The 76ers (25-12) faced an uphill battle Thursday in Chicago, but met the challenge mightily.
In their first game since the All-Star Break, on the road, significantly shorthanded, the Sixers topped the Bulls, 127-105.
In the absence of Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid (health and safety protocols), Tony Bradley and Matisse Thybulle stepped into the starting lineup, and came up big - each finishing in double-figures, and neither missing a single shot.
Seven Sixers finished in double figures, as the team shot 51.5% from the field, and forced 19 Chicago turnovers.
In his first game since Feb. 5, Lauri Markkanen led the way for the Bulls, finishing with 23 points and four rebounds. All-Star Zach LaVine, guarded primarily by Thybulle, shot 7-for-16 from the field, finishing with 19 points.
Key Contributors
-
Tobias Harris
-
Harris finished with a game-high 24 points, plus three rebounds and four assists. He shot 8-for-15 from the field, and 7-for-8 from the foul line.
-
Tony Bradley
-
Bradley shot a perfect 7-for-7 from the field, resulting in 14 points, along with five rebounds and three blocks in his 22 minutes.
-
Matisse Thybulle
-
Thybulle hit all five of his shots, including a flawless 3-for-3 from deep. He also tied his career-high five steals and grabbed four rebounds in 28 minutes of play.
-
Thybulle out-stole the Bulls, 5-3.
-
Dwight Howard
-
Howard led the bench unit with an 18-point, 12-rebound double-double, plus two blocks. He shot 8-for-12 from the field.
-
Howard praised his teammates’ togetherness and fight postgame:
-
“I think [the win] shows how deep we are as a team, and how connected we are. We believe in each other.”
-
Furkan Korkmaz
-
Korkmaz tallied 16 points, plus four assists and three steals.
Quote to Note:
Bradley felt a little bit like a certain All-Star tonight.
Up Next:
The Sixers will play the second half of their back-to-back Friday in Washington, visiting the Wizards for the first time this season.
The Sixers won both of their first two meetings with the Wizards (both at The Center), 113-107 on Opening Night, and 141-136 on Jan. 6.
Bradley Beal leads the Wizards in scoring this season, averaging 32.5 points per game (1st in NBA), plus 5.4 rebounds and 4.7 assists.
The Wizards dropped their first game back since the break, falling to Memphis, 127-112, on Wednesday.
Friday’s contest tips at 8:00 p.m. ET.