The Chicago Bulls wrapped up their 6 game road trip with a 16 point victory over the Philadelphia 76ers. It was a 4-2 road trip for the Bulls who improved there record to 10-6 with the win while the loss dropped the 76ers to 4-12 on the season.
The Bulls scored the first 8 points of the game and never trailed. The Bulls built a 12 point lead at 20-8, but the 76ers ended the quarter on a 11-3 run and cut the Bulls lead to 4 points 23-19 by the end of the 1st quarter.
A Hollis Thompson 3-pointer to start the 2nd quarter cut the Bulls lead to 1 point, but that was as close as the 76ers could get. The Bulls built the lead back to 10 points at 38-28 with 6:30 left to play. The Bulls where able to get the lead to 12 points on a couple of occasions, but couldn’t keep it there. After Jimmy Butler hit 2 free throws to end the quarter the Bulls went into halftime with a 57-47 lead.
The Bulls stretched the lead to 15 points 67-52 after a Dwayne Wade basket, but the 76ers where able to knock the lead back down to 10 after a 7-2 run. Chicago dominated the rest of the 3rd quarter as they went on there own run of 21-5 to end the quarter. The Bulls ended the 3rd quarter with a 26 point lead 90-64.
With the outcome apparently I hand the Bulls bench saw quite a bit of 4th quarter action. Philadelphia did work the lead down and outscored the Bulls by 10 points in the final quarter 25-15, but there wasn’t enough time to pull out what would’ve been a huge comeback and the Bulls ended up with the win 105-89.
Dwayne Wade and Jimmy Butler shared high scoring honors for the Bulls and the game with 26 points each. Taj Gibson contributed 12 points and Robin Lopez added 10 points. The Bulls other starter Rajon Rondo had game highs in assists with 8 and rebounds with 10. Butler played a team high 31 minutes while Wade played just 29 minutes in the game.
The 76ers where led by Ersan Ilyasova with 14 points. Richaun Holmes and Nik Staukas came off the Philadelphia bench to each score 13 points. Jerryd Bayless and Hollis Thompson (off the bench) each had 11 points Jahlil Okafor added 10 points. Ilyasova and Dario Saric tied for the team lead in rebounds with 7. Saric also toed with Staukas and Sergio Rodriguez for the team lead in assists with 3 each. Since the 76ers game before tonight went double overtime Joel Embiid was given the night off.
The Bulls will get a little bit of time off as they don’t return to the court until Wednesday night when the host the Los Angeles Lakers. The 76ers will host the Eastern Conference leading Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday afternoon.
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