PHILADELPHIA — It took two overtimes, six fouls and a cacophony of defense. But after seven long seasons and 12 dismal losses, the Chicago Bulls finally shook off a lingering curse Monday night — beating Joel Embiid.
The Bulls had a handful of wins over the 76ers in the nearly nine years since Philadelphia drafted Embiid with the No. 3 pick in 2014. But the Bulls never had accomplished the feat with Embiid on the court as he rose from a young talent out of Kansas to become one of the superstars of the sport.
That changed Monday night — though it wasn’t the fault of Embiid, who managed 37 points against a raucous Bulls defense. And ultimately the Bulls had to get the 76ers star off the court again to collect their 109-105 win, clinching the result only after Embiid fouled out with 3:54 remaining in the second overtime.
The ending came down to players who typically hold supporting roles. Derrick Jones Jr. swatted the potential tying shot out of James Harden’s hands, and Coby White sank a pair of free throws with six seconds remaining.
But for the Bulls — eager to both shake off the Embiid jinx and build comfort in the Eastern Conference standings — all that mattered was the final score.
“There’s a first time for everything, right?” Jones said with a grin.
On a haphazard shooting night for both sides, the game hinged on defensive effort.
The Bulls rattled the 76ers offense from tipoff, forcing 21 turnovers and converting those into 24 points. The 76ers shot 10-for-36 behind the 3-point arc as the teams failed to reach 100 points in regulation and the first overtime.
“We’re trying to be there for one another,” said Bulls forward DeMar DeRozan, who scored 25 points. “It’s a tough test trying to guard Embiid alone, so we just tried to be all over the place, scramble, double as much as we can, make everything difficult, make passing difficult. Everybody stayed the course with the game plan and it worked out.”
Defense has been a strong suit for the Bulls, who rank first in the league in defensive rating since the All-Star break. But the win reflected a more important shift — an ability to close tight games.
Despite going 14-23 in clutch games this season, the Bulls have won their last two with a margin of five or fewer points in the final five minutes. Both games finished in double overtime.
Chicago Tribune Sports
Weekdays
A daily sports newsletter delivered to your inbox for your morning commute.
Coach Billy Donovan feels the difference stems from improved communication on a team desperate to squeeze into the postseason.
“I like our huddles a lot more in terms of the communication,” Donovan said. “There were times in the past, sometimes we’d get a little bit quiet. I think guys were trying to internalize what they have to do.
“We’ve got to get to a place that we have to do it together. It’s not ‘everybody’s got a job to do,’ but we’ve got to do our jobs together. So I’m hopeful that maybe that’s helped us grow to have that mentality to fight and compete.”
The Bulls have won three straight, tied for their longest streak of the season. And after the Indiana Pacers lost 115-109 to the Charlotte Hornets on Monday, the Bulls have a two-game margin over the Washington Wizards and 2½ over the Pacers for 10th place in the Eastern Conference and the final spot in the play-in tournament.
Forward Javonte Green made his first appearance for the Bulls in more than two months, registering one rebound and one steal in nine minutes.
Green underwent an arthroscopic debridement of his right knee on Jan. 11 after being in and out of the lineup with a bone bruise for nearly two months. His recovery timeline stretched out longer than expected because of what Green described as “tedious” pain that lingered after the procedure.
Donovan entered the game planning to play Green for stints of three to five minutes.
