The Sixers are 7-1, and Monday night’s 126-107 win over the Bulls at Xfinity Mobile Arena showed exactly why they’ve sprinted to the top of the East.
They got scoring from everywhere. All five starters finished in double figures, with Tyrese Maxey leading the way with 26 points on 10-for-15 shooting and 11 assists.
Jaylen Brown added a season-high 25 points and 11 rebounds, VJ Edgecombe scored 21 for a new season best, and LeBron James chipped in 15 points, nine assists and seven boards. On the other side, Bulls rookie Caleb Wilson put up 24 points and seven rebounds.
Joel Embiid was available after being listed as questionable with what the team called “right foot plantar fascia injury management.” He had sat out Saturday’s win over the Hornets on the second night of a back-to-back. Embiid finished with 15 points and eight rebounds in 25 minutes.
Before the game, Nick Nurse explained the situation this way: “Plantar is a little bit of a come and go type of thing,” Sixers head coach Nick Nurse told reporters pregame. “They’re just trying to manage it.
It’s very painful, if you’ve ever had it. It can kind of come and go out of nowhere.
So we’re just trying to manage the pain with that, be as smart as we can.”
Nurse also said Dominick Barlow is scheduled to see a specialist Tuesday for the back injury that has kept him out to start the season.
“He’s been on court a little bit … not a ton of moving around,” Nurse said. “I think they want to get to tomorrow’s appointment. Hopefully, it’ll be positive and we can get into his workouts a little bit.”
The Sixers now turn to a three-game road trip that begins Wednesday in Detroit.
The tone was set early, and it was set in transition. After Embiid disrupted a Bulls pick-and-roll, Maxey jumped Matas Buzelis’ rushed pass, and James finished the break with the team’s first basket.
Soon after, James grabbed a defensive rebound, the Sixers pushed again, and Edgecombe hammered home a dunk. That sequence helped the Sixers score six quick fast-break points and forced Chicago into an early timeout.
Edgecombe kept flying. He had a dunk-heavy opening quarter, including a second slam after Dean Wade came up with a steal and fed him in stride.
That bucket pushed Philadelphia ahead 22-13. Through the first quarter, Edgecombe had 11 points on perfect 5-for-5 shooting, and over the first seven games of the season he had averaged 11.3 points.
The Bulls found some life in the second quarter, and Bona’s struggles were part of it. He missed a dunk early in the period, then watched Jalen Smith bury a three seconds later.
Bona remained the main backup center, but the first half was rough for him overall. He had been strong in the win over the Bucks, when he posted six points, 13 rebounds and three blocks, but otherwise his season has been short on bright spots.
Nurse may have options to consider, including Jabari Walker, who played well Saturday in Charlotte, or even James at the five.
Chicago took advantage during Bona’s first stint, outscoring the Sixers by eight and trimming the margin to 40-38. The Bulls then briefly moved ahead on a three from former Sixer Buddy Hield.
Philadelphia answered before halftime. Maxey and James were both sharp as playmakers, combining for 14 assists and only three turnovers in the first half. One of James’ passes found Wade in the corner for a three that put the Sixers up 60-52.
The gap widened again after halftime. Embiid knocked down a fadeaway in the third quarter, and James followed with two lay-ins to stretch the lead to 17.
Chicago got it back to 11 by the start of the fourth, but the Sixers never looked in real danger. Wade opened the final period at center with Bona in foul trouble, and after Bona picked up his fifth, he went back to the bench.
Embiid did not need to play in the fourth and logged just 25 minutes.
The Bulls shaved the margin to eight, but they never had enough shooting to truly threaten. Chicago finished at 27 percent from three-point range and couldn’t generate enough offense to make the comeback matter.
For the Sixers, the result was another clean step forward. For the Bulls, now 1-6, it was a reminder that they’re not in the same class right now. And when Tuesday morning arrives, Philadelphia will be sitting alone at the top of the Eastern Conference standings.
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