The Philadelphia 76ers held on for a 127-121 win against the Bulls in Chicago. LeBron James scored a season-high 22 points, while Jaylen Brown and Tyrese Maxey combined for 56 as the Sixers improved to an impressive 9-2 on the season — 5-1 on the road — after wrapping up a three-game road trip.
Here are the biggest takeaways:
Early on, the Sixers couldn't stop a middling Bulls offense missing Norm Powell, one of its top scorers, thanks to poor decision-making on both ends and lapses in awareness. They looked like anything but the top-five defensive unit they entered the game as. After letting Chicago build an early lead, the Sixers began to find their footing, using a late first-quarter run to escape the period with a one-point lead.
After a passive first quarter, LeBron changed gears in the second, playing with far more aggression and leveraging his physicality and strength against the young Bulls. He scored 13 of his season-high 22 points in the second quarter, giving the Sixers a seven-point lead to work with in the second half.
Chicago went on a run early in the third to even the game, but from there, the starters began to find a rhythm.
VJ Edgecombe kicked the ball out to Maxey for a three after drawing in his defender on a drive. Maxey found plenty of open looks against Chicago, both in transition and while playing off his star teammates in the half court. Six of his nine made shots came off looks created by the other starters, an encouraging sign of developing offensive chemistry.
Coming into the season, getting Maxey more off-ball looks was one of the primary expectations for the offense, but the Sixers' half-court offense has been stagnant more often than not, so they haven't been able to capitalize on those opportunities consistently. The level of competition has to be considered, but any progress in the half court is a positive.
Edgecombe continued to contribute in different ways and has shown real improvement in his understanding and feel for the game. His ability to read and react to defenders has improved considerably, and his outside shot has looked more consistent, which is more important than ever as the Sixers try to figure out their half-court struggles.
Edgecombe is now shooting nearly 39 percent from three through 11 games. He still has room to grow, especially as a facilitator, but the Sixers' star additions certainly haven't kept him from developing.
All the while, Jaylen Brown kept plugging away as he has all season. Punishing defenders on his way to the basket and fighting on both ends, Brown has his momentary lapses but once again came through for his team with 29 points, seven rebounds and four assists. His style isn't exactly smooth, but it's direct and adds a certain je ne sais quoi that the Sixers have missed since Jimmy Butler.
While four of the five starters largely played well, Embiid once again struggled to get into a rhythm. Unlike in their matchup against Cleveland, he was engaged but still looked uncomfortable throughout the game.
To his credit, Embiid battled for rebounds and found cutting teammates, but he appears to be overthinking his shot selection rather than letting the offense come naturally. He's struggled to shoot from range to start the season, hitting just three of his 30 attempts.
He front-rimmed his first attempt and looked passive beyond the arc after that. His only other attempt came after he failed to draw a foul on a rip-through, lost the ball and had no choice but to hoist up a three with the shot clock running out. Embiid scored 18 points but looked disjointed offensively more often than not.
Good teams will prevent Embiid from getting to his preferred spots. Against the 1-9 Bulls, it was far more about his own discomfort in the offense than Chicago making him uncomfortable. Watching Embiid, it's fair to wonder how much of his lingering plantar fasciitis is affecting him.
He's discussed the discomfort, but if he's going to take the court, he needs to find a way to adapt. That burden also falls on Nick Nurse, who can't simply rely on the offense finding its rhythm without making adjustments. Using Embiid more as a facilitator or screener when his jumper isn't falling could help simplify his role while allowing the other stars to generate offense.
The Sixers return to Philly for a Tuesday night matchup against the Boston Celtics, expected to be the first game Jaylen Brown plays against his former team while Paul George makes his return to Xfinity Mobile Arena.
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