The Philadelphia 76ers are rolling, and Monday night’s 126-107 win over the Chicago Bulls was another clean reminder of why they opened the season with contender buzz. Philadelphia moved to 7-1 and stretched its winning streak to four games, with the offense doing the heavy lifting from start to finish.
Tyrese Maxey and Jaylen Brown set the tone immediately. Maxey finished with 26 points and 11 assists, while Brown added 25 points and 11 rebounds. Together, they piled up 51 points and gave the 76ers the kind of top-end production that can bury a team early.
Chicago had a bright spot in rookie Caleb Wilson, who led the Bulls with 24 points, seven rebounds, four assists, and four steals. But even with that kind of all-around line, the Bulls couldn’t keep pace with Philadelphia’s firepower.
The 76ers’ attack never really went quiet. LeBron James put up 15 points, seven rebounds, and nine assists on 6-13 shooting, while Joel Embiid chipped in 15 points, eight rebounds, and three assists.
V.J. Edgecombe was just as important, scoring 21 points with three rebounds and five assists on 9-12 shooting.
Philadelphia came out blasting with 30 points in the first quarter, then followed it with 34 in the second. The pace dipped a bit after halftime, but the 76ers still found another gear in the fourth and finished with 126 points on 48-91 shooting, good for about 53 percent from the field.
Ball movement was a big part of the story, too. Philadelphia had 23 assists in the first half alone, with Maxey and James combining for 14 of them.
The team finished with 36 assists, and even Brown and Edgecombe combined for 10. That kind of sharing made the offense look smooth and in sync.
Edgecombe’s night stood out beyond the box score. After a strong rookie season, he’s had to adjust to a roster loaded with new star talent, and he handled it well on Monday.
He scored 15 points in the first half on a perfect 7-7 shooting in just 17 minutes, then kept making useful plays after the break. His hustle late in the third quarter, when he helped secure another offensive possession, summed up the kind of impact he had all night.
For Nick Nurse’s group, the signs are hard to miss: the stars are producing, the ball is moving, and Edgecombe is fitting right in as a vital piece of the machine.
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