Philadelphia secures top spot in East; LeBron sips fan's drink during win over Chicago

Philadelphia strengthened its hold on the Eastern Conference on November 3, 2026, beating the Chicago Bulls to march to a 7-1 start, powered by a dominant starting five that included LeBron James.

Starter lineup imposes its will; Embiid battles through foot issue

The 76ers’ quintet of LeBron James, Joel Embiid, Jaylen Brown, Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecomb proved all but impossible for Chicago to defend. Philadelphia led by five at halftime, then pulled away with a decisive run to lead 85:68, a surge fueled largely by LeBron.

Embiid entered the game with uncertainty because of a foot injury but nevertheless delivered a useful performance, finishing with 15 points and eight rebounds and exiting before the fourth quarter. Jaylen Brown dominated with 25 points and 11 rebounds, while VJ Edgecomb supplied 21 points. Tyrese Maxey added 26 points, and James contributed 15 points, nine assists and seven rebounds — finishing a step short of a triple-double.

In key moments LeBron converted a three-point play and sealed each Bulls comeback attempt, and late in the game he also paused at the sideline to take a sip from a spectator’s cup after coming out of play — a moment that quickly circulated online. One social post captured the moment: "LeBron took a sip of alcohol MID GAME 😭😭😭" (tweet by BrickCenter).

The victory marked Philadelphia’s fourth straight win and left the club atop the East at 7-1. The starters had been rested over the weekend and missed possible games against the New York Knicks and Charlotte Hornets because of rotations and minor knocks, but returned together to full effect in this matchup.

Photo: press material from the event