CHICAGO — The Sixers dug themselves out of a hole Sunday night but ultimately dropped another one.
After erasing a 20-point deficit in the third quarter, the Sixers allowed the Bulls to run away again and never caught up for their second straight loss, 121-108, at the United Center. It was the Sixers' 12th straight defeat to Chicago.
Ersan Ilyasova had a season-best 31 points and Robert Covington added 21 and 12 rebounds, as the Sixers dropped to 17-29 in in the fourth game of a five-game, seven-day streak.
The Sixers got as close as 104-99 on Nik Stauskas’ layup with five minutes to play but Chicago answered with two straight baskets to keep their guests at bay. The spurt started an 11-2 Bulls run that put the game away.
The Bulls turned a four-point lead into a 20-point advantage in just four minutes spanning the first and second quarters, but the Sixers kept the game from turning into an early rout.
Covington made three of his four three-point attempts in the second and the Sixers got as close as six before going to intermission down, 67-57.
NBA
They tied the game with a 13-2 streak midway through the third but never could retake the lead. Chicago led, 96-87, at the start of the final period and quickly pushed the edge above the 10-point mark.
Stauskas had 15 points, while T.J. McConnell added 14 and 12 assists.
Jimmy Butler led the Bulls with 28 points and Robin Lopez finished with 21 and 10 boards.
Bench bummer
All five the Sixers' starters reached double figures but the club got precious little from its reserves.
The Bulls’ bench outscored the Sixers’ 49-15, thanks mostly to Nikola Mirotic and Paul Zipser. Mirotic had seven of his 13 in the first quarter and Zipser had 10 of his 13 in the second half.
Doug McDermott added 14 off the bench for the Bulls, who snapped a two-game skid.
Embiid update
The Sixers said rookie Joel Embiid, who was scheduled to miss Sunday’s game as part of a rest regimen, received treatment on the left knee that kept him out of a pair of games last week and will be a game-time decision when they host Sacramento on Monday.
Embiid returned from the two-game absence Friday night and coach Brett Brown said he did not think the team rushed the center back into action.
“It’s more just some soreness,” Brown said before Sunday night’s game against the Bulls. “I think we’ll learn more when we get to Philadelphia.”
Doubled up
Ilyasova saw a streak of 25 straight double-figure games end Friday but got back on track in a big way Sunday night. He was 7 for 9 in the opening 24 minutes for 21 points, the most in a first half by a Sixer this season.
Not tonight
Jahlil Okafor missed his fourth straight game and was a coach’s decision for the second straight night.
Up next
The Sixers return to the Wells Fargo Center on Monday to welcome the Kings. The teams will play a makeup of a Dec. 1 game that was postponed because of moisture on the court. Tip-off is 6 p.m.