The Sixers are back at home where all is typically well. On the year, the team is an incredible 19-2 at home and hope to keep it going. They should have a decent shot tonight playing Zach LaVine and the Chicago Bulls. Featuring a bunch of young talent, the Bulls will be competitive again one day, just not yet.
Currently 15-27 on the season, Chicago is 9th in the top-heavy Eastern Conference. Led by high-flying scorer Zach LaVine, the Bulls have a bright future but for now, they are raw. They also have one of the most strenuous relationships between a coach and his players in the NBA. There is a clear disconnect between Jim Boylen and his players which works in the Sixers favor.
Keys to the Game
Strike First, Strike Hard, No Mercy
The Bulls have suffered an unfortunate rash of injuries this season. The team will be without Daniel Gafford, Max Strus, Otto Porter Jr., and Wendell Carter Jr.tonight. Making matters worse for the Bulls, Chandler Hutchison, Luke Kornet, Ryan Arcidiacono, Tomas Satoransky are all questionable. This team will be missing some key contributors making it even more difficult to upset the Sixers.
The issue the Sixers face is that they play down to their competition especially when it clearly seems to be an easy win. The Sixers for whatever reason find a way to lose easy games but they haven’t done so at home, at least not yet. With the Bulls hurting, the Sixers need to show no mercy and sweep their collective leg. Make them run, play physical, dominate the game to guarantee the win.
Let Harris Cook
Tobias Harris has been on another level lately. He recently scored 34 points in his return to playing Power Forward and I’m not ready for it to end. There are three things that need to happen for Harris to continue playing at this level: Start him at Power Forward, get his shot going early, give him the ball in the fourth.
Harris is a natural Power Forward and thrives feeding against mismatches at the position. Harris’s defense has also grown by leaps and bounds this year so he is no longer a liability against opponents. It’s also wise to get him started off on the right foot like most other NBA players. Feed him the ball early and run the offense through him so he can catch fire.
Come the Fourth Quarter especially if it is a close game (which sadly it could be), Harris must be the go-to scorer. He has shown throughout the season that he is better suited than anyone not named Joel Embiid to be the closer. Taking that a step further, Harris often has even looked better in the closer role than Embiid. If you let Harris do his thing the Sixers odds of winning will shoot right up.
Prediction
This game would smell of a trap game if the Sixers weren’t at home. The Bulls are missing some key players down-low so not having Embiid does not hurt as much as usual. The young Bulls team will be easily frustrated by the Sixers’ talent and the crowd’s energy.
FINAL SCORE: SIXERS 117 – BULLS 102
Catch the game tonight at 7:00 PM EST on ESPN. You can also watch on NBC Sports Philadelphia with coverage starting at 6:30 or listen live at 97.5 FM the Fanatic.
Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
