Sixers Hold Off Bulls, Improve to 3-0

By Max Rappaport, Sixers.com

Sixers head coach Brett Brown talks a lot about the importance of putting together good days. Saturday surely was one of them.

In the second game of a back-to-back, the Sixers erased a 20-point Chicago Bulls lead to secure their third win of the season.  For the first time since 2006-07, the Sixers are 3-0, having previously notched wins over the Miami Heat and Washington Wizards.

“I’m lucky that I’ve found a group that enjoys each other’s company, and they enjoy playing together,” said Coach Brown after the victory over the Bulls. “The more you can win in really adverse situations, it just keeps building on that feeling.”

Good Looks, Young Blood

Rookie point guard Michael Carter-Williams is tied with LeBron James for second in the league in assists (27) behind Chris Paul and has committed just 11 turnovers. Against Derrick Rose and the Bulls, he posted a game-high 26 points and 10 assists; 20 of those points came in the second half.

“I think it’s a point guard’s league, and I think that Michael Carter-Williams is for real,” said Coach Brown after Saturday’s game. “It sure makes running a team and coaching a team a heck of a lot easier when you have a point guard of his ability, albeit at a young age.”

But the road ahead for the rookie will be a tough one. Monday, he’ll face Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors, then, Wednesday, he’ll play another game against John Wall and the Washington Wizards, then it’s a home-and-home series against Kyrie Irving and the Cleveland Cavaliers Friday and Saturday, and, finally, a meeting with five-time NBA All-Star Tony Parker and the San Antonio Spurs next Monday.

“Coach gives me a lot of confidence out there, so I’m able to play freely, and I just try to make things happen within the team,” said Carter-Williams after Saturday’s win over the Bulls. “I try to do my job out there and get all my teammates involved… When they do a great job, it makes me look good.”

The Numbers

• Rookie point guard Michael-Carter-Williams is now one of just three players since 1985 to achieve two points-assists double-doubles through their first three career games

• Swingman Evan Turner is the first Sixer since Allen Iverson (2006-07) to begin a season with three-straight 20-point performances. Turner currently leads the team in scoring, averaging 23.0 points per game on 50.9% shooting.

• Center Spencer Hawes is currently tied for fifth in the NBA in rebounding, with 34 through three games. He’s also averaging 19.3 points per game on 64.9% shooting.

• Carter-Williams has traveled 8.0 in-game miles through three games, the third-highest total of any player in the league so far. He trails Chandler Parsons and Nicolas Batum and has run an average speed of 4.6 miles per hour.