The Philadelphia 76ers finished up a four-game homestand Wednesday night with a matchup against the red-hot Chicago Bulls. While Joel Embiid made his return to action, the Sixers still found themselves shorthanded. This did not matter, as they managed to take down Chicago by a final score of 103-98, extending their winning streak to four games. Here are some observations from the win.
Philadelphia 76ers Observations From Win Over Bulls
1) Shooters stay hot
This season, we have seen a much different offensive approach from the Sixers. Ball movement has become a major emphasis of Doc Rivers' system, and the team has fully bought into this play style.
The main result of the ball franticly changing hands is it has generated a ton of good looks for some of the Sixers' deadeye shooters. Most notably, Seth Curry and Georges Niang, who have been knocking down shots with unreal efficiency.
After leading the Sixers in scoring on Monday against the Blazers, the pair of marksmen did the same on Wednesday. Curry was high man with 22 points, with Niang not far behind at 18. The duo combined for six makes from beyond the arc on just 12 attempts.
Curry and Niang have been two of the hottest Sixers this season shooting-wise, and it has done wonders for the offense as a whole.
2) Limiting the supporting cast
One thing that instantly stands out about the new-look Chicago Bulls is their offensive firepower. The additions they have made since the trade deadline last season have turned them into one of the league's most fun and exciting offenses.
Players like Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan are two premier scorers in the NBA right now. Heading into any matchup, you know those two are going to rack up points. The Sixers did a tremendous job making life tough for those two. But more importantly, limiting the production of the players around them.
LaVine (27) and DeRozan (37) accounted for 64 of Chicago's 98 points on Monday. Lonzo Ball was the only other Bulls player to break double-figures with 13 points. Outside of this trio, no other player for Chicago scored more than six. No matter how good your top guys are, it is tough to win with such minimal production from the supporting cast.
3) Big plays down the stretch
After the Bulls made a strong push late in the fourth quarter, the 76ers found themselves with another dwindling lead down the stretch. Finishing out games has been an issue at times, but players stepped up on both ends to make sure the night ended with a victory.
Offensively, the ball was put in Seth Curry's hands to make something happen. He came up big in the fourth, hitting three of his four shot attempts. One of those makes coming in the final seconds of the game to put the lead just out of reach.
Joel Embiid made a huge play on the defensive end to secure the victory. The All-Star center swatted away a DeRozan dunk attempt on their second to last possession, halting their chances of completing the comeback in the process.
It might not have been pretty, but the 76ers did what was needed to end the night in the win column. Like they always say, good teams always find a way to win.
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