The 76ers raced to a 25-7 lead midway through the first quarter before Portis got hot and Chicago started making 3s.
Philadelphia’s lead was down to 33-29 at the end of the quarter and the Bulls busted out for 40 points in the second to take a 69-67 halftime lead. Chicago was 9 of 12 on 3-pointers in the quarter, including 4 for 5 by Portis.
The 76ers were up by five early in the fourth before Portis scored six straight points — on a 3-pointer and a three-point play — to put the Bulls on top 101-100. A few minutes later, Portis dunked over Embiid to stretch the lead to 111-106 with just over four minutes to play.
“It really is hard,” Hoiberg said. “It’s hard for Robin, it’s hard for Justin and it’s hard for Jerian, who’s probably making as big a sacrifice as anybody.”
Philadelphia is on the cusp of a playoff appearance this season, but the organization found itself in the same position as the Bulls the previous few years, playing mostly young players with the unspoken hope of improving draft position.
“When I look in the rearview mirror, it’s not as painful as people make it out to be,” coach Brett Brown said. “Losing stinks and the pain of losing is real, but the things that went into growing young players was really enjoyable for me. The development of young guys, giving them opportunities, explaining life in the NBA, what it takes to stay in the NBA, the culture — stuff that nobody sees.”
A ceremony at the museum steps starts at 1 p.m. and is expected to last until approximately 3 p.m. Those looking to attend can get there via the Market-Frankford and Broad Street SEPTA lines, which will be free all day to get people to the parade route. One of the bullet points announced for the parade is 14 Jumbotrons set up along the route, so the city is certainly going all-out.
The list of street closures and the times they will be closed can be found here, courtesy of ABC6. With more than a dozen closures, trying to navigate the area on the day of the parade will be tough. Below, you can find a map of the route, courtesy of the city of Philadelphia, via PennLive.
Player rest was eventually labeled a “significant issue for our league” by NBA commissioner Adam Silver in a memo distributed to all 30 teams in which Silver threatened “significant penalties” to NBA owners if their players rested in a manner that would be viewed as detrimental to the overall NBA product.