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Tobias Harris: C-
Harris has enjoyed the early shot clock 3-pointer as of late. He drilled an early clock triple in the first quarter and he had some nice entry passes into Embiid. As long as the ball gets to the big fella, that’s all that matters in that type of situation. Overall, it wasn’t a great night for Harris. He didn’t get many shot opportunities (3), he had a tough time on defense, and it was really a non-descript night for him. He did have one helluva block on DeMar DeRozan late in the fourth which was really impressive.
Joel Embiid: A
It was another fast start for Embiid. He drew two quick fouls on Bulls big man Nikola Vucevic and he reached double digits in points in the opening quarter. He had a few tough defensive moments against Vucevic, but he was very good on that end for the most part. This was one of those nights when not much was working for the Sixers on the offensive end so they relied on Embiid to do the heavy lifting on that end. Luckily for them, he can do it all on offense and he kept the Sixers in this one all night. He continues to play at an even higher level than his MVP season of a year ago.
Patrick Beverley: B-
The initial run for Beverley wasn't great. He had a tough time defending White and he missed a couple of open triples. The energy was good and his activity level was high, but it wasn't very productive. He was much better in the second half. His defensive intensity and his offense were much needed to help the Sixers get back into it when Chicago looked like they were going to pull away.
Kelly Oubre Jr: D+
When the Sixers are struggling to find offense with the second unit, that's when Oubre Jr. needs to step in and provide some offense. He had some makeable looks early, but he wasn't able to convert and he also wasn't great defensively as he normally is. His second run was more of the same as he couldn't buy a bucket before he cut down the lane for a dunk in the fourth quarter.
Paul Reed: C+
When the Sixers were in a slump to open the second quarter, Reed took a triple when Andre Drummond sagged off him. He missed it and then he fumbled a pocket pass before missing a shot around the bucket. He then did have a nice defensive play to get a steal and went the other way for 2 so the run for Reed was a bit of a mixed bag. He was much better in the fourth quarter on both ends of the floor. It was needed in order to give Embiid a break.
Robert Covington: B
The initial run for RoCo was terrific. He picked off an inbounds pass to end the first quarter and his defensive effort against Chicago's perimeter players was noticeable. He was also big in the fourth quarter to help the Sixers rally against this energetic Bulls team.
Danuel House Jr.: B
With the Sixers missing Marcus Morris Sr. due to an illness, they turned to House Jr. and he immediately hopped off the bench to knock down a corner triple. He ran the floor, filled a lane, spaced correctly, and calmly knocked down a shot. It was a nice veteran play for him. He didn't get any burn in the second half, however.
The Philadelphia 76ers returned home on Monday to play host to the Chicago Bulls looking to keep their winning streak rolling. The Sixers entered Monday winners of six straight and the Bulls entered the night short-handed missing All-Star guard Zach LaVine due to injury.
The Bulls entered the contest seven games under .500, but they offered a step up in competition from Philadelphia’s previous opponents. The Bulls led by as many as 12 and they were able to walk away with a 108-104 victory despite another monstrous Joel Embiid game who had 40 points, 14 rebounds, and six assists.
Tyrese Maxey added 29 points and eight assists, De’Anthony Melton added six points and four rebounds, and Tobias Harris had three and five rebounds. Paul Reed added eight and four rebounds.
Here are the player grades following the loss:
Tyrese Maxey: A-
Offensively, it was a weird night for Maxey. He knocked down an open triple and then finished a tough layup amongst the trees down low, but after that, he was losing the ball on his way to the rim often and he had a tough time finding his rhythm on that end of the floor. He began to find his touch for a bit which allowed him to help Embiid for a stretch. Once again, though, he was terrific in the fourth quarter as he led the comeback charge late. He did have a tough time defensively against Bulls guard Coby White who had a terrific night for Chicago.
De'Anthony Melton: C+
This was a night where Melton was finishing his layups. He was active on the defensive end, which is his main job, and he was generally around the basket on the offensive end as well. He could have done more on offense with the other Sixers struggling, but he wasn’t terrible in this one.
Nic Batum: C
It has been talked about at length, but Batum’s ability to throw an entry pass into Embiid is such an underrated skill. He can read angles at a high level and his passes are thrown with an accuracy where the big fella can just catch and then finish. He struggled, however, with his 3-point shooting. The Sixers just had a tough time finding consistent buckets in this one.
Sixers Center Joel Embiid - Sixers vs Bulls - December 18, 2023
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