Sixers-Bulls takeaways: Bouncing back, throwback to 1983 champs, balancing contention and health

CHICAGO — The 76ers know how to bounce back.

On Wednesday, they displayed a similarity to the 1983 championship team. And the night was another reminder that the Sixers must avoid serious injuries while contending for the Eastern Conference regular-season title.

Those three things stood out in their 116-91 victory over the Chicago Bulls Wednesday night at the United Center.

The Sixers (49-23) were two days removed from a 109-105 double-overtime loss to the Bulls at the Wells Fargo Center. They were without James Harden (sore left Achilles) and Jalen McDaniels (bruised right hip). And Joel Embiid (12 points, seven rebounds, seven assists) sat out the second half with mild right calf tightness.

None of them were needed on this night.

» READ MORE: Source: Sixers’ Sam Cassell not leaving for Temple head-coaching job

The Sixers scored the game’s first 17 points. Their 20-point cushion with 7 minutes, 41 seconds left in the first quarter was the second fast time a team built a 20-point lead over the last 25 seasons. The fastest came when the Wizards Wizards did it to the New Jersey Nets at the 7:51 mark on April 11, 2016.

Tyrese Maxey said the Sixers were a little eager to show that they were better than Monday’s performance would indicate.

“And a little bit of, shoot, we just wanted to get back on track,” he said, “and that they stole one from us at the crib, and we had to come and get one tonight.”

The Sixers had the look of a team determined to show the Bulls (34-38) that Monday’s outcome was a fluke. And it sure looked that way.

They made six of their first seven shots en route to building a commanding 30-point lead late in the second quarter.

“This was a message to ourselves,” coach Doc Rivers said. “We don’t like losing. We didn’t like how we lost the other night, and you could feel it. You could feel it flying here. You could feel it in our preparation this morning. Guys were locked in, and that’s a good sign for this team.”

The Sixers also looked like a team capable of winning a championship.

“We played with a memory,” Rivers said.

The Sixers also played with a memory 40 seasons ago.

In fact, the last two games with the Bulls are similar to the Sixers’ first two games against the Atlanta Hawks during the 1982-83 season.

The Hawks dominated the Sixers, 111-97, in Atlanta on Nov. 30, 1982. Atlanta guard Eddie Johnson had game highs of 27 points and seven assists. Dominique Wilkins added 26 points, 11 rebounds and three steals. And Dan Roundfield was a beast with 24 points, 20 rebounds and three blocks.

Atlanta put the game away by outscoring the Sixers, 44-30, in the fourth quarter.

The teams met again eight days later at the Spectrum, and it was clear the Sixers needed to respond.

» READ MORE: The Sixers will need clean bill of health — and a little luck — to chart path toward NBA title

Let’s just say that they responded like champions, hammering the Hawks, 132-85.

Johnson was held to 10 points and two assists. Wilkins had just two points while shooting 0-for-4, and Roundfield was limited to four points on 2-for-12 shooting to go with five rebounds.

Meanwhile, Sixers standout Moses Malone had game highs of 25 points and 12 rebounds. Andrew Toney added 19 points, while Julius “Dr. J.” Erving had 12 points, 10 rebounds and five assists.

The Sixers put the game away early by outscoring the Hawks, 40-11, in the first quarter. That performance proved that the Sixers had the moxie needed to win an NBA championship.

“I hope it’s the same ending, too,” Embiid said. “I hope we win the championship, too.”

There was a panic on social media when Embiid didn’t return to the bench for the second half. As it turns out, the MVP frontrunner was in the locker room receiving treatment on his calf.

The Sixers’ championship hopes will be dependent on Harden and Embiid remaining healthy.

With that comes a dilemma.

The Sixers need their star players healthy for the postseason. Yet they’re also still in contention for the Eastern Conference title.

The team is third in the East, three games behind the first-place Milwaukee Bucks with 10 games remaining. The Sixers are also ½ game behind the second-place Boston Celtics.

The team is saying that Embiid is expected to play in Friday’s road game against the Golden State Warriors. However, the center said he’ll see how things progress leading up to the game. Meanwhile, Rivers expects Harden to play Friday.

“We know we got to stay healthy,” Tobias Harris said, “and we know we got to stay with it.”

Best performance: I had to give this to De’Anthony Melton. The Sixers guard, starting in place of Harden, finished with game highs of 25 points and three steals. Melton made four three-pointers.

Worst performance: I’m giving this to DeMar DeRozan after he was named the best performer on Monday. But on this night, the Bulls small forward scored four points while missing all seven of his shot attempts before leaving the game with an injury.

Best defensive performance: Melton also receives this one. In addition to his three steals, he blocked a shot.

Worst statistic: This goes to the Bulls three-point shooting. They made just 6 of 25 threes.

Best statistic: This goes to the Sixers first-half, three-point shooting. They made 12 of 22 threes.

Best of the best: Embiid’s injury isn’t something serious. He first experienced the tightness in the third quarter of Monday’s game. He sat out the second half for precautionary reasons.