Game preview and injury report: Chicago Bulls look to end 12-game losing streak vs. Philadelphia 76ers

The Chicago Bulls (17-21) visit the Philadelphia 76ers (23-14) tonight, coming off a 121-112 win over the Brooklyn Nets. Can they continue their dominant run against top ranked teams in the Eastern Conference?

Chicago Bulls (17-21) vs. Philadelphia 76ers (23-14)

Friday, January 6 – 07:00 PM ET at Wells Fargo Center

Chicago Bulls

Points Per Game: 114.5 (14th of 30)
Opponent Points Per Game: 115.5 (18th of 30)
Bench Points Per Game: 31.6 (24th of 30)
Pace: 99.9 (13th of 30)
Offensive Rating: 113 (17th of 30)
Defensive Rating: 114 (18th of 30)
Net Rating: -1 (24th of 30)

Philadelphia 76ers

Points Per Game: 112.6 (18th of 30)
Opponent Points Per Game: 108.7 (2nd of 30)
Bench Points Per Game: 27.9 (28th of 30)
Pace: 97.3 (26th of 30)
Offensive Rating: 114.1 (14th of 30)
Defensive Rating: 110.2 (4th of 30)
Net Rating: +3.9 (6th of 30)

Contain Tyrese Maxey

On December 30th, Tyrese Maxey returned to the 76ers’ lineup after missing most of December's action due to a fractured left foot.

Maxey averaged 22.4 points and 5.6 assists while shooting 38.8 percent from beyond the arc on seven attempts in seven games during November, making a case to become an All-Star. However, the injury derailed his momentum as the 22-year-old now looks to get back to early-season form.

It might take some time for Maxey to be back to who he was before the injury, and the Bulls must make sure he doesn’t have a breakout performance on Friday.

Play with pace

The Bulls are 8-1 against the Boston Celtics, Milwaukee Bucks, Brooklyn Nets, and Miami Heat this season. In a season full of ups and downs, Chicago's matchups against Eastern Conference powerhouses have been the rare bright spots for one of the NBA's biggest underachievers.

As they head into the game against another (fringe)contender, the Bulls' best bet is to try to exploit one of the 76ers’ weaknesses—their pace. The Sixers rank 26th in the NBA in pace, averaging 97.3 possessions per 48 minutes. The Bulls average 99.9 possessions per game (13th in the league), and playing at a high pace can be the key to this game.

Injury report

Bulls Injury Report: Lonzo Ball is out for the Bulls with a left knee injury. Javonte Green (right knee soreness) and Alex Caruso (right ankle sprain) are listed as questionable

76ers Injury Report: Joel Embiid (left foot soreness) is out for the 76ers

Noteworthy

The 76ers won the last meeting, 114-109 on October 29. DeRozan led the Bulls with 24 points.

The Bulls are 0-10 in the last 10 matchups against the 76ers.

Bulls’ projected lineup: Vucevic, Williams, DeRozan, LaVine, Dosunmu

76ers’ projected lineup: Tucker, Harris, Melton, Harden, Maxey