and Anthony Tolliver to get more time than usual, in the name of keeping guys like Joel Embiid effective for when it matters most.
The Bulls Woes
After their acquisition of Nikola Vucevic at the trade deadline, it seemed like the Bulls were making a playoff push after shuffling their lineup. But recently they’ve lost their footing. They’re 7-14 since the trade deadline, and recently dropped 4 of 5 while struggling to reach 100 points in their games. As a result, they’re on the very edge of the play-in race and every game is huge for them. Even with Vucevic and All-Star Zach Lavine in and out of their lineup, Chicago is in the bottom half of the league in offensive rating, defensive rating, and net rating. The Sixers starters should only have to play around 20 minutes before handing the keys to the young guys and letting them ride it out for the win.
The Race for #1
After the Bucks toppled the Nets on Sunday, the Sixers control their own destiny when it comes to playoff seeding. If Philly wins out, they hold home-court advantage in the East and can avoid Milwaukee and Brooklyn until the conference finals. But if the Sixers drop a game, the Nets and the Bucks play each other on Tuesday night, which will be a game with huge implications for the playoff picture. Either way, the Sixers can’t afford to count on other teams, and it’s important for them to do what they should and win this game, even if the starters have to play longer than we might hope.
Injury Updates
Mike Scott will be out Monday night due to a hip injury
Chicago will be without Adam Mokoka (head) and Troy Brown Jr. (ankle)
The status of Zach Lavine (health and safety protocols) and Nikola Vucevic (groin) are in doubt
Who’s Hot and Who’s Not?
(🔥) Seth Curry has shot 58.1% from three over his past 9 games
(🔥) Dwight Howard has grabbed 9.4 rebounds in only 18 minutes of action over the past 5 contests
(🔥) Tyrese Maxey has gotten an increase in playing time over the past 5 games (14.4 minutes per game) and he’s averaged 9.6 points and two assists in that time
(🧊) The Bulls have turned the ball over a staggering 72 times in their last 5 games
(🧊) Chicago is only making 10 threes over its past 5 outings, which over a full season would be 29th in the league
(🧊) Since April 27th, Coby White has shot just 36.4% from the field
Projected Starting Lineups:
Philadelphia 76ers:
PG – Ben Simmons
SG – Seth Curry
SF – Danny Green
PF – Tobias Harris
C – Joel Embiid
Chicago Bulls
PG – Coby White
SG – Garrett Temple
SF – Patrick Williams
PF – Thaddeus Young
C – Daniel Theis
Game Information
Game Start: 9:00 PM EST
Where to Watch: NBC Sports Philadelphia