All five Philadelphia starters finished in double figures. Jaylen Brown led the way with 29 points and seven rebounds, shooting 11-for-22 from the field. Tyrese Maxey bounced back from a quiet stretch with 27 points and seven assists, his first 20-point game in three outings. LeBron James added 22 points, and Joel Embiid posted 18 points and 10 rebounds. Rookie VJ Edgecombe contributed 13 points.

The Sixers dominated the glass 54-42, including a significant advantage on the offensive boards. Jabari Walker led the team with 11 rebounds, repeatedly keeping possessions alive. Philadelphia knocked down 14 three-pointers at a 41% clip, while Chicago shot just 10-for-37 from beyond the arc (27%).

James made history early, passing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the most regular-season points scored against the Bulls. He entered the game one point behind Abdul-Jabbar and moved into first place with a three-pointer assisted by Maxey at the 8:45 mark of the first quarter. James finished the first half with 16 points on 6-for-11 shooting, raising his career total against Chicago to 1,910.

The win caps a 2-1 road trip for Philadelphia and gives the team a 5-1 record through its first six road games, tied for the second-best start in franchise history. Only the 1981-82 Sixers opened better, winning their first six away games.

Chicago, meanwhile, fell to 1-8 and has now lost six straight. The Bulls got a boost from the debut of offseason addition Nic Claxton, who missed the first eight games with a left hamstring strain. He played off the bench and logged between 16 and 20 minutes, according to head coach Tiago Splitter. Chicago was without Norman Powell, who was ruled out with right shoulder soreness; Powell had started every game and averaged 19.3 points.

The Sixers forced six Chicago turnovers in the third quarter, turning them into eight points, but the Bulls shot 13-for-17 from the field in the period and trimmed Philadelphia's halftime lead from seven to six. All 10 Bulls who appeared in the quarter scored.

Philadelphia's balanced attack has been a hallmark of its early success. Against a Chicago team that ranks last in the NBA in defensive rating, the Sixers' four main stars all scored at least 14 points, and the bench provided timely contributions. Walker, a 24-year-old big man, was especially effective on the glass, helping Philadelphia generate 26 second-chance points in the first half alone.

The Sixers will now look ahead to a marquee matchup against the Boston Celtics on Tuesday at 8:00 p.m. ET at home. It will be the first meeting between the teams since the summer trade that sent Jaylen Brown to Philadelphia and Paul George to Boston. Ahead of Sunday's games, the Sixers were No. 1 in the Eastern Conference standings at 9-2, while Boston was No. 2 at 7-2.

For a Philadelphia team that has avoided losing streaks and shown resilience after a blowout loss to Cleveland on Friday, the win in Chicago offers another sign that this roster is coalescing. The Sixers' defense ranks fourth in the league, and their offense, while inconsistent at times, has found ways to produce against weaker opponents.

With a tough test against the Celtics looming, the Sixers will need to tighten up their first-quarter performance — they entered Sunday with a minus-9.6 net rating in the opening period, ranked 27th in the league — but the victory in Chicago keeps them atop the East and sets up a highly anticipated showdown.