Struggling Bulls host 76ers: does Claxton's possible return change the picture?

Philadelphia arrives as the clear record favorite, but the Bulls have a few reasons to resist that story. The 76ers are 8-2 and first in the Eastern Conference; Chicago is 1-7 and 14th. The Bulls have lost six straight overall and five straight at home, so the case against them is plain. The case for a closer game rests on a possible big-man return in Chicago and a Philadelphia team coming off a lopsided loss.

The recent meetings cut both ways. Philadelphia won the November 3 game 126-107 and the March 25 game 157-137, both in Philadelphia. Chicago won both of its home meetings in late 2025, 109-102 on December 27 and 113-111 on November 5. The home team has won all four, which fits a small sample more than a rule, but it is the one head-to-head pattern in play and it favors Chicago on Sunday.

Philadelphia's latest result is a flag, though a limited one. The 76ers lost to Cleveland on Friday night in an NBA Cup group game, and LeBron James managed eight points on 3-for-12 shooting with six turnovers. One poor night against an 8-2 record says little by itself, but it is the freshest information on the visitors. Philadelphia has also gone under the total in three straight games, a run that describes recent results and nothing more.

Chicago's frontcourt is the swing factor. Nic Claxton (hamstring) is listed out, yet a Friday report says he is expected to make his season debut Sunday against the 76ers. That report is not settled, but if he plays it changes a Bulls rotation that is otherwise thin. Jalen Smith left Wednesday's loss to the Knicks with a hand injury and is day-to-day. Zach Collins missed Friday's practice with an illness and is also day-to-day. That Wednesday loss was 135-105, a heavy one.

Philadelphia has its own questions up front. Dominick Barlow (back) is out, with a report that he needs another 10-12 days before being cleared. Adem Bona (neck) is day-to-day, and a report said he was out for Friday's game against the Cavaliers, so his status for Sunday is uncertain.

Taken together, the record gap is large and the latest head-to-head belongs to Philadelphia. The home-team pattern in this series, Philadelphia's Friday loss and a possible Claxton return give the Bulls some counterweight. Early-season records rest on a small number of games, and the injury news on both sides could still shift the picture before tip.