Bulls Trail the 76ers 119-102 Late in Philadelphia, Where VJ Edgecombe's Perfect First Half Set the Tone
Chicago stayed within five at halftime against the East-leading Sixers, but Philadelphia's ball movement — assists on 23 of its first 25 field goals — and Edgecombe's career-best shooting half built a lead the Bulls could not chase down.
The Chicago Bulls trail the Philadelphia 76ers 119-102 with just over three minutes left at Xfinity Mobile Arena, on a night that was competitive for a half and then tilted, steadily, toward the East's leading team. Philadelphia, 6-1 entering the night, is closing in on a fourth straight win; Chicago, 1-5 entering, is headed for a fifth straight defeat.
The first half explained the gap. Philadelphia assisted on 23 of its first 25 field goals, with Tyrese Maxey and the returning LeBron James handing out seven assists apiece, and VJ Edgecombe produced the half of his young career: 15 points on 7-of-7 shooting — the most makes without a miss in any half of his career, as ESPN's Kris Rhim noted — including four first-quarter dunks. James, back alongside Joel Embiid after both sat out Saturday's win over Charlotte, opened Philadelphia's scoring with a double-pump dunk in transition inside the first two minutes.
Chicago had its moments. Bulls rookie Caleb Wilson matched Jaylen Brown's 11 first-half points, and back-to-back turnovers by Embiid and James in the final 1:14 of the half let the Bulls score seven points and cut a 10-point deficit to 64-59 at the break. But the second half belonged to the hosts: Edgecombe reached 18 points on 8-of-11 shooting in the fourth quarter, and Philadelphia's lead grew beyond reach.
The Bulls' road does not soften — a 1-5 start has become a five-game losing streak in all but the final arithmetic. What Chicago takes from Philadelphia is the first half's proof that it can move the ball with a contender; what it still lacks is a second half that matches it.
