With the first round taking place on Monday, the home turf of the Philadelphia 76ers. The Chicago Bulls (10-17; 12-14-1 ATS) are the visiting team.
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These squads are set to face off in all three scheduled meetings this season, with the first round taking place on Monday at the Wells Fargo Center, the home turf of the Philadelphia 76ers (18-7; 18-7-0 ATS). The Chicago Bulls (10-17; 12-14-1 ATS) are the visiting team, eager to spring an upset. The game is slated for 7:00 p.m. EDT, and both teams have been displaying commendable performance of late. The question remains: Which team will sustain its momentum on Monday night?
In pursuit of a consecutive victory in Miami and contending without the presence of Alex Caruso (status uncertain) and Zach LaVine, Chicago mounted a comeback in the fourth quarter. However, the turning point came when Jimmy Butler sunk a buzzer-beater, propelling the Bulls to depart with a defeat in their hands.
Philadelphia is riding a six-game winning streak and is just 1.5 games behind the leading Eastern Conference record, contingent on the outcome of Boston’s Sunday game. Joel Embiid played a pivotal role in their recent victory, delivering an impressive performance with 42 points and 15 rebounds. This effort has elevated his December averages to 40.0 points per game along with 12.8 rebounds.
For the Bulls, Ball (knee injury) and LaVine (foot injury) will not be playing the game. Besides, Caruso is also questionable for the game due to an ankle injury. As for the 76ers, Smith is questionable to appear in the game due to illness.
The Bulls maintain a season average of 109.9 points, ranking 21st in offensive rating due to their deliberate playing style. Chicago’s offensive prowess lies in having the NBA’s third-best turnover percentage and the 12th-highest offensive rebounding percentage. They connect on 36.7% of their three-point attempts. While offensive strengths are limited, evidenced by ranking 28th in true shooting percentage, their recent hot streak suggests a potential continuation of strong performance on Monday.
On the defensive end, the Bulls currently rank 22nd in the NBA’s defensive rating according to NBA.com, having conceded a minimum of 114 points in their last four outings. Their season average falls below 114 points per game. Similar to their offensive strategy, the Bulls’ defense shines in the turnover department, showcasing one of the league’s stronger performances in this aspect.
Philadelphia stands as a top-10 team in various key metrics, including true shooting percentage, turnover percentage, offensive rebounding percentage, and free throw percentage. Despite some challenges in finishing at the rim (ranking 23rd at 60.6%), the team remains undeniably one of the best in the NBA across multiple categories.
In terms of defense, under the guidance of their new head coach Nick Nurse, Philadelphia ranks fifth in defensive rating. The last two opponents struggled to surpass the 100-point mark against them. While the team tends to concede more free throw attempts per game than they might prefer, it’s a minor point of critique in an otherwise solid defensive performance.
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