The Sixers will wrap up a two-game road trip Sunday afternoon in Chicago before returning to Philadelphia for a four-game homestand.
Here are the essentials for their game against the Bulls:
- When: 3:30 p.m. ET with Sixers Pregame Live at 3 p.m.
- Where: United Center
- Broadcast: NBC Sports Philadelphia
- Live stream: NBCSportsPhiladelphia.com and the MyTeams app
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And here are storylines to watch:
An upgrade and a downgrade
On Saturday night’s injury report, the Sixers listed both Furkan Korkmaz (left knee soreness) and Matisse Thybulle (right shoulder soreness) as questionable. Shake Milton remains out because of a back contusion.
After missing five January games with a right shoulder sprain, Thybulle has started the Sixers’ past six. Korkmaz has sat out the team’s last three outings with his knee injury. He scored a season-high 25 points during the Sixers’ win at United Center on Nov. 6.
NBA
Chicago’s injury report included two key players listed as questionable in All-Star Zach LaVine (right mid-back spasms) and Coby White (right adductor strain). Lonzo Ball, Alex Caruso, Derrick Jones Jr. and Patrick Williams are all sidelined by long-term injuries.
Dosunmu’s emergence
One silver lining of Ball’s meniscus tear for the Bulls is that it’s allowed rookie Ayo Dosunmu to shine.
Dosunmu, who totaled five points and an assist during the Sixers’ two November wins over Chicago, has started the last 12 games without Ball and averaged 12.8 points, shooting 44.2 percent from three-point range and managing a 7.3/1.9 assist-to-turnover ratio. He sealed the Bulls’ win Friday against the Pacers with an audacious dunk and posted 15 points and 14 assists. The 22-year-old will be one of 12 rookies in the Rising Stars Challenge at All-Star weekend.
Throughout this season, both the Sixers and Bulls have leaned heavily on their starters, in large part because of injuries and COVID-19 absences. Chicago began the day ranked 28th in bench points per game and bench minutes per game. The Sixers were 27th and 29th in those categories, respectively.
Significant game in standings
The Sixers would clinch their four-game regular-season series against Chicago with a victory.
The team would also snap its first losing streak since mid-December and improve its position in the Eastern Conference standings. At 33-19, the Bulls are first in the East, just ahead of the 34-20 Heat. The Sixers sit at 31-21, in fifth place and two games back of Chicago.
Meanwhile, the sixth-place Nets will play the Nuggets and look to end a seven-game skid. James Harden, whose name you may have read a lot in recent days, was questionable with left hamstring tightness.