Background.
The game was played on December 31, 2021 at the home of the Bulls, against the 76ers on the road and the Bulls on the home. It's a contest between two Eastern Conference teams.
Let's start with the 76ers. The 76ers previously had a record of 22 wins and 9 losses, ranking third in the East, and are the giants of the East. The team's number one star, Joel Embiid, continues to be sidelined with an ankle injury, but he has been exceptionally good this year, averaging 35 points per game.11With 7 rebounds and 6 assists, he has been at the top of the MVP list for three consecutive weeks, and it seems that it will not be difficult to win the scoring title and MVP award in a row. Since Doc Rivers became head coach of the 76ers, the team has changed dramatically, with top efficiency in the league both offensively and defensively, and top-three in points per game and steals per game. With Embiid's absence, Maxey and Harris are the two pillars of the team, and with the combination of inside and outside, coupled with top power forward rotations, the 76ers are still expected to retain the top three spots in the East.
100 help plan
As for the Bulls, they did not perform well in the first half of the season, with only a 14-19 record, ranking 10th in the East, and still far from qualifying for the playoffs. However, Bulls executives said the team will move before the trade deadline to trade out at least one star. According to **, what the 76ers want most is the two major stars of the Bulls, LaVine and DeRozan. LaVine has been sidelined with injury for most of the season, while DeRozan's contract expires at the end of the season and is expected to leave the Bulls. If the Bulls are really going to rebuild, both could be traded. Prior to LaVine's injury, the Bulls had a low win rate at crucial times;After LaVine left, the Bulls' winning percentage increased. This undoubtedly presents a dilemma for the Bull executives.
Comparison of the data of the two teams.
One of the most interesting points of this game is how the 76ers can deal with the Bulls' strong interior combination without Embiid, especially Vucevic who has been in excellent form this season. In addition to this, the performance of the Bulls' backcourt double gun is also crucial.
Judging by the performance in the first quarter, the Bulls clearly had the upper hand. When center Vucevic only played 7 minutes, he grabbed 8 rebounds and completely overwhelmed the 76ers players. In the entire first quarter, the Bulls scored 21 points, while the 76ers only scored 17 points, and the four-point gap was not large, but in terms of rebounding and shooting data, the Bulls were clearly superior. The main scoring points came from center Vucevic and guard L**ine, who easily scored points against the 76ers' defense. As for the 76ers, the top scorer was guard Maxey, with 12 points. It can be seen that the cooperation between the inside and outside of the bull is even better.
At the end of the first half, the Bulls led the 76ers by eight points at 56-48. This was largely due to the high shooting percentage of 15 points from center Vucevic and 15 points from backup guard White. They faced the 76ers, who didn't have a center star, and they attacked boldly, and their three-point and rebounding shots were accurate. In addition to Maxey's 12 points, the 76ers' offense is not smooth, mainly relying on outside projection, and the shooting percentage is not high.
At the end of the third quarter, the Bulls continued to extend their lead, leading by a full nine points at 80-71. Vucevic continued to wreak havoc in the restricted area, with DeRozan's high-difficulty mid-range shots hitting repeatedly. Although the 76ers have made a lot of three-point shots, their shooting percentage is still very low. Maxey, Melton, and Harris combined for just 3 out of 8. If the 76ers want to catch up with the score, they will have to improve their accuracy.
The final game ended in garbage time, with the Bulls winning 105-92 over the 76ers, extending the margin to 13 points. The biggest feature of this game is that Vucevic crushed the 76ers inside, scoring 15 points and 23 rebounds in all-around data;Backup guard Caruso was the Bulls' second-leading scorer, with 14 points and 5 assistsDeRozan's 24 points and 6 rebounds also showed the strength of the All-Star. Conversely, in the 76ers, Maxey's 22 points and 7 assists are not enough to support the whole team, and Harris's 15+7 stats are also mediocre. The final score difference reasonably reflects the contrast of strength between the two sides.
Characteristics of the two teams' playing styleMatch ending:
The characteristics of the style of play can be clearly seen from the starters of both sides. The Bulls adopted the main lineup with Vucevic as the core, and also paired it with All-Star guard DeRozan to control the interior through the high and low lineups. On the other side of the 76ers, the core star Embiid was injured, and head coach Rivers sent a small-ball strategy, using Maxey and Harris as the starting point to attack at a fast pace.
In the first quarter, the Bulls shot according to their own style of play and took the initiative to attack the interior. When center forward Vucevic scored in his own half in quick succession, substitute center Williams also scored a lot of points. This puts a lot of pressure on the 76ers' defense, and in the absence of Embiid, the 76ers are clearly lacking in defensive interior ability. As the pace of the game progressed, the Bulls continued to dominate. In the first half, they led by double digits, clearly controlling the pace of the game.
In the second half, the 76ers tried to pick up the tempo to catch up with the score, but the Bulls relied on the consistent performances of Vusevic and DeRozan to maintain the lead. In the final minute, the 76ers managed to close the gap, but ultimately lost by a large score of 13 points. The biggest feature of this game is that the Bulls completely control the pace of the game, relying on solid interior attack and accurate three-point shooting to win;In the absence of the team's No. 1 scoring point, the 76ers did not shoot well from the perimeter, so it was difficult to threaten the opponent.
The focus of this session. There are a few important points to watch from this game that are worth going deeper**. The first is the performance of Bulls center Vucevic. In the absence of a center forward, he took advantage of his strengths. He had 10 points and 10 rebounds in the first half and 15 points and 23 rebounds in the whole game. This is not only more than his average per game this season, but also his personal best in a single game this season. Driven by the lack of LaVine, Vucevic picked up the bulls' girder and performed remarkably. This will undoubtedly also attract the attention of potential buyers, as Vucevic is currently at the peak of his career.
Another bright spot was the performance of the Bulls' bench players. Starting point guard Lonzo Ball is out injured all season, so the Bulls can only count on the bench to step up. In this game, backup guard Caruso scored 14 points and 5 assists aloneBench forward Williams also had a good performance with 11 points and 5 rebounds. It's fair to say that Bulls coach Billy Donovan has been able to move off the bench to make a difference. This also provides an idea for the next development of the Bulls, which can be used as the core to cultivate young bench players and gradually rebuild the team.
Finally, mention the performance of 76ers guard Maxey. Without the team's number one star, he picked up the main beam with 20 points and seven assists. Although the team lost the battle in the end, Maxey's performance proved that he is more than capable of stepping up in key moments. As long as Embiid returns, I hope Maxey can continue to improve, form a two-gun lineup with the core of the team, and lead the 76ers to good results.
End. The most surprising part of this game is that the 76ers, the third strongest team in the East, suffered a heavy defeat on the road without the team's number one star. Obviously, there is a huge gap in the overall strength of the two sides, but the Bulls rely on team play and individual ability to successfully defeat the opponent. This victory is undoubtedly significant for the Bulls, who are rebuilding, not only to stabilize the team's current standings, but also to increase the bargaining chips in the trade market.
The biggest contributor to the whole game was undoubtedly the Bulls center's all-around performance of 15 points and 23 rebounds, which crushed the 76ers' interior line. In addition, the contribution of 14 points and five assists from the bench guard was also crucial. At the same time, DeRozan, as the only All-Star player of the Bulls, has a stable output of 24 points and 6 rebounds, playing a perfect leadership role. It can be said that the Bulls won in the end, which was the result of the all-round efforts of the inside and outside lines. It also provides an important lesson for the head coach: the Bulls have a strong interior and bench that can provide a cornerstone for the team to rebuild.
On the contrary, the 76ers did expose the weakness of the defensive interior. The main center Embiid is out due to injury, resulting in an empty defense of the entire front line. Even if Maxey scored 20 points alone, it would be difficult to support the whole team. The 76ers management will undoubtedly consider strengthening the interior in the postseason to improve the team's defensive strength and reduce Embiid's solo situation. Overall, it was a high-quality match, with both sides showing their own characteristics and exposing a lot of problems. Win or lose, it provides valuable experience for the next step of development.