Jalen Smith sparked a game-ending run with a thunderous dunk on Joel Embiid, and the Chicago Bulls matched a season high with their fifth straight win, beating the Philadelphia 76ers 109-102 on Friday night at the United Center.
The Bulls scored the final 10 points of the game, starting with Smith’s driving dunk. Tre Jones and Zach Collins each had 15 points and Coby White scored 13, helping the Bulls match their best streak since a 5-0 start — their best in 29 years. They won for the sixth time in seven games — following a season-high seven-game skid — to even their record at 15-15, the first time they’ve been at .500 since Nov. 28.
Embiid led the 76ers with 31 points, and Tyrese Maxey scored 27 and had five 3-pointers. Paul George shook off a slow start to finish with 15 points and a season-high 12 rebounds, but the 76ers lost for the fourth time in as many games this season with their three stars in the lineup.
The Sixers led 102-99 after Embiid backed in with 2:45 remaining, but that was all the scoring for them. Smith then drove the baseline and dunked on a rotating Embiid with about 2:30 remaining, bringing the crowd to its feet.
White then nailed a step-back 3, drawing more roars, and Jones hit a reverse layup. After a driving Maxey got blocked by Nikola Vučević, Jones tracked down a loose ball and laid it in with 47 seconds left. He added a free throw with 17 seconds remaining.
Embiid, who has missed 15 games mainly due to right knee soreness, scored 16 points as the cold-shooting Sixers grabbed a 52-49 halftime lead. The 76ers made just 3 of 15 3-pointers and were 19 of 50 from the field through the first two quarters. Even so, the Sixers went from leading 13-2 to trailing by 11 early in the second to taking a three-point advantage to the locker room.
Up next
- Bulls: Host the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday.
- 76ers: Visit the Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday.