3 Observations: 76ers Blow 24-Point Lead in Loss to Bulls

The Philadelphia 76ers squandered a 24-point lead, falling to the Chicago Bulls 113-111 on Tuesday night at the United Center.

Tyrese Maxey finished with 39 points, five rebounds, five assists, one steal and three blocks. Joel Embiid recorded 20 points, six rebounds, three steals and four blocks. V.J. Edgecombe added 12 points, 11 rebounds, four assists and two steals.

Paul George (left knee surgery recovery) and Dominick Barlow (right elbow laceration) were out of the lineup for the Sixers.

Chicago was led by Josh Giddey’s 29 points, 15 rebounds and 12 assists. Nikola Vucevic finished with 19 points and 10 rebounds. The Bulls played without Ayo Dosunmu (left quadricep contusion), Coby White (right calf strain) and Zach Collins (left scaphoid fracture).

The Sixers next take on the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday night. Here are three observations from the loss to Chicago:

Sixers Ride 3-Pointer to Best Offensive Quarter of Season

Another game, another dominant performance from Maxey. The Sixers got off to scorching hot start against Chicago, scoring 45 points while shooting 8 of 11 from beyond the arc. Maxey, fresh off of being named the Eastern Conference Player of the Week, poured in 12 points in the opening quarter. It took him less than three minutes of game action to knock down multiple 3-pointers, including a beautiful step-back in the corner over a solid contest from Nikola Vucevic.

ladies and gentlemen: the eastern conference player of the week. pic.twitter.com/5tbv8YWyAk

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) November 5, 2025

Maxey’s hot outside shooting was more than enough to lead him to yet another game with 30-plus points. Playing on his 25th birthday, he had plenty of reason to smile. Maxey carving up opposing defenses, whether through his jumper or using his speed and finishing ability, has become the norm this season. If he continues anywhere near this pace, he should be penciled in for his first All-NBA team at the minimum.

While Maxey might have led the charge, he was not alone. Edgecombe knocked down two of his three attempts from long distance in addition to playing as a menace on the glass. His athleticism and knack for being around the ball make him a far better rebounder than what a 6-foot-4 guard should be.

The shots are also continuing to fall for Kelly Oubre Jr.He finished with an efficient 18 points on 7-of-11 shooting. On the other end of the floor, Oubre is playing inspired defense, using his length and energy to disrupt opposing offenses.

Jared McCain made his season debut after missing the first six games due to a torn ligament in his right thumb. He went scoreless in 15 minutes off the bench. However, it will likely take a few games for him to get back to his usual form.

The Highs and Lows of Embiid’s Play Against Chicago

This game against the Bulls served as a perfect encapsulation of the highs and lows of the Embiid experience this season. Despite the Sixers’ talented and energetic group of guards, Embiid continued to show signs of being back to his normal self. In the first half, he was scoring at will against the Chicago defense.

vintage Biid. he’s up to 16 points! pic.twitter.com/JPkHftS0AL

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) November 5, 2025

With his mid-range game in vintage form, Chicago started throwing double teams his direction. The Sixers effectively turned the extra attention Embiid was getting into more open looks for everyone else on the floor.

On the defensive end, Embiid had one of his better games of the season thus far. After looking hesitant and a step slow in the season opener, Embiid is beginning to play with improved movement and explosiveness. As a result, he was able to do a better job contesting shots at the rim. While he is not likely going to return to being an elite shot blocker, Embiid still is capable of being a solid interior defender.

While Embiid played some of his best basketball of the season in the first half, things completely fell apart as the game wore on. His decision making, including attempting to make a ridiculous no-look pass, helped lead to Chicago being able to get back into the game. After coming back into the game in the fourth quarter, it quickly became clear he was out of gas. The dominant version of Embiid from the first half was long gone. Instead, Embiid turned the ball over or forced up one contested mid-range jumper after another. Despite it becoming clear Embiid had no juice left, the team kept feeding him the ball while looking for either him or Maxey to play hero ball.

Sixers Collapse After Dismal Performance in Second Half

For as good as the Sixers looked offensively in the first half, everything seemed to fall apart in the second half. Embiid, as detailed above, can shoulder a lot of the blame for the team squandering a 24-point lead. However, he is far from the lone player at fault.

Quentin Grimes had one of his worst games of the season. He missed all four of his attempts from 3-point range in addition to making a slew of mistakes with the basketball. Coming fresh off a 13-assist performance against the Brooklyn Nets, Grimes seemed to regress as a playmaker. He turned the ball over four times against Chicago and could not find his rhythm offensively.

Despite Grimes’ struggles and the team continuing to feed an out-of-gas Embiid the ball, the Sixers still had a slim lead heading into the final minutes. Maxey, for all his success this season, also contributed to the Sixers’ poor late-game decision making against the Bulls. With the Sixers holding a three-point lead with under two minutes remaining, Maxey seemed committed to recklessly pushing the pace. Instead of slowing the game down and trying to get a better shot, he wasted possessions by throwing up wild contested layup attempts in transition.

The Sixers’ second-half collapse falls at the feet of the entire team. Philadelphia’s last made shot came with 6:26 remaining in the fourth quarter. They went scoreless in the final 4:26 of action. The Sixers are off to a good start this season, but they have a lot of cleaning up to do if they are going to sustain their 5-2 start to the campaign.