Bulls Stage Historic Comeback to Beat Sixers Amid Franchise’s Fast Start

CHICAGO — The Chicago Bulls overcame a 24-point deficit, marking the largest comeback win in the NBA this season, to defeat the Philadelphia 76ers 113-111 on Tuesday night.

This victory continues one of the fastest starts in franchise history for the Bulls, improving their record to 6-1, matching their best start since the 2021-22 season when they last made the playoffs.

“Tonight was one of the best wins that I’ve ever been a part of,” Bulls guard Josh Giddey said after the game. “Just in terms of how bad we were down that early in the third. And to gut that one out was unbelievable.”

Giddey led the Bulls with a remarkable performance, scoring 29 points and adding 15 rebounds and 12 assists, earning his second consecutive triple-double—the first Bulls player to achieve consecutive triple-doubles since Michael Jordan. The victory showcased contributions from throughout the lineup, with Nikola Vucevic scoring 19 points and securing 10 rebounds.

“Whenever you come back down 20-something and win the game, it’s big, especially against a team like Philly who’s been playing great so far,” Vucevic said.

Despite trailing for most of the first half and going down by as many as 22 points in the second half, the Bulls rallied to win. The 76ers started strong, leading 45-27 after the first quarter, with Joel Embiid scoring 39 points and being a dominant force.

Vucevic emphasized that the team’s resilience and unity were key in the comeback. “We have belief,” he stated. “We also were aware that we played really, really bad basketball in the first quarter, especially defensively.”

In the final minutes, after cutting the lead down to one, Bulls coach Billy Donovan called a timeout to set up the last play. Giddey committed a turnover on the previous chance, prompting Donovan to organize the final shot more effectively.

Emerging from the timeout, Vucevic executed a successful play, setting up in the corner as Giddey drove for the basket and passing to Vucevic for a clutch three-pointer that gave Chicago their first and only lead of the night. Vucevic expressed the need for the Bulls to maintain sharpness throughout the game to build on their strong start.

“It’s also important that we understand this is not how you can become a good team,” Vucevic noted. “We have to play better from the beginning. This game was a great example of what we can be when we play the way we need to.”