Chicago's next chance to halt its slide comes against a familiar opponent. The Bulls host Philadelphia on Sunday, 8 November (US time), just six days after the 76ers beat them 126–107. Chicago are 1–7 and have lost six straight; Philadelphia arrive 8–2, though their own momentum took a hit in Friday's 119–95 defeat at Cleveland. It's a rematch with a clear question: can the Bulls make the second half a contest this time?
The first meeting was competitive for longer than the final margin suggests. Chicago trailed only 64–59 at halftime in Philadelphia on 2 November, before the Sixers won the third quarter 26–20 and the fourth 36–28. Tyrese Maxey scored 15 of his 26 points in the last period, finishing with 11 assists. That late-game separation matters more than the headline score: Chicago stayed within touching distance, then couldn't contain the guards when possessions became more deliberate. The NBA's official game report sets out the quarter-by-quarter swing.
The Bulls have a defensive problem that goes beyond one bad night. They're allowing 129.6 points per game, the highest figure listed on the NBA's Chicago team page, while scoring 111.6 themselves. That gap leaves little room for a quiet offensive spell. Chicago conceded 135 to New York in its most recent outing, and another high-scoring Philadelphia stretch could turn a manageable deficit into a runaway result.
There is at least a useful offensive starting point. Rookie Caleb Wilson scored 24 against Philadelphia in the first meeting, while Norman Powell added 18 and Josh Giddey recorded 13 points and 10 assists. Wilson's ability to finish possessions gives Chicago a player capable of punishing an opponent that focuses too heavily on its established creators. But the Bulls need those contributions to translate into sustained team offence, not isolated runs separated by empty trips.
Philadelphia's defensive numbers sharpen the challenge. The NBA's 76ers team profile lists them at 106.6 opponent points per game, fourth in the league, compared with Chicago's league-worst 129.6. The Sixers have also shown that they can win without relying on a single scorer: Jaylen Brown had 25 against the Bulls last Monday and VJ Edgecombe added 21, with Maxey supplying the decisive late burst. Chicago can't build its entire plan around stopping one ball-handler.
For the Bulls, the practical priorities are clear: get back before Philadelphia's transition runners, limit second opportunities and keep Maxey from dictating the final six minutes. In the previous meeting Philadelphia scored 62 points in the paint to Chicago's 54 and held a 31–25 edge in fast-break scoring. Those aren't abstract indicators. They're extra baskets created before Chicago can settle into a half-court defence, and they're precisely the sort of margins a struggling team needs to recover.
The 76ers' official schedule confirms Sunday's game in Chicago at 3:30 pm Eastern Time. Philadelphia will want an immediate response to Cleveland; Chicago need something more basic but equally urgent — four quarters of connected defence. The Bulls don't have to solve every issue in one afternoon. They do need to stop giving opponents the same comfortable route to 120-plus points.
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