The Philadelphia 76ers are a winning team. The Sixers were the first professional franchise to enter into esports and they have been among of largest contributors to the industry for years. Their lopsided loss Wednesday night was not only demoralizing, but it also provided some insight on what could be ahead in future NBA games with more video game players involved.
The “philly basketball team” is a professional basketball team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are also known as the 76ers. The 76ers have won 2 championships, but they had an extremely lopsided loss to the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday night.
On Monday night in the City of Brotherly Love, the Chicago Bulls had an opportunity to get off the schneid and send a message to the Philadelphia 76ers. Instead, they continued to struggle against the NBA’s best teams.
Philly dominated the game for the most of the time on way to a 121-106 triumph. Joel Embiid continued to dominate the Bulls, while James Harden showed incredible patience as a pick-and-roll playmaker. Meanwhile, Chicago failed to put pressure on the basket and shot the ball poorly from beyond the arc.
Following a five-game losing run, the Bulls will continue their search for solutions. Meanwhile, here are four key lessons from Monday’s defeat.
1. The Bulls’ free-throw discrepancy continues to plague them.
Keeping the 76ers away from the free-throw line will be difficult for any team playing them. Embiid and Harden are as cunning as they come when it comes to instigating contact, yet they still get a lot of whistles.
However, fouling has been a major issue for the Bulls in recent games.
On Feb. 28, the Chicago Bulls attempted 11 fewer free throws than the Miami Heat. In the next two competitions, the discrepancy grew much more evident. The Bulls attempted 18 free throws in total, while their opponents, the Atlanta Hawks and Milwaukee Bucks, attempted 61.
Fouls were a concern for the Bulls once again against the Sixers.
Philadelphia attempted 34 free throws, 20 of which were made in the first half. Embiid had over half of them, and he used to entice players like Tristan Thompson and Tony Bradley to get their hands in the cookie jar.
The Bulls had 26 free-throw attempts at the conclusion of the game, but 12 of them came in the fourth quarter, when the game was basically out of reach, and a number of them were on DeMar DeRozan shots. They’ve routinely failed to pursue contact at the rim, while also displaying a lack of discipline on the defensive end.
A jumbled defense was responsible for several of the fouls.
2. Chicago’s shoddy point-of-attack defense
On March 7, 2022, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Joel Embiid #21 of the Philadelphia 76ers shoots the ball against Derrick Jones Jr. #5 of the Chicago Bulls | Getty Images/Mitchell Leff
As Alex Caruso and Lonzo Ball recover from injury, team defense has been a recurring concern for the Bulls. While Caruso may be on his way back, Chicago has to be more frugal in the meantime.
Instead, head coach Billy Donovan’s team seems lifeless, particularly at the offensive line.
The 76ers were able to go into the paint with ease. When the help came, James Harden meticulously maneuvered off screens, weighing whether to go downhill, find Joel Embiid on hard rolls, or locate shooters and cutters. He fed Embiid for easy buckets near the hoop if Chicago attempted to lock-and-trail. The Beard was able to find Matisse Thybulle flashing from the elbow or Georges Niang spotting up on the perimeter as the Bulls hedged.
The Bulls have a tendency to seem slow at times. Tyrese Maxey, the Sixers’ breakthrough star, had several easy layup attempts blown by, and he also missed a number of others. Harden appeared to be able to separate himself at will.
The city’s failure to keep straight-line driving under control is a serious problem. It is caused by a breakdown in communication and awareness at the time of assault. Although rookie Ayo Dosunmu is the team’s best (healthy) individual defender, his presence is rendered useless when he is forced to go through screens on a regular basis, especially considering his diminutive physical stature. It’s exhausting.
The defensive effort has to be better.
3. Zach LaVine’s highs and lows
Zach LaVine is aware that his knee will never be fully recovered for the remainder of the season. Despite this, the All-Star Bulls combo guard expressed confidence in his ability to play at a high level lately.
LaVine resembled the offensive wizard from earlier in the season at moments.
Getting downhill and blasting to the basket was easier for the UCLA product. In the second half, he also showed greater confidence in his outside jumper, skipping competitions and pulling without fear. LaVine made a great sniper-like pass to Tristan Thompson early in the game, and he showed outstanding distribution throughout the game.
LaVine, on the other hand, had far too many sloppy moments.
The Bulls turned the ball over 13 times. LaVine was responsible for five of them, having lost the handle on a couple times and simply losing his spot on the floor on others, grabbing the ball with his foot out of bounds. Some of his shot selections were dubious, such as when he attempted a floater over Embiid rather than attacking the body.
LaVine also played some poor transition defense, albeit he wasn’t alone in this. He’s been spotted begging for foul calls rather than running back to “D,” which usually results in numbers for the opponent. This occurred many times against the 76ers, with DeMar DeRozan being one of the perpetrators.
LaVine hasn’t exactly been on fire lately. However, he hasn’t fully popped yet. Given that DeRozan is destined to have poor shooting nights, such as he had on Monday, the Bulls need more of that from him.
4. Ayo, who is a bit of a thug
*{padding:0;margin:0;overflow:hidden} html,bodyheight:100% img,spanposition:absolute;width:100% ;top:0;bottom:0;margin:auto;bodyheight:100% html,bodyheight:100% html,bodyheight:100% html,bodyheight:100% html,bodyheight:100% html,bodyheight:100% html,bodyhe spanheight:1.5em;text-align:center;font:48px/1.5 sans-serif;color:white;text-shadow:0 0 0.5em black;text-shadow:0 0 0.5em black;text-shadow:0 0 0.5em black;text-shadow:0 0 0.5em black;text-shadow:0 0 0.5em black;text-shadow
With his outstanding two-way play, Ayo Dosunmu has been a surprise for the Bulls. Although his stat line against the 76ers isn’t very outstanding, his performance demonstrates his importance and continuous development.
In transition, Dosunmu did what he does best: he got out on the wings and filled the lane for easy baskets. In the half court, he was more active, challenging on-ball opponents and creating in the limited area. He missed a few of floaters and push shots that, if he can add them to his toolbox, would make him a more dangerous scorer.
Furthermore, the former Fighting Illini standout put forth a strong defensive effort. He still has trouble getting past screens, but he demonstrated his ability to be an on-ball harasser by forcing a jump ball on a dribble-handoff between Embiid and Harden.
Even when Ball and Caruso return, the Bulls must give Dosunmu some playing time with the rest of the starters, and they may even contemplate utilizing him in certain closing lineups. He’s been crucial for Chicago and should keep playing with an aggressive attitude.
Basketball Reference provided the statistics.
RELATED: Jeff Van Gundy Disses the Bulls and Labels Them “Overachievers”
Related Tags
- 76ers starting 5
- 76ers vs nets
- philadelphia 76ers roster
