Josh Giddey gave the Chicago Bulls a much-needed jolt on Sunday, even if the result still came out the same. Chicago dropped its seventh straight game, falling 127-121 to the Philadelphia 76ers and slipping to 1-8, but the Bulls pushed the star-heavy opponent until the end and got contributions from everyone who played.
Giddey was the clear headliner. He posted 19 points and 15 assists, a double-double that stood out because of how much the playmaking popped after a rough start to the season following a left wrist injury in the opening preseason game against the Phoenix Suns. After the game, head coach Tiago Splitter summed it up simply: “He was the Josh that we know,” Splitter said.
Tiago Splitter on Josh Giddey dishing out 15 assists:
— Zachary Draves (@DravesZachary) November 8, 2026
"He was the Josh that we know"
Chicago needed that version of Giddey, and it got more than just one strong performance. Every Bulls player who checked in scored, a rare full-team spread that kept the game competitive against a Philadelphia group featuring LeBron James, Jaylen Brown, Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, and VJ Edgecombe.
Matas Buzelis matched Giddey with 19 points and added five rebounds. Caleb Wilson chipped in 18 points and five rebounds, while Jalen Smith finished with 17 points and eight rebounds. Issac Okoro, starting in place of the injured Norman Powell, added 12 points and went 4-for-5 from the field.
The bench did its part too. Noa Essengue scored 10 points and grabbed seven rebounds, Jordan Hawkins had 9 points, Patrick Williams finished with 7, Tre Jones added 6, and Nic Claxton contributed 4 points and four rebounds in his season debut.
Giddey’s season numbers now sit at 9.3 points and 4.6 rebounds per game. The Bulls will be back home Wednesday, November 8, when they host the San Antonio Spurs at 7:00 pm CST/8:00 pm EST.
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The problem was that Philadelphia kept finding answers, with Jaylen Brown pouring in 29 points and Tyrese Maxey adding 27 in a game the Bulls never quite got under control. Chicago stayed within striking distance, but the kind of late-game push it needed never fully materialized, leaving another frustrating loss to sort through as the skid keeps dragging on. [Read more 🡒]