Despite holding a 24-point lead in the first half, the Philadelphia 76ers (5-2) fell 113-111 to the Chicago Bulls (6-1) on Tuesday night at United Center. Philadelphia managed to escape defensive woes and third-quarter woes throughout the early part of the season. However, these issues caused the 76ers to post their biggest loss of the new year.
Defensive deficiencies
Philadelphia exploded for 45 points in the first quarter and amid the offensive fireworks, the defensive performance was an afterthought. But when the offense dried up, fans quickly remembered this fatal mistake.
The Bulls outscored the 76ers 57-36 in the second half en route to a miraculous comeback victory. Chicago has destroyed Philadelphia’s defense with its run-and-gun style of play, which has led to a top-five offensive rating in the NBA. Simply put, the Bulls are not a team where opponents can take their foot off the gas pedal, and that’s exactly what the 76ers did. Chicago recorded 31 fastbreak points, compared to Philadelphia’s 12.
Josh Giddey was crucial in the effort with a triple-double of 29 points on 10-19 shooting from the field, 15 rebounds and 12 assists.
Much of his success came from the downhill pressure, which he received by taking advantage of the 76ers’ lackluster defense. Giddey shredded a variety of defenders off pick-and-rolls, forcing the 76ers into rotation. His gravity generated open looks for weak shooters – hence Nikola Vucevic’s winning corner three.
Without Paul George (knee)Philadelphia is missing someone who can adequately defend bigger guards and forwards.
Third quarter frightening
Philadelphia’s loss marks the sixth time an opponent has outscored in the third quarter in seven games. The 76ers shot just 9-23 from the field tonight and 2-7 from beyond the arc in the third period as their offense stalled. This allowed the Bulls to gain momentum and set the tone for Philadelphia the rest of the way.
Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid’s offense spearheaded the 76ers’ success in the first half, but their third-period struggles sapped their rhythm the rest of the way. The duo combined to shoot 2-15 from the field in the fourth quarter. They forced low-percentage isolation shots in critical time, propelling Chicago to victory.
When the Maxey-Embiid pick-and-roll lost its effectiveness, the 76ers’ offense was unable to provide a solution. While Philadelphia had three double-digit scores aside from the star tandem, none of Kelly Oubre Jr, Quentin Grimes or VJ Edgecombe were reliable, which was a far cry from their 125-109 win against the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday.
Philadelphia’s third-quarter troubles lack a concrete reason, but given that they enjoyed a huge advantage in the second quarter, perhaps they simply lost intensity. The 76ers need to overcome this problem before it becomes a habit in higher consequence games.
The 76ers conclude their back-to-back against the Cleveland Cavaliers (4-3) on November 5 at 7:00 PM EST.
#76ers #face #unavoidable #truths #avoidable #loss #Bulls