Sixers Fight but Bulls Escape

The absense of Nerlens Noel haunted the Sixers tonight vs the Bulls, but the young Sixers team put up a good fight and showed a lot of heart against the much more experienced Bulls team who came into the night with a 4-1 record, leading the Central. The Sixers, who came into the game looking for their first win of the season, were demolished by Chicago on the boards and were unable to generate any defensive pressure down low in the paint against veteran big men Joakim Noah and Pau Gasol.

Throughout the night coach Brett Brown was under contant stress because only nine players were healthy enough to be in uniform for the team. The absense of Noel forced the Sixers to lean on Brandon Davies and Henry Sims to protect the rim, step up and play well. On the offensive end, they both showcased thier skillsets which resulted in some well-deserved buckets from the two youngsters. Meanwhile, on the defensive side it was thier inablility to come up with rebounds that unfortunatly plauged the team. Suprisingly, the Sixers did have more offenive rebounds but were clearly mis-matched down low all night. Foul trouble also played a key role in the loss as Coach Brett Brown was limited throughout the night.

 As the game began, the Sixers came out running and running fast. The track meet was exactly what coach Brett Brown wanted to see from his team and it was going to be the only way they were going to come out with a win. It did result in Tony Wroten jacking up fifteen first half shot attempts and only netting five of them, but his work on the defensive end made up for his inconsistent shooting. Wroten came into the evening leading the NBA in steals and showed us why again tonight.

 After a productive first half from the Sixers resulting in a 57-57 tie at the break, Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau amped up his unit during the intermission and his team came out firing on all cylnders in the 2nd half. Chicago started the half on a 21-7 run lead by 34 year old, three-point artist, Mike Dunleavy. Dunleavy was on the money throughout the 3rd quarter leading the Bulls to a 92-76 advantage after 3. We were under the impression all would be said and done after the early 3rd quarter run from the Bulls, but that was not the case.

Going into the 4^th quarter the Bulls led by 16 but the Sixers erased the lead quickly, making the 4^th quarter an exciting one. Led by Tony Wroten, who had a career high 31 points, brought the Sixers all the way back on 13-3 run. Wroten and the Sixers even climbed within 2 points of Chicago with just a few seconds remaining after a Chris Johnson three-pointer. Unfortunately, they were unable to pull out a win as the Bulls withstood the rush and escaped with a 118-115 victory.

With this loss the Sixers fall to 0-6 but don't let that record fool you. Although the losses continue to pile up, Brett Brown and his Sixers are a feisty team that represents the pride of our city. They come out every night full of heart, desire, and a passion to learn the game of basketball. Losses may be happening now but this team is growing. You can tell just by watching the team play. Even in the 4th quarter, after being down by 18, they fought their way back, coming within 2 points and giving the Bulls a battle. That is what Sam Hinkie and Brett Brown want to see in this team. They don’t care about wins and losses, they want to see fight each and every night and that’s what the Sixers have provided for fans so far this season. It was another fun night at the Wells Fargo Center.

Next up: Sunday November 9th @Toronto 7pm Tip

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