76ers vs. Bulls Preview: Will Philly Get a Sneak Peek of Their Newest Additions?
After a rough week, the Philadelphia 76ers finally saw some positive progress this past Friday night. In the four games prior to their matchup with the Memphis Grizzlies, the Sixers took losses. And while all losses can be typically described as 'bad losses,' these specific defeats were almost entirely described as blowouts.
The spirit was getting lost in Philly a bit, as the road woes continued. The road trip was so long that some must've forgotten how good the Sixers can be at home, though. On Friday, they reminded everybody with a 119-107 win over Memphis to advance to 23-2 while playing at the Wells Fargo Center.
On Sunday, the Sixers stand pat at home with another South Philly showdown against the Chicago Bulls. This will mark the second time the fifth-seeded 76ers will face the tenth place Bulls at the Wells Fargo Center this season.
During their first meeting last month, Chicago traveled to Philly and struggled against the NBA's most dominant team at home as most teams do. The Sixers defeated the Bulls 100-89 with a shorthanded lineup.
At the time, Sixers' center Joel Embiid was still recovering from his hand surgery, which occurred in early January. Therefore, the Sixers slid Al Horford over to center and shifted the lineup around so they could start the rookie Matisse Thybulle at shooting guard.
GAME INFORMATION:
Game Time: Sunday, February 9, 2020, 6:00 pm EST.
Location: Wells Fargo Center
TV: NBC Sports Philadelphia
Stream: NBCSP, NBA League Pass
Odds: The 76ers are favored over the Bulls at -11, via The Action Network
While the Sixers received two strong offensive outings from Horford and Ben Simmons, their contributions from Furkan Korkmaz off the bench helped the Sixers beat the Bulls with ease. At the time, Korkmaz's 24 points were his career-high. As you know, the Turkish star exceeded that total by ten points just the other night against Memphis.
On Sunday, the Sixers may not have all hands on deck again as Horford is questionable, but there's also good news as there's a chance their two new acquisitions can play. Late last week, the Sixers made a trade before the NBA deadline, picking up Alec Burks and Glenn Robinson III from the Golden State Warriors.
Considering they weren't able to take their physicals until Saturday, Friday's game against Memphis was ruled out for both of them. Now, there's hope they are able to play on Sunday. Initially, their game statuses put everybody in a panic as it seemed they wouldn't get to the court until Tuesday, at the earliest -- but their statuses of being out can be upgraded on Sunday as long as everything went right with their physicals on Saturday.
