The Philadelphia 76ers came into this matchup with the Chicago Bulls coming off a 129-105 win against the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday, November 2nd. As for the Bulls, they were looking to bounce back from their 128-116 loss to the New York Knicks during the same slate of games.

Fortunately for the Sixers, second-year guard Jared McCain made his season debut after missing the first six games of the season recovering from a UCL tear.  McCain averaged 15.3 points while shooting 38.3% from beyond the arc last season. 

First Quarter

Joel Embiid looked to be on the aggressive early as he worked his way to the line on the first possession of the game. Embiid averages 29.4 point per game against the Bulls in his career so he is looking to keep his foot on the gas.

As for Tyrese Maxey, he hit two early threes, and V.J. Edgecombe hit another to force a Chicago timeout.

The three-point barrage did not stop after the early timeout. Embiid added a three-pointer of his own, along with Kelly Oubre hitting his first long ball to give him seven early points. Maxey added his third and fourth three-pointers of the game as well. 

Philadelphia was doing a great job of turning defense into offense and capitalizing in transition in their smaller lineup with Adem Bona at center.

The Sixers finished with their highest point total of any quarter this season with 45 points as they led 45-27 through one. The 76ers shot 8/11 from deep in the opening quarter. 

Second Quarter

Maxey's heater continue into the second as he scored a quick eight points through three minutes along with a fifth three-pointer which resulted in an and-one.  

After a 14-4 run for Philadelphia during the back end of the quarter, Chicago responded with a quick 7-0, forcing Nick Nurse to use a timeout to try to prevent any sort of monumental comebacks from coming to fruition. 

The Sixers were able to build their lead back up to 19 before halftime, and hit the locker rooms ahead of the Bulls 75-56. Embiid finished the half with 18 points in 13 minutes while Maxey led the team with 22 points. 

Third Quarter

With a strong lead heading into the third, the Sixers kept their foot on the gas. Embiid knocked down a 17-footer to reach 20 points on the game, and Oubre's 14th point of the game forced Chicago into a timeout. 

After the timeout, Chicago went on a 12-2 run to cut the Philadelphia lead to just 12 after being as high as 24. Josh Giddey made three straight field goals during the run to help his team climb back. 

The Bulls would finish the quarter on a 14-6 run, but Maxey was able to tack on another bucket as the quarter expired to reach 31 for the game. Philadelphia held a 95-84 lead heading into the final 12 minutes.  

Fourth Quarter

Maxey tried his best to put the Bulls away early in the fourth, but Chicago continued to stick around. The Bulls even managed to cut the lead to seven, and Giddey reached a triple-double for the game. Isaac Okoro had 16 points with three three-pointers to help cut the lead down. 

Chicago continued to cut into the deficit. A goaltending call and a Giddey layup attempt brought the Bulls within three points as they were on an 8-2 run. After a few failed trips on the offensive end for Philadelphia, Giddey struck again, and the game was 111-110. A once 24-point lead for Philadelphia was in jeopardy of being blown. 

After a steal on a forced pass from Giddey to Matas Buzelis, Buzelis blocked a Maxey three-point attempt. Maxey missed his fifth straight shot attempt at this point in the game. After the Bulls came out of a timeout, Nikola Vucevic received a drive and kick pass in the corner from Giddey and nailed the three to take the lead with three seconds remaining. 

With the Sixers failing to answer back on their last possession, Philadelphia dropped to 5-2 on the season after a crushing loss. Despite the loss, Maxey still had 39 points thanks to a dominant first half. Unfortunately, there was simply nothing good to say about the Sixers' second-half performance. 

Philadelphia will head to Cleveland tomorrow to take on the Cavaliers in the second game of a back-to-back as they hope to shake off the tough loss and continue their early success.