They looked like contenders in the second half of Thursday's 127-108 home-opening victory against the undermanned Chicago Bulls two days after being blown out by the Boston Celtics.
It can be argued that the difference was matter of the opponent. On Tuesday in Boston, the Sixers (1-1) lost to a Celtics squad favored to reach the NBA Finals. Meanwhile in the Bulls (0-1), they faced a squad coming off a 27-55 record and missing three players.
Starting forward Lauri Markkanen will be sidelined until around late November with an elbow injury. Kris Dunn, the starting point guard, missed the game due to the birth of his first child, a son.