76ers Visit Bulls in Key Eastern Conference Clash
Philly on Two-Game Slide
The Philadelphia 76ers try to avoid a third straight loss when they take on the Chicago Bulls on Sunday in a battle of two of the top contenders in the Eastern Conference. The opening tip for this contest is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. ET at United Center in Chicago.
Philadelphia is coming off a road loss to the Dallas Mavericks on Friday night, dropping its away record to 17-10. The 76ers are atop the Atlantic Division standings at 31-21, leading the second-place Brooklyn Nets by two games and Toronto Raptors by 2½ games.

The Bulls won on the road on Friday night, topping the Indiana Pacers for their third win in four games. Chicago is 33-19 and leads the Central Division by a game over the second-place Milwaukee Bucks and 1½ games over the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The NBA lines for this game have the 76ers as two-point favorites on the road, while the over/under has been set at 220 if you want to make that bet online.
Blown Opportunity
The 76ers would be closer to the top of the Eastern Conference standings if they hadn’t blown a 16-point, second-quarter lead to the Mavericks on Friday night. Dallas outscored Philadelphia 54-35 after halftime despite missing two starters due to injuries.
“We should have really blown them out,” Philadelphia center Joel Embiid after Friday’s loss. “We gave them life.”
Embiid, as usual, did his part, recording his 23rd double-double in 40 games with 27 points and 13 rebounds. Embiid is making a case for his first NBA MVP award, averaging a league-leading 29.0 points per game as well as 10.9 rebounds (ninth in the NBA) and 4.4 assists per contest.
Forward Tobias Harris is quietly one of the most steady players in the NBA, averaging 18.8 points and 7.3 rebounds but garnering little support for an All-Star berth. Harris did have a bit of an off-night against Dallas, finishing with 13 points, but he should be back in form for this one.
As the Ben Simmons saga seems to drag on throughout the season, second-year guard Tyrese Maxey has stepped into the starting point guard role and handled it well. Maxey is averaging a team-best 4.8 assists per game while also ranking third on the 76ers with 16.9 points per game. Maxey brings the team a lot of energy, and he should have quite a battle with the Bulls’ backcourt on Sunday.
Cruising Along
The Bulls have been handling a myriad of injuries without much trouble, thanks in part to the depth of the team. It also helps to have forward DeMar DeRozan playing at an All-Star level and leading the team both on and off the floor.
DeRozan is scoring 26.6 points per game to rank fourth in the NBA. The 32-year-old is also dishing out 5.1 assists and grabbing 5.1 rebounds per game and gives his teammates confidence down the stretch of close contests.
Guard Zach LaVine is questionable for Sunday’s game with some back issues that kept him out of Friday night’s win over Indiana. LaVine did play 42 minutes in an overtime loss to Toronto on Thursday night, though he managed just 15 points while dishing out seven assists. LaVine is averaging 24.7 points and 4.3 assists as a solid second part of the Bulls’ 1-2 scoring punch.
Center Nikola Vucevic has struggled against Embiid and the 76ers this season, averaging just 7.5 points and 10.5 rebounds per game in two losses. Overall, Vucevic has averaged 17.5 points and 11.7 rebounds, but he’s had more work trying to defend Embiid in those contests.
Bulls Earn Win
Chicago has dropped the first two meetings between these clubs, though both occurred in the first month of the campaign, as the Bulls were still coming together with their new acquisitions. Embiid may get his, but it will be Chicago coming out on top in this one.
When doing your NBA betting, take Chicago to get the win at home.