After a tough outing earlier this week, the Philadelphia 76ers are back on the hardwood Friday night, opening a five-game road swing in Chicago against a surging Bulls team. The Sixers will be looking to rebound from what was arguably their most disappointing loss of the season - a 114-106 defeat at home to a Brooklyn Nets squad that’s more focused on draft positioning than playoff seeding.
That one stung. Philly let a winnable game slip through their fingers in front of the home crowd, closing out 2025 on a sour note.
But in the NBA, the beauty - and sometimes the curse - is that there’s always another game coming fast. For the Sixers, that next chance comes against a Bulls team that’s starting to find its stride.
Let’s start with the health report, which remains a bit murky for Philadelphia. Illness has been making its way through the locker room, and VJ Edgecombe, Dominick Barlow, and Quentin Grimes are all listed as questionable after missing Wednesday’s game. Kelly Oubre Jr. and Trendon Watford are still sidelined with injuries, and the big question mark remains Joel Embiid.
Embiid is also questionable with right knee injury management. He appeared to tweak the knee during Tuesday’s game - a hyperextension, as he described it postgame.
He briefly exited to the locker room but did return to finish the game. Whether he suits up Friday will likely come down to how that knee responded over the past 48 hours.
The last time these two teams met, back on November 4, it was a gut-punch for Philly. The Sixers led by as many as 24 points and controlled the game for 47 minutes and 56.8 seconds - but the Bulls led when it mattered most: the final 3.2 seconds. That comeback win was one of Chicago’s signature moments this season and a reminder that no lead is safe in today’s NBA.
Fast forward to now, and the Bulls are riding high. Chicago has won four straight heading into Friday’s matchup, a dramatic turnaround after dropping eight of their previous nine. This game kicks off a six-game homestand for the Bulls, who are suddenly playing with confidence and cohesion.
Josh Giddey has been at the heart of Chicago’s recent surge. The 21-year-old is putting up near triple-double numbers - 20.0 points, 9.3 rebounds, and 9.1 assists per game - and doing it efficiently, shooting 40.2% from deep on nearly five attempts a night. He torched the Sixers in their last meeting with a 29-15-12 triple-double, and Philly will need a much better answer for him this time around.
Coby White has also stepped up in a big way. After missing the early part of the season with a calf strain, he’s averaging 21.4 points over 13 games, giving the Bulls another dynamic scoring option. Then there’s Nikola Vucevic - yes, the same Vucevic who was once a Sixers draft pick back in 2011 - still producing in his 15th season with 16.1 points and 9.2 boards a night.
Second-year forward Matas Buzelis is quietly having a breakout campaign. The 21-year-old is averaging 14.3 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks, shooting 50% from the field and 35.6% from three. He’s giving the Bulls valuable minutes on both ends and showing real growth in year two.
Chicago’s style of play is all about tempo and transition. They rank second in the league in pace (104.06) and third in defensive rebounds per game (34.7), which fuels their fast-break attack. If the Sixers aren’t sharp in transition defense, this could get away from them quickly.
That said, Philly has had two full days to rest and regroup. This is a chance to reset, refocus, and reestablish the kind of basketball they’re capable of playing. With a tough matchup against the 26-5 Oklahoma City Thunder looming on Sunday, Friday’s game feels like one the Sixers need to take care of.
It’s not about panic - it’s about pride. This team has shown flashes of being a contender. Now it’s time to show some resolve.