The Sixers (17-28) open up their latest back-to-back set in Chicago against the Bulls (23-25) at the United Center tonight (7 E.T. /CSN, CSNPhilly.com and streaming live on the NBC Sports app).
Let's take a closer look at tonight's matchup:
1. Shake it off
Sometimes there's nothing you can do.
That had to be how the Sixers felt during stretches of their last game when Houston Rockets guard James Harden absolutely lit them up. "The Beard" turned in a historic triple-double with 51 points, 13 rebounds and 13 assists in the Rockets' 123-118 win on Friday.
Not even 32 points from Joel Embiid in his first game after being left off the Eastern Conference All-Star team was enough to keep up with Houston's potent attack.
Now the Sixers will face the Bulls without Embiid, who did not make the trip as he will sit out the first game of the back-to-back set for rest. The team won its last two games when Embiid was sidelined last week as they topped both the LA Clippers and Milwaukee Bucks. The Sixers will try to continue that trend in Chicago.
2. Too much drama
What exactly is going on with the Bulls?
NBA
First, they blew a 10-point lead with three minutes left in a 119-114 loss to the Atlanta Hawks on Thursday, which led Dwyane Wade and Jimmy Butler to call the team out.
That didn't sit well with the always-combustible Rajon Rondo, who fired back with an Instagram post directed at the team's veteran leaders.
The Bulls then held a necessary team meeting to clear the air, but it didn't immediately translate on the court. The Bulls suffered a 100-88 loss to the Miami Heat on Friday, as Wade and Butler came off the bench as punishment for airing their issues with the team to the media. The duo combined for just 18 points on 7 for 30 shooting (Butler shot 1 of 13) in the defeat.
Chicago hoped to have at least one controversy-free day of practice on Saturday, but it was reported that a sore spot among the younger players on the team was Wade's practice habits.
With so much dysfunction surrounding the Bulls, it's hard to tell which team will show up to face the Sixers tonight.
3. Stick to the glass
One area that hasn't been hurt by the Bulls' internal issues is rebounding. They are the NBA's top overall rebounding team with 47.2 boards per game and best offensive rebounding squad with 13.3 a night.
That's not exactly good news for the Sixers, who are 18th in the league in rebounding. They have been out-rebounded in three of their last four games, including 46-38 against the Rockets, and that was with Embiid in the lineup.
Brett Brown will need all of his players who see action tonight to crash the glass if the Sixers hope to come out with a win.
4. Injuries
Embiid (knee), Ben Simmons (foot) and Jerryd Bayless (wrist) are out for the Sixers.
The Bulls have no players listed on the injury report.
5. This and that
• The Sixers have lost 11 straight to the Bulls.
• Wade and Butler scored 26 points apiece in the Bulls' 105-89 win over the Sixers back on Black Friday.
• Ersan Ilyasova will attempt to score in double digits again after having a streak of 25 straight games with at least 10 points snapped in Friday's loss to the Rockets.