To strengthen their chances of qualifying for the play-in tournament, the Chicago Bulls have won three games in a row and five out of six.
The Bulls will attempt to build on their momentum on Wednesday when they attempt to sweep Philadelphia in a home-and-home series. On Monday, they defeated the defending champion 76ers 109-105 in double overtime.
Although Chicago (34-37) has fluctuated throughout the season, the Bulls’ most recent surge has placed them in 10th place in the Eastern Conference, two games ahead of the Washington Wizards when play begins on Tuesday.
On Monday, the Bulls were led by 26 points from Zach LaVine, who was followed by 25 points from DeMar DeRozan and 21 points from Nikola Vucevic, who also had 12 rebounds.
While Chicago ended Philadelphia’s eight-game winning streak, it prevented Philadelphia (48-23) from securing a playoff spot. Joel Embiid, a candidate for the NBA MVP, had 37 points, 16 rebounds, and three blocks on another great night for the 76ers. He has scored more than 30 points in 10 straight games.
However, Sixers coach Doc Rivers thought that his team’s 10-for-36 shooting from three-point range was costly.
The 76ers had 22 points from Tyrese Maxey, 19 from De’Anthony Melton, and 14 from Tobias Harris. Melton went 5-for-12 from long reach.
However, Philadelphia was inconsistent and committed 21 turnovers.
In his 13 career games against the Bulls, Embiid lost for the first time on Monday. On January 6, he missed the 126-112 home loss to Chicago.
The Bulls could win the series against the 76ers on Wednesday with a victory. Since 2016-17, Chicago has not won the season series against Philadelphia.
In his last five games against Philadelphia, LaVine is averaging 28.6 points per game, and Vucevic is averaging 16.3 rebounds per game this season against the 76ers.
According to Donovan, the Bulls’ recent resilience can be attributed to an improvement in the team’s energy and communication during huddles.
On Monday, Javonte Green returned to the Chicago Bulls’ lineup. After recovering from knee surgery, the small forward played nine minutes in his first game since December 31.
Philadelphia’s James Harden had a bad game, scoring five points on 2-for-14 shooting. Harden, according to Rivers, was troubled by an injured foot.
