Bulls at 76ers
The Philadelphia 76ers have been better at home all season and proved as much again on Friday, when they returned from an 0-4 road trip to post a 119-107 triumph over the Memphis Grizzlies. The 76ers will try to make it two in a row in front of their own fans when they host the Chicago Bulls on Sunday.
Philadelphia faced plenty of questions about its ability to compete in the East while falling at Boston, Miami and Milwaukee on the trip but general manager Elton Brand came out on Friday and backed head coach Brett Brown and the team put on a shooting display against the Grizzlies later that night. "We wanted to come out here and kind of build on something, and use our crowd to fuel us," 76ers forward Tobias Harris told reporters. "But I thought from the start we made a stance of how we were going to play and how we were going to impose our will." The Bulls are fighting through their own slump and let the losing streak reach four straight with a 125-119 home setback against New Orleans on Thursday. "I try to keep the positive things and what we have done in the right perspective," Chicago coach Jim Boylen told reporters. "We had won three of four at home. We're 6-2 on the second night of back to backs. We've got an injured, banged up young team that battles and fights and competes. Do we have off nights? Moments we don't play well? Of course; every team does. I am not deterred."
TIME: 6 p.m. ET. TV: NBCS Philadelphia, NBCS Chicago, NBA TV Canada
ABOUT THE BULLS (19-34): While Boylen is trying to keep things positive, frustration is starting to set in for star guard Zach LaVine, who is averaging 24.9 points but scored below that mark in each of the last four contests as defenses key on him with fellow starters Otto Porter Jr. (foot) Kris Dunn (knee), Lauri Markkanen (pelvis) and Wendell Carter Jr. (ankle) injured. "We lost; got our (butts) whipped," LaVine told reporters after the latest loss. "They were just taking us apart. They were playing harder than us. They were running us. ... I think it's the third straight game the starters weren't able to finish the game (due to a lopsided score). It sucks not being able to play. I keep saying it's not like a team is going to feel sorry for us." LaVine is 3-of-23 from 3-point range over the last four contests.
ABOUT THE 76ERS (32-21): Philadelphia made moves at the trade deadline to add scoring off the bench and is still awaiting the debuts of Glenn Robinson III and Alec Burks, but guard Furkan Korkmaz supplied the bench scoring with a career-high 34 points on Friday. "First of all for us, it was a tough week," Korkmaz told reporters. "Then today everybody was focused. Everybody was (focused) when we stepped on the court, we tried to play hard. I was also one of those guys to step in and try to give my best to the team." Korkmaz went 13-of-17 from the floor, including 7-of-9 from 3-point range, to compliment a double-double from All-Star point guard Ben Simmons (22 points, 10 assists).
BUZZER BEATERS
1. 76ers C Joel Embiid (neck stiffness) left Friday's game and is day-to-day.
2. Bulls rookie SG Adam Mokoka provided a bright spot on Thursday with 15 points on 6-of-6 shooting in five minutes off the bench.
3. Philadelphia turned aside Chicago 100-89 at home on Jan. 17 behind a team-high 24 points on 8-of-11 shooting from Korkmaz.