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76ers 107, Bulls 104

The Sports Xchange

PHILADELPHIA -- Forget the lottery.

These Philadelphia 76ers seem to be for real.

Despite being projected among the worst teams in the NBA, if not the worst, the Sixers improved to 3-0 with a stirring 107-104 victory over the Chicago Bulls before a boisterous crowd on Saturday night at the Wells Fargo Center.

The Sixers opened the season with an unlikely victory over the two-time defending champion Miami Heat and then won Friday night at Washington. On the second leg of a back-to-back, the Sixers trailed by as many as 20 points but rallied for a victory.

Rookie point guard Michael Carter-Williams led the Sixers with 26 points and 10 assists, and Evan Turner added 20 points. Spencer Hawes had 18 points and 11 rebounds, Thaddeus Young scored 13 points and Tony Wroten had 11.

For a team projected by many to win about 20 games, the Sixers have done a complete reversal under first-year coach Brett Brown.

Brown came to the Sixers after seven years as an assistant coach under Gregg Popovich in San Antonio and he has the Sixers believing.

Carlos Boozer led the Bulls (1-2) with 22 points and 10 rebounds, Luol Deng contributed 20 points and Derrick Rose had 13. But Rose made only 4 of 14 shots from the field and committed two costly turnovers in the final 3:31.

A 3-pointer by Rose gave the Bulls a short-lived 104-102 lead with 2:13 remaining.

But the Bulls wouldn't score again.

Turner had three points and Hawes knocked down a huge jumper with 5.9 seconds left to give the Sixers a three-point cushion that they wouldn't relinquish.

NOTES: Rose continues to wear tape on the back of his neck because of soreness in that area. It's something he has done in the past. ... Nine of Chicago's 13 games will be played on the road in November, beginning with this one at Philadelphia. ... The Sixers unveiled the same starting five for the third straight game -- Carter-Williams and James Anderson at guard, Turner and Young at forward with Hawes at center. ... This is the first game of a four-game homestand for the Sixers.