The Philadelphia 76ers’ injury-derailed season just keeps getting worse. Philadelphia lost its eighth straight game after falling to the Chicago Bulls on Monday night, and it was more than just a run-of-the-mill weekday defeat.
The Sixers allowed the Bulls to drop 39 points in the first quarter, a day after giving up 40 to the Brooklyn Nets. Philadelphia was always chasing after the first quarter and eventually lost by a massive 32 points. At one point, the 76ers were down by 50 points and ultimately lost 142-110.
Philly’s head coach, Nick Nurse, was left disappointed in his players. He blasted them in his post-game interview for not showing enough energy on the court.
‘Really Poor From the Start’ — Nick Nurse on Philadelphia 76ers Blowout Loss To Chicago Bulls
The 76ers’ season has largely been marred by injuries to star players including Joel Embiid, who was benched in the fourth quarter against the Nets and missed the entire game against the Bulls to manage his left knee. Considering Embiid has averaged over 30 points a game for the Sixers across the last three seasons, his presence — or lack thereof — is notable.
The Sixers also had Justin Edwards, Eric Gordon, Jared McCain, and Kyle Lowry sidelined with injuries. But those who did play against the Bulls didn’t show enough desire to win, Nurse suggested.
“Just the overall vibe was really poor from the start,” Nurse told reporters. “I think that giving up 39, almost 40 [points] again in the first quarter just kind of set the tone for the game. There just didn’t seem to be a lot of energy or life or vibe tonight.”
"Just the overall vibe was really poor from the start. … Just didn't seem to be a lot of energy, or life or vibe tonight from our guys."
Nick Nurse following the Sixers' 32-point home loss to the Bulls 🗣
They once trailed by as many as 50 in the 4th quarter.
(via… pic.twitter.com/QHiUP4znd4
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) February 25, 2025
The Bulls were without their leading scorer Nikola Vucevic and still managed to unload on the 76ers. They were led by impressive performances from Josh Giddey and Kevin Huerter, who scored 25 and 23 points, respectively, to win their 23rd game of the season.
Meanwhile, it marked Philadelphia’s 37th loss of the season, and a season-high eighth-straight, having only managed to win just 20 games so far. Paul George was the Sixers’ top scorer with 19 points. He admitted they were not a team capable of contending for the playoffs.
“We’ve shown no sign of a team that will compete and, you know, we just don’t have the habits of a champion or a playoff contending team,” George said postgame via Adam Aaronson.
The Sixers signed George over the summer to pair him with Embiid, but the nine-time NBA All-Star has also struggled with injuries and is taking injections to be able to play.
Philadelphia’s hopes of reaching the playoffs are taking a hit with each game, and they are now standing in 12th place in the Eastern Conference. Next, the 76ers will travel to Madison Square Garden in hopes of finding an upset against the New York Knicks, who have as many losses as Philadelphia has wins.
