Sixers look to start a new streak in pivotal Play-In matchup vs. Chicago Bulls

So wait, are they still trying to win, or no?

The 16-27 Sixers conclude their fourth out of five back-to-backs in the month of January as they take on the Chicago Bulls Saturday night.

The second of four meetings between the two, these teams last met on Dec. 8 where Philadelphia was as close to full strength as ever, and picked up a 108-100 victory.

That won’t be the case this go around. Joel Embiid will miss his 11th straight game, and his supporting cast is plenty banged up as well. While they don’t have to officially submit their injury report yet, Paul George’s availability will likely be a question mark.

With the Bulls still holding the No. 10 seed, it’s a prime opportunity to gain ground in the standings for that final play-in spot — if that’s something the Sixers still even want at this point. Chicago’s recent skid has made it so the Sixers really haven’t lost much ground despite this horrific January.

The Bulls are 3-7 in their last 10 games, still only two games up on the Sixers for that 10th seed. The Sixers currently are two games back of the Bulls, one game in the loss column.

This is also the only sub .500 team the Sixers play for nearly two weeks. Their next five games after are against the Lakers, Kings, Nuggets, Celtics and Mavericks. How hard they go for this one (and who they make available) will be a good indication of where the Sixers see themselves for the rest of this year.

The Bulls come in with a relative clean bill of health, at least compared to their opponent. Coby White and Torrey Craig are out while Ayo Dosunmu is questionable with a right soleus strain.

Game details

When: Friday, January 24, 8:00 p.m. ET

Where: United Center, Chicago, IL

Watch: NBC Sports Philadelphia

Radio: 97.5 The Fanatic

Follow: @LibertyBallers