Philadelphia 76ers vs Chicago Bulls Prediction and Match Preview - May 3rd, 2021 | NBA season 2020-21
The Philadelphia 76ers visit the United Center to take on the Chicago Bulls on Sunday as they look to continue their winning ways in the 2020-21 NBA.
The Philadelphia 76ers hold the edge over the Chicago Bulls in the season series between the two teams, having won the previous two encounters. Doc Rivers' men moved to first seed in the East after the Milwaukee Bucks' victory over the Brooklyn Nets.
Match Details
Fixture - Philadelphia 76ers vs Chicago Bulls | 2020-21 NBA Season.
Date & Time - Monday, May 3rd; 9:00 PM ET (Tuesday, May 4th; 6:30 AM IST).
Venue - United Center, Chicago, IL.
Philadelphia 76ers Preview
The Philadelphia 76ers are on a roll lately, winning their last four games, their sixth such streak this season. They have a largely healthy roster and have peaked at the most opportune time, as the playoffs are just a few weeks away.
In their last game, they beat the San Antonio Spurs 113-111 in overtime to record their 43rd win of the season. The Philadelphia 76ers dominated early on, opening a nine-point lead in the first half, but squandered that, as they got outscored 18-28 in the last quarter.
Joel Embiid and Seth Curry did well to keep them in the game, as the former scored 34 points and made 12 rebounds, while the latter ended the night with 22 points to his name. The Philadelphia 76ers stuttered at the offensive end and will be looking to fare better in that department against the Chicago Bulls.
Key Player - Dwight Howard
Dwight Howard has been a terrific addition to the Philadelphia 76ers' roster this season.
The veteran has been producing top-drawer performances of late and has been a key player for them in most games this campaign. With the matchup against the Bulls being the second night of a back-to-back, Doc Rivers will likely give Howard some extra game time in the middle.
Howard, who will be up against Vucevic in this game, will have to limit the latter's threat to bolster the Philadelphia 76ers' victory hopes.
Vooch has been the Chicago Bulls' best player of late in the absence of LaVine and holds the key to the Bulls' chances of winning this game.
Predicted Lineup
Point Guard - Ben Simmons l Shooting Guard - Seth Curry l Small Forward - Danny Green l Power Forward - Tobias Harris | Center - Joel Embiid.
Chicago Bulls Preview
The Chicago Bulls continue to slip in the postseason reckoning, as they are now 12th in the Eastern Conference standings, three games behind the Washington Wizards.
The Bulls lost to the Atlanta Hawks 97-108 in their last game, as they played without their All-Stars, Nikola Vucevic and Zach LaVine, for the first time since the former signed with them. The shorthanded Chicago Bulls made just six three-pointers and were able to convert only 64.7% of their free-throw attempts on the night.
Thaddeus Young had 20 points, while Patrick Williams scored 19, but it wasn't enough for the team to snap their two-game skid.
Key Player - Patrick Williams
With Nikola Vucevic likely to have a busy night on Monday with his matchups against the likes of Joel Embiid and Dwight Howard, Patrick Williams will need to come up big at both ends of the floor to give the Chicago Bulls a chance to win this game.
LaVine has been listed as doubtful and will likely take some time to get going if he plays, making Williams a key player for the Bulls on Monday.
The rookie had one of the best games of his season in his last appearance, scoring 19 points while shooting at 53% from the field. If he manages to replicate that kind of performance, the Bulls will fancy their chances of upsetting the Philadelphia 76ers.
Predicted Lineup
Point Guard - Coby White l Shooting Guard - Zach LaVine l Small Forward - Patrick Williams l Power Forward - Daniel Theis | Center - Nikola Vucevic.
76ers vs Bulls Prediction
The Philadelphia 76ers are the overwhelming favorites for this game. They are in a rich vein of form and have a healthier roster compared to that of the Chicago Bulls, who can't seem to gain any kind of momentum at the moment. However, with Zach LaVine return to the lineup, it could make things interesting.
Where to watch the 76ers vs Bulls game?
The local coverage of the game between the Philadelphia 76ers and the Chicago Bulls will be available on NBC Sports Chicago and NBC Sports Philadelphia. The game can also be streamed online with an NBA League Pass.
Also Read: Portland Trail Blazers vs Atlanta Hawks Prediction and Match Preview - May 3rd, 2021 | NBA season 2020-21.