Bulls Baru Saja Membongkar Masalah Playoff Sebenarnya Sixers

Bulls' Grind-It-Out Win Shows Sixers' Cracks

That 109-102 loss to the Chicago Bulls on March 26, 2026, it wasn’t just another L for the 76ers. It was a tactical blueprint for how to beat them. Think about it: a Bulls team sitting at 29-42 rolls into Philly and takes down a 39-33 Sixers squad. That’s not a fluke; it’s a statement.

I’ve been watching the film, and the Bulls didn’t do anything revolutionary. They simply exploited Philly’s lack of consistent offensive flow when Paul George isn’t fully dictating. Yes, George was back for their stretch run, but one player can’t fix everything, especially against a team that plays with grit.

The Sixers shot themselves in the foot early. Their offensive sets looked disjointed, often relying on isolation instead of fluid ball movement. When you’re playing a physical team like Chicago, you need to make them work on defense, move the ball, and hit tough shots.

Defensive Lapses and Offensive Stagnation

Here’s the thing: Chicago isn't exactly an offensive juggernaut, yet they put up 109 points. That tells me the Sixers' defense wasn't as locked in as it needed to be. On November 4, 2025, the Bulls also beat them, 109-102. Same score. Same outcome. That's not a coincidence; that's a pattern.

Two losses this season to a sub-.500 Bulls team, both with nearly identical scores. That suggests a fundamental issue. The Sixers’ defensive rotations looked slow at times, allowing easy lanes to the basket or open looks from the perimeter. When you give up 109 points to a team with a 29-42 record, it’s not about offensive struggles; it’s about defensive breakdowns.

On offense, the ball often got sticky. Against a Bulls team that hustles and rotates well, that kind of stagnation is fatal. They need to get back to crisp passing, off-ball movement, and finding the best shot, not just a shot. This 3-2 record in their last five games before this loss shows they can win, but the losses expose vulnerabilities.

My hot take? Until the Sixers consistently play with a higher defensive intensity and more unselfish offensive movement, especially against grind-it-out teams, they’re not going to be a real threat in the playoffs. They can beat up on weaker teams, sure, but the Bulls showed the blueprint for dismantling them.