The Philadelphia 76ers took the floor in Chicago on Saturday looking to extend their win streak to six games. Zach LaVine and the Bulls sought revenge after losing in Philadelphia last week but would fall short again. Despite a late push in the closing minutes, the Sixers held on and won by a final score of 114-105. Here are some observations from the matchup.
1) Furkan Korkmaz returns with a bang
Doc Rivers got some reinforcements on Saturday as Furkan Korkmaz made his return to the lineup after battling a wrist injury. Not only did he rejoin his team on the floor, but provided a much-needed scoring punch off the bench.
Korkmaz has been a big standout for the Sixers this season and showed why against the Bulls. The sharpshooting wing caught fire from beyond the arc early and rode the momentum the rest of the way. He finished the night with 25 points and made a career-high seven threes.
A collective effort from the Sixers has been a major catalyst to their success to start the season. Young players like Kokrmaz have been able to elevate their game while still staying within their roles. Despite dealing with an injury on his shooting hand, Korkmaz was able to return in stellar fashion.
2) Joel Embiid in elite form
Due to being extremely shorthanded, a lot of weight has been put on Joel Embiid's shoulders. While the team has managed to keep a balanced attack offensively, the franchise cornerstone kicked it up a notch when needed. Turnover issues aside, Embiid turned in a dominant night at the office.
Embiid ended the night with a team-high 30 points, 15 rebounds, three assists, and two blocks. He also had an efficient night shooting the ball, connecting on 11 of his 19 attempts. Along with an impressive run to extend the lead at the end of the first half, Embiid made multiple critical plays down the stretch to seal the victory.
Performances like this are a reminder of the special talent Embiid is. With multiple starters out of the lineup, he led a shorthanded bunch to another win against one of the top teams in the league to start the season. If the Sixers are going to keep this hot streak alive, they will need Embiid to continue to lead the charge like this on a nightly basis.
3) Shake Milton does it all
Another player who has looked phenomenal since returning from injury is Shake Milton. His performance against the Bulls was arguably his best of the season. In 35 minutes of action, he racked up 13 points, seven rebounds, six assists, two steals, and one block.
Rivers was very high on Milton coming out of training camp, and the way he's performed has backed that up. Not only has he been able to provide a scoring punch, but show flashes as a facilitator as well. Along with dishing six dimes, Milton committed just one turnover. Extremely impressive for a young player who is still un-tapping that area to his game.
Milton also performed well on the defensive end of the floor. Taking on a player like Zach LaVine is no small task, but he did well making life tough offensively for Chicago's star guard.
After having a bit of a down year last season, Milton has once again looked like the fiery young guard we saw during the 2019-2020 season.
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