Observations: Shorthanded 76ers rout Bulls in 2nd half opener

Share

The Bulls (16-19) opened the second half of the season with a 127-105 drubbing at the hands of the Philadelphia 76ers (25-12).

Here are 15 observations:

1. Lauri Markkanen and Otto Porter Jr. both made returns from extended injury absences in the Bulls' first game out of the All-Star break. Markkanen missed 13 games dating back to Feb. 5 with a shoulder sprain. Porter missed 13 games dating back to Feb. 3 with lower back spasms.

2. That made the Bulls about as whole as they have been all season, especially with Chandler Hutchison (who has been out since Feb. 6 for personal reasons) dressed and technically active.

3. The 76ers, meanwhile, played without Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons due to contact tracing stemming from close contact with their barber during the All-Star break. (Simmons missed these teams' matchup on Feb. 19, while Embiid dropped a career-high 50 points.)

4. Billy Donovan cracked after Wednesday night's practice that the Bulls looked a little rusty in their first post-All-Star break action. That bled into this one, as the team committed a season-high seven first-quarter turnovers (off which the 76ers scored 9 points). Many of those cough-ups were sloppy, but this emblematic miscommunication was the worst:

By the break, they had 10 turnovers (off which the 76ers scored 13 points). By night's end: 19 turnovers (24 points off), well above even the Bulls' 29th-ranked 16 turnover per game average entering play. Rust, carelessness and Philadelphia's bothersome length and physicality all played parts.

5. The Bulls did catch fire in the second, shooting 8-for-15 from 3-point range in the period to trim a 12-point deficit to, at one point, as few as two. Coby White contributed three of those 3s and entered the break the game's leading scorer with 15.

6. Matisse Thybulle was a massive part of the Bulls' offensive chaos. He swiped 4 steals in the first four-and-a-half minutes of the game, finishing with 5 and countless deflections. He also scored 11 points and hit three 3s in the third quarter as the 76ers lead began to balloon.

7. Thad Young kept the Bulls afloat with 10 points, 4 offensive rebounds and a block in the third quarter. The Bulls finished with 14 second-chance points in that period, but trailed by 12 entering the fourth.

8. The 76ers owned the interior all night. Without Embiid, they finished with 78 points in the paint, a season high for a Bulls opponent, and 23 second-chance points (13 offensive rebounds). Tony Bradley, starting in Embiid's place, notched 14 points (7-for-7) and 3 blocks; Dwight Howard rolled to 18 points, 12 rebounds and 2 blocks.

RELATED: Bulls defense takes 'major steps backwards' in dud vs. 76ers

9. Markkanen, at least, re-entered the starting lineup and looked sharp early on. He notched 14 points on 5-for-6 shooting (4-for-4 3P) in the first half -- his one 2-point make was a twisting drive, and his 3s came mostly on catch-and-shoots and flying off screens.

His impact waned as the contest became uncompetitive, but he buried three 3s in the second half to finish with his seventh 20-point game of the season. The ancillary elements left something to be desired -- 4 rebounds, no free-throw attempts, multiple bad defensive moments -- but Markkanen ended the night a perfect 7-for-7 from 3-point range and with 23 points in 28 minutes. 

10. LaVine's streak of 21 consecutive 20-point games was snapped. LaVine notched 19 points (7-for-16 shooting) and 7 assists, but never really got going. He contributed 4 of the Bulls' turnovers.

11. Wendell Carter Jr. ended the first quarter the Bulls' leading scorer with 6 points, but picked up his third foul early in the second. That derailed him. He played just 15 minutes and shot 3-for-8.

12. Porter's return was less inspiring than Markkanen's. He played 18 minutes and shot 1-for-6.

13. Tobias Harris led the scoring attack for Philadelphia with 24 points; 21 of those came between the second and third quarters.

14. Donovan rode an 11-man rotation in the minutes that mattered. Daniel Gafford and Luke Kornet garnered spot minutes, while Denzel Valentine didn't see the floor until the game was out of reach.

15. This result, which was all but decided early in the fourth quarter, is a bad, bad loss to a shorthanded 76ers squad. It moves the Bulls to 16-19 and 4-13 against teams with .500 records or better -- though this iteration of the 76ers didn't feel look like one on paper.

It doesn't get easier from here for the Bulls, with seven games in 11 nights ahead and some tough competition.

Next up: Home for the Miami Heat Friday night.

Click here to subscribe to the Bulls Talk Podcast for free.

 

Contact Us