Preview: Bulls at 76ers

[March 11, 2015]  The Philadelphia 76ers might be a couple years away from being a playoff contender, but they'll try to play spoiler for the second straight game Wednesday. The 76ers aim for back-to-back wins over Eastern Conference contenders when they host the Chicago Bulls, who are without three of their top scorers. The Bulls have dropped three straight but are still fighting for the No. 2 seed in the East.

Chicago is without a trio of key players with Derrick Rose (knee), Jimmy Butler (elbow) and Taj Gibson (ankle) sidelined and didn't have enough firepower in a 101-91 home loss to Memphis on Monday. "I thought the fight was strong," Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau told reporters. "We're shorthanded. Fourth game in five nights, bouncing all over the place. We came up short, but I thought they played with great effort." The 76ers snapped a four-game skid with a stunning 92-84 win over conference-leading Atlanta on Saturday and are after their first consecutive wins since Jan. 28 and 30.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, CSN Chicago, CSN Philadelphia

ABOUT THE BULLS (39-26): Chicago is trying to avoid its first four-game losing streak of the season, but it won't be easy with three double-digit scorers out. Pau Gasol (18.2 points, 12.1 rebounds) is the only major offensive threat left in the lineup, so the Bulls will need role players like Aaron Brooks (10.8 points) and Mike Dunleavy (9.3 points) to help pick up the slack. Tony Snell also can be a big-time scorer — he has four 20-point games over the past month — but he is inconsistent and was held scoreless Sunday at San Antonio.

ABOUT THE 76ERS (14-49): Philadelphia is in full rebuilding mode and has several new building blocks in place after a bevy of midseason transactions. Some of the newcomers have made a major impact, including second-year guard Isaiah Canaan, who has averaged 13.6 points in nine games since being acquired from Houston but is questionable against the Bulls because of a respiratory issue. Canaan has joined a growing foundation of promising young players led by center Nerlens Noel (8.8 points, 7.7 rebounds, 1.9 blocks) and sharpshooter Robert Covington (13 points, 4.7 rebounds).

BUZZER BEATERS

1. The Bulls have won four straight in the series and nine of the past 10, including a 118-115 win at Philadelphia on Nov. 7.

2. Gasol has an NBA-best 43 double-doubles, matching his career high set in 2010-11 with the Los Angeles Lakers.

3. The 76ers are 1-41 when shooting for a lower percentage than the opposition with the lone victory coming Saturday against the Hawks.

PREDICTION: Bulls 95, 76ers 92

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