76ers drop Bulls on Korkmaz's career night

[January 18, 2020]    Furkan Korkmaz scored a career-high 24 points, including a career-best six 3-pointers, to lift the host Philadelphia 76ers past the Chicago Bulls 100-89 on Friday.

Bulls head coach Jim Boylen shouts instructions during the second quarter of the game against the Philadelphia 76ers at the Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: John Geliebter-USA TODAY Sports

Ben Simmons added 20 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists as the Sixers improved to 20-2 at home.

Al Horford scored 20 points and Tobias Harris had 13 for the Sixers, who played without All-Star center Joel Embiid for the 12th time this season. The Sixers are 6-6 without Embiid, who remains out with a torn ligament in a finger on his left hand.

Zach LaVine missed all seven of his 3-point attempts but led the Bulls with 23 points while Coby White added 14. Luke Kornet contributed 13 and Lauri Markkanen had 12.

The Bulls fell to 1-17 this season against teams with a record above .500.

Markkanen drained a 3-pointer from the top of the key and LaVine added a pair of free throws to put the Bulls ahead 47-43 with 1:18 left in the second quarter.

Korkmaz responded with a trey with 11.4 seconds left and the Sixers trailed by one, 47-46, at halftime.

Markkanen (12) and LaVine (11) combined for 23 of the Bulls' 47 points by halftime. Simmons paced the Sixers with 12, but the team continued to struggle from beyond the arc, going 3 of 14.

Philadelphia moved ahead 63-58 midway through the third following an 8-0 run. When Korkmaz hit his sixth 3-pointer, the Sixers' advantage was 77-63 with 2:07 left in the third.

White drove to the basket and scored with 0.5 seconds remaining and the Bulls closed within 81-71 at the end of the quarter.

LaVine missed all five of his treys through the third.

When White made another difficult, twisting layup with 8:40 left in the fourth, the Bulls' deficit was 87-79. Harris threw down a dunk coming out of a timeout and the Sixers quickly extended their lead to 89-79.

After four straight misses on a single possession by the Bulls, Simmons responded with a layup and the Philadelphia advantage was 91-79 with 7:26 left.

Matisse Thybulle soon dropped in a trey from the wing to give the Sixers a 98-85 lead with 3:36 left.

--Field Level Media

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