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Caleb Wilson Shines Again, But Bulls Fall to Star-Studded 76ers
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- Caleb Wilson Shines Again, But Bulls Fall to Star-Studded 76ers
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No. 4 overall pick Caleb Wilson continues to improve.
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The Bulls' rookie forward was Chicago's best player yet again on Monday night, when he totaled 24 points, seven rebounds, four assists and four steals. Wilson made more than 50% of his shots in a game for the first time this season, shooting 9-of-17 from the field and 4-of-9 from deep.
Despite Wilson's efforts, though, the Bulls dropped their fifth consecutive game. Chicago (1-6) lost to the Eastern Conference-leading Philadelphia 76ers (7-1), 126-107, in a contest that was closer than the final score would indicate.
Norman Powell finished with 18 points, while Josh Giddey had a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds. Jalen Smith posted 13 points and seven rebounds. Matas Buzelis struggled once more, scoring just four points while committing five turnovers and four personal fouls in 23 minutes.
All five Philadelphia starters scored in double figures, led by Tyrese Maxey's 26 points and 11 assists. Maxey scored 15 points in the fourth quarter alone. Jaylen Brown had a 25-point, 11-rebound double-double, and VJ Edgecombe scored 21 points on 9-of-12 shooting.
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Philadelphia's play in transition was an immediate issue for the Bulls. LeBron James got the action started with a fastbreak dunk off a bad Buzelis pass. Wilson responded with a catch-and-shoot three-pointer, then the 76ers continued to punish the Bulls in transition. Edgecombe had a reverse layup and a dunk on consecutive fastbreak possessions, forcing Tiago Splitter to use an early timeout.
The 76ers held a 30-23 lead after one, fueled by 20 points in the paint and 12 fastbreak points.
Nov 2, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard VJ Edgecombe (77) drives for a shot against Chicago Bulls forward Caleb Wilson (8) during the first quarter at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
Offensive rebounding and good ball movement helped the Bulls surge ahead in the second quarter. Giddey consistently drove to the basket and found open teammates for baskets. Smith, Noa Essengue and Buddy Hield all connected from downtown. Hield's second three-pointer capped off a 13-4 run, which gave Chicago its first lead of the night at 41-40.
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Philadelphia used a 13-2 run to take a double-digit lead late in the first half. But in the final minute of the second quarter, Wilson took over.
The No. 4 overall pick stole a pass from Joel Embiid and threw down a dunk on the other end. On the following possession, Wilson snatched a sky-high James pass out of the air. He then threaded the needle with a tight-window pass to Buzelis, who subsequently scored at the rim.
After Maxey's floater put the 76ers up by seven, Giddey drove into the lane and fired a pass to Wilson on the wing. The rookie knocked down the triple at the buzzer, cutting Chicago's halftime deficit to 64-59.
Giddey hit a three-pointer coming out of the half, but the third quarter was all Philly from there. The 76ers went on a 17-4 run as James and Embiid scored at will in the paint.
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Despite 10 points from Wilson in the third, the Bulls still ended the quarter in a double-digit hole, 90-79.
Chicago trimmed the deficit to nine points early in the fourth quarter, when Powell stole the ball away from Maxey and Giddey capitalized with a three-pointer. The shot gave Giddey his second double-double of the season.
The Bulls traded blows with the 76ers down the stretch, but struggled to cut into Philadelphia's lead. Maxey hit a step-back three-pointer, then James made a turnaround jumper through contact. Brown got the offensive rebound on James' missed free throw, and Maxey scored an old-fashioned three-point play to cap off a disastrous stretch for Chicago's defense.
Soon after, Brown got another offensive rebound and nailed the second-chance three. His shot put the 76ers ahead by 15 in the game's final minutes.
The Bulls will continue their road trip on Wednesday against the defending champion New York Knicks. Chicago narrowly lost to the Knicks on Oct. 28, 133-127.
