The Philadelphia 76ers lost to the Chicago Bulls 105-89. The Sixers were on shaky ground for the first half, but the 3rd quarter is when things fell apart rapidly. They were nearly doubled in that quarter as they scored 17 points while the Bulls scored 33. They trailed by as much as 28 in the game.
The Brixers made a cameo appearance in the first quarter as the Sixers started off horribly with 1-10 shooting from the field. They eventually worked their way back to being the Sixers again.
Sixers started off shooting poorly. Brixers struggled on the field during the first quarter. Towards the end, the Sixers managed to shoot themselves out of being the Brixers. They shot 36.8 percent for the quarter. The Sixers were down by 12 at one point, but ended the quarter down 4 points.
The Sixers were able to come back form the early deficit with solid defense, forcing the Bulls to turn the ball over. Hollis Thompson was not a victim of the early shooting woes. He shot 100 percent from the floor for 8 points.
The Sixers' rebounding hurt them as the Bulls secured offensive boards and got second chance points. In the second quarter, the Bulls got up to 9 second chance points and led by 10 points, so you can clearly see what the score could potentially be if the Sixers get the defensive boards.
While the Sixers did come back, the Bulls didn't let go of their lead and pushed the Sixers back, leading by as much as 15 points during the second quarter.
By the half, the Sixers were down by 10. While they outscored the Bulls by 9 points in 3 pointers made, they were outscored by 9 points in free throws made. The Sixers need to get to the line while still making 3's, but it sort of tells you some of the story of the game. Sixers spent time on the perimeter taking those shots while the Bulls drove to the basket and got calls.
The 3rd quarter started with more of the same. Sixers would get to 8-7 points but Bulls would bounce back to more than a 10 point lead. Things deteriorated, however, as the Sixers found themselves down by 26 by the end of the quarter. The Sixers had turnover issues again.
The 4th quarter was more of the same, honestly. The whole quarter was garbage time.
The Sixers were led in scoring by Ersan Ilyasova who had 14 points along with 7 rebounds. Jimmy Butler and Dwyane Wade had 26 points. Butler had 4 rebounds and 3 assists. Wade had 5 rebounds and 3 steals.
The Sixers had 19 turnovers. Combine that with them allowing offensive rebounds, and the Bulls had 12 more shot attempts and 9 more made field goals than the Sixers. With all of those extra looks, the Bulls were able to take advantage. Plain and simple.
Next game for the Sixers is Sunday against the Cavaliers. Be careful; it's a 1pm start.
