Chicago Bulls vs. Philadelphia 76ers NBA game preview, Digi Mart USA News: The Philadelphia 76ers will head to the United Center with a bad taste in their mouth, which could be bad news for the Chicago Bulls. In their Friday night NBA Cup matchup, Philly was run off the floor by the Cleveland Cavaliers, with Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley combining for 45 points in a 119-95 victory.
It marked only the second loss of the season for the 76ers.
As for the Bulls, they are still looking for their second win of the year. They have dropped six straight games and have looked completely lost on both ends of the floor.
Philadelphia already took advantage of that once, beating Chicago 126-107 earlier this week.
In all fairness to the Bulls, their last meeting with the 76ers was one of their most competitive of the season. Tiago Splitter and company were within striking distance for most of the night, but it became clear Chicago would not pull off the upset once a veteran-laden Philadelphia squad shot 61.9 percent in the fourth quarter.
Chicago’s athleticism stood out against an older 76ers lineup, and the Bulls forced their way into the paint and reached the free throw line for 32 attempts, though they made only 21 of those shots. The group also finished with 25 fastbreak points.
The 76ers have not been known for their rebounding early this season, sitting in the bottom half of the league in that department, and Chicago took advantage earlier this week. While the Bulls did not win the rebounding battle overall, they grabbed 13 offensive rebounds and won the second-chance points category 20-17.
With Nic Claxton back in the fold and Philadelphia missing backup big man Adem Bona, rebounding could again be a key category to watch.
On an individual level, this is a big day for rookie Caleb Wilson. He had his worst outing yet against the New York Knicks on Wednesday night, scoring five points and playing a season-low 22 minutes.
Visible frustration boiled over in the third quarter, prompting Splitter to pull him from the game, and Wilson did not return. The 20-year-old now has the chance to bounce back.
In the earlier meeting with Philadelphia, Wilson scored 24 points on 9-of-17 shooting from the field, and the Bulls will need a similar performance if they hope to end their skid.
Who: Philadelphia 76ers (8-2) at Chicago Bulls (1-7). Where: United Center.
When: 2:30 PM CT. Watch: Chicago Sports Network.
Listen: 104.3 FM The Score.
Projected starters for Chicago: Josh Giddey, Norman Powell, Matas Buzelis, Caleb Wilson and Jalen Smith. Projected starters for Philadelphia: Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe, Jaylen Brown, LeBron James and Joel Embiid.
Injury report: Chicago – Jalen Smith (finger) probable; Nic Claxton (hamstring) questionable; Tobe Awaka (MCL) questionable; Norman Powell (shoulder) out; Dailyn Swain (disc) out; Zach Collins (illness) out. Philadelphia – Joel Embiid (foot) probable; Dominick Barlow (back) out; Adem Bona (spine) out; Ariel Hukporti (Achilles) out.
