Brown and Maxey Combine for 56 as Sixers Hold Off Bulls 127-121 to Close Road Trip

There are wins that feel like statements, and then there are wins like this one — a Sunday afternoon in Chicago where nothing came easily, the lead never felt safe, and the Philadelphia 76ers still found a way out of the building with a 127-121 victory over the Bulls.

Jaylen Brown led the way with 29 points, Tyrese Maxey added 27, and the Sixers closed their road trip at 2-1, moving to 9-2 on the young season. Chicago, meanwhile, slipped to 1-8 and a seventh consecutive defeat, and for long stretches of the afternoon the Bulls looked like a team ready to steal one from a contender.

It started fast and stayed that way. Philadelphia led by a single point after the first quarter despite a minus-9.6 net rating in opening frames that ranked 27th in the league coming in, and the Sixers' greatest weapon early on was not their shooting but their work on the glass. They poured in 17 second-chance points in the first quarter alone, with Embiid grabbing four offensive rebounds and Jabari Walker — pressed into backup center duty for a second straight game with Adem Bona sidelined — pulling down seven boards in a strong first stint.

Embiid's night told its own story. Two days after going 0-for-9 from the field in Friday's loss to Cleveland, he was short on his first attempt, a wide-open three, and failed to score in the post over Jalen Smith. He finally got one to fall at the 6:42 mark of the first quarter, tipping in his own miss, and slowly worked his way into the game, finishing with 18 points and 10 rebounds on 7-of-19 shooting. Eight of those rebounds came on the offensive end, and the Sixers outscored Chicago 33-12 in second-chance points — the margin, in the end, that decided the game.

James, who had committed two early turnovers, found his rhythm in the second quarter on his way to a 16-point first half, finishing with 22 points, five rebounds and five assists. Maxey hit two free throws to put Philadelphia up 60-50 late in the second, and the Sixers carried a 68-61 lead into the break.

Chicago refused to go away. Matas Buzelis buried a three to tie the game at 68-all early in the third, and the United Center crowd sensed an upset. But the Bulls' defense — one of the worst in the NBA — could not hold up against Philadelphia's balance. Brown nailed a turnaround jumper to restore a double-digit lead, Walker knocked down a top-of-the-key triple to stretch it to 12, and every Sixers starter finished in double figures.

The Bulls made one last push. Rookie Caleb Wilson drained a three to cut the deficit to 116-113, and Sixers coach Nick Nurse called timeout. From there, Philadelphia was efficient enough in the half court: Embiid made a put-back and a pair of free throws, Maxey drilled a side-step three off a wraparound feed from James, and the Sixers converted their clutch free throws to secure the win.

Giddey was superb in defeat for Chicago with 19 points, 15 assists and seven rebounds, and Buzelis matched him with 19. Norm Powell was out for the Bulls, though Nic Claxton made his first appearance for the club. The Sixers were without Bona, Dominick Barlow and Ariel Hukporti.

Philadelphia has now beaten Chicago twice this season, having won the first meeting 126-107 on November 2. The Sixers return home to face the Boston Celtics on Tuesday night. The Bulls host San Antonio on Wednesday, still searching for a second win.