76ers 110-97 Bulls (3 Jan, 2024) Game Recap

PHILADELPHIA — Joel Embiid initially refused to wear a “Big Energy” chain before reluctantly agreeing to don the flashy necklace and flex his muscles for a quick photo at his locker.

“The Process” was back – and so were the 76ers.

Embiid had 31 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists in his return from a sprained right ankle, Tyrese Maxey scored 21 points and Philadelphia beat the Chicago Bulls 110-97 on Tuesday night.

“He moved very well. I think his fitness was lower than that,” coach Nick Nurse said. “But it's okay. I think this match allowed him to recondition himself.

Embiid missed all four games during the 76ers' holiday road trip, and they went 2-2. One of those games was in Chicago three nights earlier, a 105-92 loss in which the Sixers never led in the second half.

Embiid is the reigning NBA MVP for a reason. With the big man back, the Sixers turned that into an early blowout against a Bulls team that had played well recently without injured guard Zach LaVine. LaVine can return to the lineup as early as Friday. Even the two-time All-Star wouldn't have helped much in this one as the Bulls fell to 10-6 this season without him.

The 76ers took a 43-18 lead after one quarter, with the Bulls missing all 10 3-pointers.

DeMar DeRozan led the Bulls with 16 points. Andre Drummond had 11 points, 17 rebounds and missed a dunk to the delight of the home crowd when he was stuffed from the front of the rim. Forward Patrick Williams left with an injured right ankle.

It was that kind of night in Philadelphia, where the 76ers continued a recent trend of comfortable wins. They gave LeBron James the largest margin of defeat of his professional career in a 44-point victory in November. There was a 45-point win over Washington and a 32-point win over Detroit.

Many NBA games are back and forth. The Sixers have been solid at home, building double-digit leads and never letting up – especially against bad or undermanned teams like the Bulls (Nikola Vucevic sat out) – and picking up easy wins.

The routs also give Embiid, who reached his seventh career triple-double in the third quarter, a chance to rest. Embiid, who said he hadn't really been able to test his ankle in previous days, missed the fourth quarter. Embiid extended his franchise records with 15 straight 30-point games and 14 straight 30-point, 10-rebound games.

“I want to play as many games as possible,” Embiid said. “It’s a shame to have missed the last four games but I can’t control it. If I'm healthy, my goal was to try to play 82 games. Every game. Sometimes it's not just possible. Sometimes things happen. »

The Sixers made 12 of their first 16 shots and started 7 of 9 from 3-point range. The early explosion gave them a 25-point lead, their largest at the end of the first quarter since leading Milwaukee by 28 points on April 11, 2018.

Embiid had 22 points at halftime and Kelly Oubre Jr. scored 16. The 73-42 lead marked the 12th time in franchise history that the Sixers led by more than 31 points at halftime. time.

Oubre rattled off a list of reasons and stats why the 76ers had an easier time with the Bulls than last week before choosing the most important: “…and JoJo being back, of course.

Of course.

Embiid jumped, spun, cut and never looked bothered by the ankle. He even scored his triple-double on a no-look pass. Even with the missed games, Embiid still leads the league in scoring with 35 points per game.

The Bulls learned the hard way, the 76ers are a force with Embiid.

“I think they’re two different teams,” Bulls coach Billy Donovan said. “You're not going to play it 1-on-1. You're going to play it with five people at any given time.

FOLLOWING

Bulls: Visit New York on Wednesday.

76ers: Host the Knicks Friday.

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