LeBron James scored a season-high 22 points for the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday, then discussed the team’s progress, Tyrese Maxey’s impact and his family’s safety.
“My family is safe,” James said when asked about the arrest of a person accused of stalking his Los Angeles home. “That’s most important.” He added: “We’re still looking into everything.”
James discussed the 76ers’ 127-121 win over Chicago, completing a 2-1 road trip. Philadelphia improved to 9-2, its best 11-game start since opening the 2000-01 season 10-1.
“Any opportunity for us to go out and and play the game” helps a new group continue learning, James said. “We’re still learning. We’re still getting acclimated. We still getting comfortable with one another every single game.”
He felt the three-game trip helped that process. “A road trip definitely helps. Three game road trip to be able to go two on one,” he said, adding that the 76ers played better than they did in Cleveland.
James said Chicago’s 1-8 record did not change Philadelphia’s approach. “We know this team, you know, record doesn’t matter with their record, they’re going to play hard for 48 minutes,” he said. “You can’t relax. They have a lot of guys that can score.”
The Bulls had five players score at least 17 points, led by Josh Giddey’s 19 points and 15 assists. Philadelphia maintained its lead after taking a 68-61 advantage into halftime.
Asked about his scoring in the second quarter, James said he read the game and his teammates’ needs. “I felt like, you know, at that moment I could try to get something going, kind of try to see if we can build up a lead,” he said. James finished 8-for-16 from the field, with five rebounds and five assists.
He also explained how he found Tyrese Maxey for a key pass after Chicago’s defense collapsed. “Take pride in knowing where my teammates are at all time,” James said. “When I’m getting downhill and I’m able to get into the cracks of the defense, I know there’s going to be a lot of defenders.”
James added that keeping his eyes on the rim while tracking teammates can slow the defense. “Rese is a great outlet,” he said. “I was able to find him and he was able to sidestep that three, in a big moment of game.”
James praised Maxey’s speed, shooting, direction changes and pace. “You combine all of those things. It’s very very hard to contain someone like that,” he said. He also pointed to Maxey’s ability to play off the ball and attack closeouts.
The 22-point performance came despite a 2:30 p.m. tipoff that changed James’ usual routine. “The game is the game and you got to play the game,” he said. “Was able to get here and, you know, get activated and get on the floor and just try to make plays.”
James’ 3-pointer early in the first quarter also moved him past Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the leading scorer in regular-season games against Chicago. He now has 1,897 points against the Bulls, two more than Abdul-Jabbar’s 1,895.
Philadelphia hosts the Boston Celtics on Tuesday, when Jaylen Brown faces his former team in a regular-season game for the first time since his offseason trade. The Bulls host San Antonio on Wednesday.
