Takeaways & Player Grades: Chicago Bulls 109, Philadelphia 76ers 102

Make it five in a row for the Chicago Bulls!

Welcoming the Philadelphia 76ers into the United Center, the Bulls pulled off another impressive and dramatic finish. Best of all, they earned the victory without having a dominant offensive showing.

Not every game is going to be the same, and this young group showed tonight that they can come out on top in more ways than one. Let's go over the impressive 109-102 win!

3 Takeaways

Another Clutch Win

After Joel Embiid knocked down his second free throw and the clock ticked under the 5:00-minute mark, the Chicago Bulls were officially playing in their 20th clutch game of the season. Fittingly, the Philadelphia 76ers represent one of only two teams that have appeared in more so far this year.

For a second there, it looked like Philly's extra experience might pay off. Tyrese Maxey finished a layup to put the 76ers up 100-96, only for Josh Giddey to miss his first free throw of the night a couple of possessions later. The Bulls were having trouble all night long controlling the 76ers' two stars, and it was about to cost them a chance at tying their longest winning streak of the season.

Cue the bench!

As has proven to be an immense difference-maker time and again, the Bulls' depth gave them the boost they needed. Billy Donovan subbed both Jalen Smith and Tre Jones in to close things out. The big man went on to throw down one of the best dunks of the NBA season, posterizing Embiid on a baseline drive. While the 76ers still held a slim 102-101 lead, any momentum they had was sucked out of the air and dumped into Lake Michigan.

STIX PUT 'EM ON A POSTER. @thejalen_smith | @NBAonPrime pic.twitter.com/sukXqbbdg3
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) December 27, 2025

Following a missed VJ Edgecombe triple, Coby White ran down the floor and drained the step-back 25-footer. It was his first and only three-point make of the night. After Maxey tossed up an ill-advised three of his own – which did the opposite of silencing the crowd – Jones had a timely dive cut to the rim to bail White out in the restricted area. The Bulls were suddenly up 106-102.

But the impressive crunch time playmaking didn't stop there. Nikola Vucevic blocked Embiid on the other end before Jone would come up with back-to-back offensive rebounds on the other end and sink another layup. The 76ers now faced a 6-point deficit with 47.2 seconds left to go.

Adding in a made free throw for Jones, the Bulls would finish on a 13-2 run. They held the 76ers to only 17 points and a shocking 5-21 shooting from the field in the fourth quarter. While Embiid and Company may have never held a lead as large as 24 points, this final frame felt like an eerily similar collapse to the first time these two met. The 76ers only scored 16 fourth-quarter points in that battle, shooting an even worse 4-22 from the field.

Along with keeping the winning streak alive, the Bulls are now tied for second in the NBA with 12 clutch wins on the year.

Bench Mob Returns

It feels like we talk about the Chicago Bulls' bench in every win ... but there is a reason for that. This team came into the year knowing that they were going to have to do things by committee. Head coach Billy Donovan even hinted at running a rather long rotation well before the season even tipped off. And with the injury report shrinking rather drastically over the last couple of weeks, the head coach has done precisely that.

Eight of the Bulls' ten players who saw the floor tonight clocked 20+ minutes of action. The bench also had the game's first two double-digit scorers, Zach Collins and Jalen Smith. The two reserves have been great over the last couple of weeks and have looked very comfortable playing in double-big lineups. They combined for 27 points, 13 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 blocks. Likewise, they shot a combined 9-15 from the field and each drained two threes on the night.

Overall, the Bulls' bench outscored the 76ers' second unit a staggering 59-12. Jones tied Collins for the team-high in points with 15 on 6-10 shooting, which included those clutch buckets in crunch time. The Bulls' mission is to never give their opponent a break, and they accomplished exactly that tonight.

Surviving Joel Embiid

Joel Embiid has owned the Bulls for much of his career, and he was on the brink of doing it again on Friday night.

The big man started 4-5 from the field in the first quarter and was giving Nikola Vucevic plenty of trouble. It felt like whenever the 76ers needed a bucket to stop a Bulls run or extend one of their own, Embiid was the player who found the bottom of the net. While I wouldn't necessarily say he looked healthy or anywhere close to his MVP self, a game like this does remind everyone of the impact a superstar can have, even when playing well below 100 percent.

Embiid finished the night with 31 points on 10-19 shooting and a perfect 9-9 from the free throw line. The only good news is that when Philly needed him most during closing time, he went 1-4 in a -8 fourth quarter. It felt very similar to the last time these two played, when Embiid went 0-5 in the final frame as the Bulls pulled off the 113-111 win.

You can tell that this retooling 76ers team doesn't fully understand who they are when Embiid is in the game. Perhaps they will eventually figure that out, but the Bulls deserve a tip of the cap for taking advantage of that so far this season.

Chicago Bulls Player Grades

Zach Collins of the Chicago Bulls — Dec 26, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bulls forward Zach Collins (12) defends Philadelphia 76ers center Adem Bona (30) during the second half at United Center. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images | David Banks-Imagn Images

Jalen Smith – A
Stats: 12 PTS, 8 REB, 3 AST

When you posterize Joel Embiid in crunch time AND record a +24 ... you get an A. Simple as that.

Tre Jones – A-
Stats: 15 PTS, 6 REB, 2 AST, 1 STL

Tre Jones' great season continues. The guard has been a remarkably reliable and steady hand off the bench, and he's been rewarded for that with plenty of closing minutes. Without his off-ball hustle and timely shotmaking, the Bulls do not pull off this win tonight.

Zach Collins – B+
Stats: 15 PTS, 5 REB, 1 AST, 1 BLK

Zach Collins came into the game early on and quickly posted 8 points in 2 minutes. Checking in and instantly shifting the momentum has become a trend for the backup big.

Coby White – B-
Stats: 13 PTS, 7 REB, 6 AST

It wasn't a particularly memorable performance from Coby White tonight, but you have to give him credit for staying engaged. He dished a huge assist after stumbling and knocked down the biggest three of the night.

COBY ASSISTS FROM THE FLOOR.@CobyWhite | @NBAonPrime pic.twitter.com/I4Cp8ZPMc6
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) December 27, 2025

Matas Buzelis – C+
Stats: 10 PTS, 8 REB, 3 BLK

Matas Buzelis also made up for a lackluster shooting night with some good hustle plays. He was active on the glass and recorded a new career-high for blocks in a half.

Josh Giddey – C
Stats: 12 PTS, 11 AST, 6 REB

Josh Giddey has 11+ assists in four of his last five games. His 3-12 shooting night left a lot to be desired, but his ball movement continues to be an important tone-setter for this well-rounded Bulls offense.