Bulls hold off short-handed Sixers behind Zach LaVine

PHILADELPHIA–The Philadelphia 76ers were looking to sweep this quick three-game homestand on Friday before heading out on the road for one game. The Chicago Bulls were standing in the way of that hope and the Sixers had to go to battle without the injured Joel Embiid to boot.

The Sixers built a 13-point lead behind some strong 3-point shooting, but the Bulls battled back behind a steady dose of their size as well as Zach LaVine and they were able to rally for a 126-112 victory. LaVine had 41 points and six assists while knocking down 11 triples to lead Chicago while Nikola Vucevic took advantage of no Embiid by going for 19 points, 18 rebounds, and 10 assists.

Tyrese Maxey had 26 points and six assists to lead Philadelphia, Tobias Harris had 22 points and 11 rebounds, and James Harden added 17 points, 11 assists, and seven rebounds. Montrezl Harrell hopped off the bench and had 17 points while De’Anthony Melton added nine points while Georges Niang added another 12.

Here are the player grades following the loss at home:

James Harden: C-

The Beard continues to do it all out on the floor. In the first quarter, he was attacking the glass, he was getting into the paint, and he was setting up his teammates. When it was time to get his teammates involved, he made some pinpoint passes. The offense did grind to a halt in the second half as they were not playing with the same pace they did in the first half which built them the lead. Some of that is on Harden as he is the one with the ball in his hands. He also shot poorly on a night when the Sixers needed him to do more.

Tyrese Maxey: B

It was a terrific start for Maxey as he knocked down two triples and he then leaked out for a layup after a very good defensive play. He had that pep in his step all night on the offensive end and he really was able to get into the paint and do whatever he wanted. He also made some really nice reads with his passing. With that being said, he had a rough night on the defensive end as he and…