PHILADELPHIA — Josh Giddey had 25 points, 16 rebounds and six assists as the Chicago Bulls ended a six-game skid by routing the Philadelphia 76ers 142-110 on Monday night.
Kevin Huerter scored 23 points, Zach Collins added 19 and Matas Buzelis 17 as the Bulls led by as many as 50 points in the fourth quarter and sent Philadelphia to its eighth straight loss.
The Bulls entered having lost 11 of 15. They hold the 10th and final play-in tournament spot in the Eastern Conference. Philadelphia is in 12th place, 2 1/2 games back and has now lost eight straight.
Paul George and Kelly Oubre Jr. each scored 19 points and Tyrese Maxey added 13 as Philadelphia lost for the 10th time in 11 games.
After the loss, George was critical of his team's effort.
"We've shown no sign of a team that will compete," George told reporters after the game. "We just don't have the habits of a champion, or a playoff contending team, would have. To be honest, right now it's a little far-fetched. All we can do is work hard and try to just keep going."
George hasn't been the scorer he once was in the first season of his four-year, $212 million contract. He’s struggled with injuries and his shot in his first season in Philly and hasn’t quite found the groove expected out of the nine-time All-Star. He hasn't scored more than 17 points since Jan. 24, and three times over that span scored in single digits.
“We’re still having the same conversations. Here we are, just about 60 games in,” George said. “It’s unacceptable. Just the amount of layups, uncontested at times, that we give up, it’s just unacceptable. It just comes down to what we want to do. Do we want to leave everything on the floor and play as hard as we can and see where that gets us? I’m all for it. But we’ve got to come together and we’ve got to play hard.”
Takeaways
Bulls: The Bulls set season-highs for first-half points (75) and points in a game. They did it with Lonzo Ball, who scored six points in eight minutes, leaving with a head laceration. Forward Nik Vucevic was a late scratch with left calf tightness.
76ers: The Sixers played without Joel Embiid, who was getting his troublesome left knee examined. Embiid has been limited to 19 games this year. Maxey played despite a right finger injury. Their injury woes got worse when Guerschon Yabusele had to be helped off the court early in the third quarter and didn’t return after getting hit in the face. Quentin Grimes exited with knee soreness.
Key moment
The Bulls hit three of their first four shots from three-point range, opening up a 21-12 lead. They shot 52 per cent from the field in the first half.
Key stat
Slow starts have killed the 76ers recently. They gave up 40 points in the first quarter Saturday to Brooklyn and 72 in the first half to Boston last Thursday. Monday, they allowed 39 in the first.
Up next
Both teams play Wednesday. Philadelphia visits New York Knicks and Chicago hosts the Los Angeles Clippers.
— With files from Sportsnet Staff
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