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Bulls’ Skid Positive for Philadelphia 76ers’ NBA Play-In Push

The Philadelphia 76ers could be in a good spot for their Play-In push next week.
Justin Grasso|
Dec 8, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) looks to pass the ball against Chicago Bulls guard Lonzo Ball (2) during the second half at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images
Dec 8, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) looks to pass the ball against Chicago Bulls guard Lonzo Ball (2) during the second half at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

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Similar to the Philadelphia 76ers, the Chicago Bulls have been in quite the hole. Heading into their matchup against the Phoenix Suns on Saturday, the Bulls were on a five-game losing streak. Currently, the Bulls are standing in the way of the Sixers’ desired NBA Play-In Tournament push.

Although the Bulls didn’t offload every core player at the trade deadline, they certainly entered selling mode and put themselves in a position to fire up a rebuild.

Since trading away the multi-time All-Star Zach LaVine earlier this month, the Bulls have been on a tough skid. The losing streak continued on Saturday with a loss against the Phoenix Suns.

Despite a 24-point, 10-assist effort from Josh Giddey, the Bulls veteran’s double-double wasn’t enough to keep up with Phoenix’s star trio.

Kevin Durant had a double-double, producing 27 points, 11 rebounds, and adding five assists. The veteran guard, Bradley Beal, contributed to 25 points in 38 minutes. Devin Booker shot 10-20 from the field to produce 29 points. He nearly notched a double-double by dishing out eight assists.

The Suns defeated the Bulls 121-117.

With a 20-35 record, the Sixers placed 1.5 games behind the Bulls, who currently possess the final Play-In spot. While many fans have pounded the table for the Sixers to focus more on developing the young prospects on the roster and prioritizing keeping their Top-6 protected pick from the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Sixers have made it clear that making a push fo a playoff spot is their goal.

A win over the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday night would place the Sixers 0.5 games back from the Bulls. The Sixers and the Bulls will face each other on Monday, giving Philadelphia a chance to move into the Eastern Conference’s 10th seed.

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Justin Grasso
JUSTIN GRASSO

Justin Grasso was a credentialed writer and publisher covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s Philadelphia 76ers On SI Network. Grasso got his start in sports media in 2016 with FantasyPros, working the news desk, providing game-by-game player analysis and updates on the Portland Trail Blazers and the Golden State Warriors. By 2017, he joined FanSided’s Philadelphia Eagles site as a staff writer. After spending one season covering the Eagles as a staff writer, Grasso was promoted to become the site’s Co-Editor. For the next two NFL seasons, he covered the Eagles closely before broadening his NFL coverage. For a brief stint, Grasso covered the NFL on a national basis after joining Heavy.com as an NFL news desk writer. In 2019, Grasso joined the 76ers' beat on a part-time basis, stepping into a role with South Jersey’s 97.3 ESPN. Ahead of the 2019-2020 NBA season, he concluded a three-year stint covering the Eagles and joined the Sixers beat full-time. Grasso has covered the 76ers exclusively since then for Sports Illustrated. He is a member of the Pro Basketball Writers Association. Twitter: @JGrasso_ Instagram: @JGrassoMedia Threads: @JGrassoMedia

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