PHILADELPHIA — The Sixers returned home to host the Chicago Bulls on Monday night, cruising to a 126-107 win after flipping the switch defensively in the third quarter.
Tyrese Maxey led all scorers with 26 points, while Jaylen Brown had 25 points and 11 rebounds, and VJ Edgecombe scored a season-high 21 points.
Here's what I took away from Monday's matchup.
The Sixers love to push the ball in transition, whether off a rebound, made shot or change of possession. Much of that effort Monday night was led by VJ Edgecombe and LeBron James.
Rumors that the Sixers' star additions would stagnate VJ Edgecombe's development have been greatly exaggerated.
His scoring numbers have been down to start the season, but he's more involved than ever and, in his second year, has flashed some massive improvement.
Edgecombe got off to a terrific start, scoring 11 points in the first quarter and throwing down multiple rim-rocking jams in transition. Beyond his transition play, he's shown tremendous improvement as a cutter. His ability to read the defense and time his reaction to create an opening to receive a pass has improved significantly since last season.
It's an often-overlooked aspect of modern basketball but remains one of the most efficient ways to create offense, and for a Sixers half-court game that has been frequently stagnant this season, it's a godsend.
The Sixers built an early advantage against the Bulls thanks to stellar fast-break play, including multiple touchdown passes from LeBron to Edgecombe. LeBron was tremendous as a playmaker in transition, particularly off defensive rebounds. He missed his fair share of makeable shots, especially around the basket, but he stuffed the stat sheet for Philly once again and locked in on both ends in the second half to help the Sixers secure the win.
On paper, the Sixers were by far the more talented team in this matchup. Still, teams often play down to their competition, and that was the case for Philadelphia in the first half.
Philadelphia fizzled out on both ends in the second quarter, allowing the Bulls to stay in the game when the Sixers could have put them away early. However, Philadelphia once again flipped the switch in the second half to regain its double-digit lead.
As the Sixers locked in during the second half, it all started, as it has all season long, on the defensive end. While there are some questions about how this offense can further come together in the half-court, their defense has been among the NBA's best this season, and it was the driving force in separating them from the Bulls.
Joel Embiid subbed out with four minutes left in the third quarter as the Sixers held a 13-point lead. Despite Bona's struggles to that point, that was the last fans saw of Embiid, as his night ended after 25 minutes. Nick Nurse was able to provide him some old-fashioned load management, which Nurse confirmed after the game.
Part of what allowed Embiid's night to end early was the stellar play of Dean Wade. It was a more noteworthy night offensively for Wade, but he made his bones with his versatile, high-level defense, and it stood out again Monday night.
Offensively, LeBron led the charge in the third quarter as the Sixers returned to form and asserted themselves over the Bulls. Maxey once again took over the scoring reins in the fourth, scoring 15 points in the final quarter before Nick Nurse sent in the deep bench in triumph.
The Sixers will travel to Detroit for their second matchup of the season against the Pistons on Wednesday night.
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