The Philadelphia 76ers moved to 7-1 with a 126-107 win over the Chicago Bulls on Monday, and Jaylen Brown had his fingerprints all over it. He scored 25 points, pulled down 11 rebounds, and handed out five assists without a turnover. For Brown, the encouraging part of Philadelphia’s start is how much the Sixers enjoy playing together while they’re still learning how to make the most of their talent.
“It’s a lot of talent, man,” Brown said. “We like each other, and we’re just kind of building that chemistry of how we can get this thing to a well-oiled machine. I think we’re taking steps forward every single day.”
“We still have a long way to go to being a really, really solid, great team,” Brown said. “But we’ve been able to win some games. We started out the season great, 7-1, and you haven’t seen our best version yet.”
Monday’s game offered a look at what Brown means. The Sixers recorded 23 assists before halftime, seven of them from LeBron James. But they also gave up 36 points in the second quarter and took just a five-point lead into the break. They held Chicago to 20 in the third, and a James layup stretched the lead to 85-68 with just under five minutes left in the period.
Jaylen Brown is finding his role alongside Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid
Brown hit four 3-pointers and went 9-for-15 from the field against Chicago. Five of his rebounds came on offense, where he’s made a point of creating extra possessions while Philadelphia sorts out its frontcourt rotation. Joel Embiid entered the night questionable with a foot injury and finished with 15 points and eight rebounds without playing in the fourth.
Tyrese Maxey did much of the scoring late. He opened the fourth with a drive, pushed the lead to 107-96 with a 3-pointer midway through the period, and scored 15 of his 26 points in the quarter. He also finished with 11 assists. Through eight games, Maxey leads the Sixers in scoring and is their only starter to appear in every game.
“Maxey’s been leading the way, 100 percent,” Brown said. “He’s been here. This is his team. Him and Joel have been here for a while, so the mindset has been to complement those guys.”
James pointed to Brown’s 10 years in Boston when discussing how long it can take to settle into a new system. He called Monday a step forward and singled out Brown’s pressure, shooting, and rebounding.
Brown wants the 76ers to defend for the full game
Philadelphia entered Monday with one of the NBA’s top half-court defenses, but the second quarter showed why Brown keeps emphasizing consistency. The Sixers had already led by double digits before Chicago cut into the margin. Brown said relying on a stronger stretch later in the game could catch up with Philadelphia against a better opponent or on a night when its offense struggles.
“The offense is going to be what it’s going to be, but our defense has got to be non-negotiable,” Brown said.
For Brown, that means calling out coverages clearly, knowing opponents’ tendencies, and holding teammates accountable. He also acknowledged that how he delivers those messages can vary from player to player. The goal is to play with the same attention from the opening possession through the finish.
The Sixers have already won tight games and come back from sizable deficits during their 7-1 start. Against Chicago, they got a productive night from Brown, a late scoring burst from Maxey, and a third quarter that showed what their defense can do. Brown wants to see that level of defense hold across all four quarters.
Jaylen Brown Explains Why The 76ers’ 7-1 Start Only Tells Part Of The Story