Don’t look now, but a week into the season, the Philadelphia 76ers and Chicago Bulls meet for sole control of first place in the Eastern Conference. Both 5-1, they’ve majorly exceeded expectations thus far.
The 76ers boast the league’s highest-scoring offense—led not by Joel Embiid, who’s on a minutes restriction, but by their dynamic backcourt of Tyrese Maxey and rookie VJ Edgecombe. Maxey ranks second in the league in scoring, averaging 33.7 points and 9.0 assists per game. Edgecombe, meanwhile, leads all rookies in points (20.3), assists (5.0), and steals (1.5), all while scoring with impressive efficiency.
Jared McCain slated make his much-anticipated season debut
Moreover, forward Kelly Oubre Jr. and reserve guard Quentin Grimes are contributing 19.5 and 18.2 points per game, respectively, to Philadelphia’s potent offense. And the firepower doesn’t stop there—the Sixers will soon welcome back 21-year-old Jared McCain, who missed 59 games last season with a torn meniscus and the start of this one due to a UCL tear in his right thumb.
Before his injury last season, McCain averaged 15.3 points and 2.2 three-pointers per game, well on his way to Rookie of the Year honors. 11 months later, he’ll make his return against the Bulls.
With McCain back in the lineup, Philadelphia will be without only forwards Dominick Barlow and Paul George. The latter has yet to appear this season as he recovers from offseason knee surgery. The 35-year-old is reportedly progressing, though there’s still no clear timetable for his return.
Ayo Dosunmu remains questionable
As for the Bulls, Coby White will miss another game as he continues to recover from an offseason calf strain, while fellow guard Ayo Dosunmu remains questionable with a left quad contusion suffered in Chicago’s first of two meetings with the New York Knicks.
Dosunmu sat out Chicago’s second matchup with New York, which ended in the team’s first loss of the season. There’s optimism he’ll return against the guard-heavy 76ers—the 25-year-old got shots up during the Bulls’ morning shootaround, suggesting his status is closer to probable than questionable.
Full injury report for Chicago Bulls vs Philadelphia 76ers
The complete injury report for tonight's game is as follows:
Chicago Bulls
Out: Zach Collins (Left Scaphoid Fracture), Noa Essengue (G League Assignment), Coby White (Right Calf Strain).
Questionable: Ayo Dosunmu (Left Quad Contusion).
Philadelphia 76ers
Out: Dominick Barlow (Right Elbow Laceration), Paul George (Left Knee Surgery Recovery).
Probable: Jared McCain (Right Thumb Surgery Recovery; Left Knee Surgery Recovery).