Predicting 76ers' Top Performers and Final Score on Sunday vs. Bulls

For the second time this season, the Philadelphia 76ers will square off against the Chicago Bulls on Sunday afternoon.

The Sixers pulled out a convincing 126-107 victory over Chicago when the two teams met earlier this month (Nov.2), and they'll aim to achieve a similar outcome this time around. In order for that to happen, they'll need similarly productive performances from key contributors.

Here's a look at predictions for who I think will lead the Sixers in scoring, rebounds and assits against Chicago, along with a prediction for the final score.

Top scorer for 76ers: Tyrese Maxey

Tyrese Maxey is coming off of a pair of underwhelming performances for Philadelphia. He shot 5-of-16 from the floor and scored 19 points in the Sixers' 112-106 victory over the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday night and followed that up with a 5-of-15, 17-point performance in a loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday night.

Maxey typically bounces back and responds well after a down game, or two, and we should expect that to be the case against the Bulls. He led the Sixers with 26 points in the first game against Chicago, and he converted 10 of his 15 attempts from the field. The Bulls don't have a great defensive answer for Maxey's speed and quickness, which allowed him to get to his spots and get good looks.

Perhaps the Bulls will look to double Maxey to force him to give up the ball more than they did in the first meeting, but the talent around him in the starting five makes that difficult to do. Look for Maxey to lead the way for Philly in terms of point production in this one.

Top assister: Tyrese Maxey

LeBron James would be the obvious answer here since he leads the 76ers in assists per game on the season. However, Maxey's best passing performance of the current campaign came in the first meeting against Chicago, and he could be in store for a repeat performance.

Maxey tallied a season-high 11 assists against the Bulls, as his ability to put pressure on Chicago's defense not only afforded him his own scoring opportunities, but it also allowed him to set his teammates up consistently as well. If Maxey beats his primary defender, help has to come, and that's when he can find his teammates for open opportunities.

James might give him a run for his money, but Maxey could be poised to lead the Sixers in both point production and passing production on Sunday.

Top rebounder: Joel Embiid

Joel Embiid had his worst game of the season against Cleveland on Friday night as he tallied just six points and seven rebounds in 25 minutes. So, he should be motivated to turn in a more productive performance against Chicago.

While Jaylen Brown actually led the Sixers in rebounds in the first meeting with the Bulls with 11, Embiid was second on the team with eight boards. Chicago really doesn't have the size to keep Embiid off of the glass if he's determined to make a major impact there, and he should be determined to do so coming off of an underwhelming outing.

Final score prediction: 76ers 115, Bulls 101

The Bulls will make it more competitive and keep it closer than the first meeting between the teams. The game is in Chicago instead of Philadelphia for one. Plus, you'd assume that Bulls coach Tiago Splitter will make a couple of adjustments, but it won't be enough. The Sixers simply have too much talent for Chicago, and they'll pull out another comfortable, double-digit win as a result.

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