It’s rare for a basketball game to end after six minutes. But the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday night already had ceded a loss to the Philadelphia 76ers halfway through the first quarter.
It took barely a minute for the 76ers to set the tone. De’Anthony Melton sank a 3-pointer on the opening play. Tyrese Maxey snagged a sloppy pass from Patrick Williams on the ensuing inbound for a quick layup. Joel Embiid sank a jumper after another empty Bulls play.
Within a breathless 1 minute, 5 seconds, the 76ers had taken a seven-point lead and thrown the Bulls completely on their heels on their way to carving out a 17-0 opening run.
The Bulls had no answer — not from midrange, not from behind the arc, not even from the free-throw line. Zach LaVine scored the first point of the game for the Bulls from the free-throw line with 8:28 left in the quarter but missed his second attempt.
Even after the scoring of the opening six minutes died down, the 76ers posted 76 points — the largest amount the Bulls have allowed in a first half all season — to take a 28-point lead into the locker room. At that point, Embiid determined the game to be over, staying back to begin his postgame cool-down routine with 24 minutes remaining.
The loss snapped the Bulls’ three-game winning — tied for their longest of the season — and shattered a hopeful bubble created by the last double-overtime win over the 76ers in Philadelphia.
DeRozan declined to speak with reporters to provide an update on his health after leaving the game with a right quad strain in the third quarter.
LaVine and Vučević said they spoke with DeRozan after the game and felt he would “be all right” for the upcoming trip to Portland and Los Angeles. But coach Billy Donovan emphasized concerns about the recurring nature of the injury for DeRozan, who is known for his steadfast insistence on playing every game.
”I’m always concerned because he’s been dealing with it, but I haven’t gotten anything that indicated that he’s going to be out any length of time,” Donovan said. “Most guys are not totally healthy this time of year but they’re on the court and able to work through it. I think for Alex (Caruso) and DeMar, they’re at a place where they physically can’t perform where they want to or need to for us.”
The Bulls fell to 34-38 and remained in 10th in the Eastern Conference with a 1½-game lead over the Indiana Pacers.
The Bulls will embark on a three-game trip, facing the Trail Blazers on Friday, then playing a back-to-back against the Lakers and Clippers in Los Angeles on Sunday and Monday.
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