Philadelphia pulled away from a 1-5 Bulls team and moved to 6-1 with the East's top seed. The sample is seven games, but the margin was real and the schedule gets harder from here.
Was Philly's win over the Bulls ever in doubt?
Not for long. Philly led 64-59 at the half after Caleb Wilson's buzzer three, but a 9-0 burst had already turned 52-53 into 52-62. The Bulls' 121.6 defensive rating through six games looked accurate once the second half got going: Philly outscored them 62-48 and won 126-107.
Who earned a good grade and who did not?
VJ Edgecombe gets an A: 15 points on 7-of-7 shooting with no turnovers and a plus-13 in 17 minutes. Tyrese Maxey gets an A-: 26 points and 11 assists. Jaylen Brown gets a C: 4-of-8 for 11 points and the worst plus-minus on the floor, minus-8 in 15 minutes. LeBron James scored four but added seven rebounds and seven assists.
Is Embiid's foot still a worry after he played?
Less than it was, but not gone. Joel Embiid went from Day-To-Day to cleared and played, with 10 points on 3-of-5 shooting, five rebounds, two turnovers and a plus-13 in 17 minutes. He is hitting 14.3 percent from three in five games this season. Our tally has Philly 11th of 30 in minutes lost to injury, 725 since opening night.
What does this win change in the East?
It keeps Philly first at 6-1, with the Wizards at 3-3 holding sixth and the Knicks at 2-4 holding tenth. The cushion over 11th is 3.5 games. The next three are road games: Pistons on November 4, Cavaliers on November 6, then a return at the Bulls on November 8, a team Philly's 17 percent projection is built against.
What was the score of the 76ers-Bulls game?
The 76ers beat the Bulls 126-107 on November 2. They led 64-59 at halftime.
Who do the 76ers play next?
They visit the Pistons on November 4, then the Cavaliers on November 6. Both are road games.
