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The Philadelphia 76ers will visit the Chicago Bulls at the United Center on Tuesday in a marquee matchup between two Eastern Conference rivals that have started the 2025-26 NBA season on a strong note. Here are five things to know ahead of tip-off (Tuesday, 8 ET, League Pass). Battle of rising teams in Chicago: The 2025-26 regular season is only two weeks old, but it’s undeniable that both the 76ers and Bulls have been playing at a high level to start the campaign. It’s way too early to start talking about both teams being contenders in the Eastern Conference, but both teams have left a good impression on their opening performances. They both enter Tuesday’s slate with a 5-1 record, with the Bulls’ lone defeat coming against the New York Knicks on Nov. 2, while the 76ers suffered their only loss against the Boston Celtics on Oct. 31. Will Chicago bounce back after its loss to New York? The Bulls were one of the few teams undefeated in the league this past weekend, but they suffered their first defeat of the season, 128-116, to the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on Sunday. The Bulls are 4-0 at home this season, however, so they might have a good chance to bounce back, although they can’t look at the 76ers as an easy opponent. Philadelphia has gone 3-0 away from home this season, with road wins over the Celtics, Wizards and Nets. Top young players to watch: Both the 76ers and Bulls have exciting young players who are must-see TV right now. In Philadelphia, the play of VJ Edgecombe, a rookie out of Baylor, has been a pleasant surprise, as he didn’t waste time to secure a starting role next to Tyrese Maxey in the backcourt and is already averaging 20.3 points, 5.0 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game in his first six games. The Bulls have an exciting player of their own in second-year forward Matas Buzelis, who’s quickly becoming a go-to option on offense for Chicago after averaging 15.7 points per game while shooting 41.4 percent from deep to open the campaign. Will Joel Embiid be available for Philadelphia? Embiid missed Sunday’s win over the Nets due to what the 76ers described as injury recovery, and the team has been very cautious with the star big man’s health in the early stages of the season. Embiid could be available for this game, with this matchup being the first half of a back-to-back set, and his return would give the 76ers a much-needed boost in the frontcourt. Embiid is averaging 17.3 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.5 assists while logging 22.3 minutes per game in four outings this season. What does the recent head-to-head record say? As partners in the Eastern Conference, these two teams match up against each other regularly. They went 2-2 in the regular season in two of the last three seasons, with the lone exception being 2023-24 when Chicago went 2-1. Surprisingly, the 76ers have looked at their best when playing at the United Center, as they’ve won in nine of their last 10 trips to this venue, with six of those nine wins coming by double-digit margins.
