76ers: Three Takeaways from Loss vs. Bulls

On Monday night, the Sixers lost to the Bulls, what were the takeaways?

On Monday night, the Philadelphia 76ers went up against the Chicago Bulls, looking to build on their recent run of success, as well as their 10-3 record at the Wells Fargo Center.

While they've had it easy as of late, this wasn't the case against the Bulls, as they came out of the gates swinging, with Colby White and Nikola Vucevic finding great success from the field for Chicago.

Despite Joel Embiid's 23 point first half, the Sixers would find themselves down by 11 points at half time, with Maxey struggling in the opening two quarters, dropping nine points.

The third quarter would be better for Philadelphia, as Embiid continued to steam roll through Chicago, dropping 13 points, as Maxey started to heat up.

Yet, despite a 15-point fourth quarter from Maxey, former Sixer Vucevic would drain two shots from beyond the arch, along with Patrick Williams, which would seal the door shut on the 76ers, ending their winning streak.

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What were the takeaways?

Colby White Steps Up

With DeMar DeRozan having a lackluster game on the offensive end, only managing to put up 15 points, Billy Donovan needed a player to step up.

Colby White would answer the call, erupting for 24 points, 13 of which came in the opening quarter, which would help keep the Bulls propel ahead of the Sixers early on in the match.

While he only added four points to his total in the closing quarter, White managed to dish out five assists, which would ultimately help the Bulls come out on top.

Apart from Embiid and Maxey, Sixers' Struggle on Offense

It's no surprise that Embiid and Maxey led Philadelphia's offensive charge, with the duo living up to their high ranking throughout the league in terms of points averaged by a partnership, combining for 69 points against the Bulls.

Yet, apart from the team's two leading scorers, their starting line up went cold, with Harris, Nicholas Batum, and De'Anthony Melton combining for 12 points.

It wasn't just the rest of their starting lineup who struggled, as it impacted the bench too, with only Kelly Oubre and Paul Reed really putting up notable points for the Sixers.

Even in close games, Embiid can rest in the fourth quarter

A common trend over the Sixers' recent run of games is the reigning MVP getting some much needed rest in the fourth quarter.

Even when games are close, as it was on Monday night where the two sides were separated by 12 points entering the fourth quarter, it's not uncommon to see Embiid sit for a few minutes to get him some rest.

This was just the case as Nick Nurse allowed the Sixers' big man to sit for the first seven minutes, before coming in at the 5:49 mark, with his four existing fouls as a potential reason for his extended rest.