76ers vs. Bulls: Doc Rivers on Turning Point After Ideal Start

When did the Sixers lose momentum after a solid start on Friday against the Bulls? Doc Rivers explained after the loss.

Philadelphia 76ers head coach Doc Rivers liked the way his team started their Friday night matchup against the Chicago Bulls in South Philly.

Despite being down an All-Star center in Joel Embiid, Rivers thought the Sixers were establishing a good rhythm early on.

“You know I loved how we started out the game,” said the head coach. 

In the first quarter, the Sixers drained 42 percent of their shots and knocked down six of their 11 attempted threes while taking care of the ball, turning it over just once. As a result of their first-quarter performance, the Sixers outscored the Bulls 30-25.

From that point on, Chicago’s offensive attack became too tough for Philadelphia, and Rivers believed that started with the Sixers changing the way they played on the offensive end of the floor.

“I thought the second quarter changed the entire tempo of the game,” Rivers explained. “We had great pace, and then the pace went away. Fouls, three-point plays, and all of a sudden, we walked the ball up the floor, and the whole pace of the game changed.”

Rivers points to the second quarter as the moment things changed on Friday night. By struggling from three, draining just three of their 11 shots from deep, and turning the ball over four times, the Sixers got out of their rhythm. 

Meanwhile, the Bulls were able to get everything they wanted. Knocking down 75 percent of their threes and going 77 percent from the field, Chicago outscored the Sixers by nine points in the second quarter. As a result, the Bulls went into halftime with a small lead.

Once the third quarter rolled around, Chicago expanded their lead to 18 points. From that point on, the Sixers couldn’t climb back. While there were a few runs late in the game that teased a potential comeback for Philly, the Bulls ultimately prevented the Sixers from coming close. Taking care of the lead they established early in the second half, the Bulls put the Sixers away 126-112 on Friday night. 

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for All76ers, a Sports Illustrated channel. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.