Bulls Vs. 76ers Preview: Chicago Looks To Stay Atop Eastern Conference Standings

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By Satchel Price - Newsdesk contributor

WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 30: Joakim Noah #13 of the Chicago Bulls talks with teammates Ronnie Brewer #11, Derrick Rose #1 and Kyle Korver #26 during the second half against the Washington Wizards at Verizon Center on January 30, 2012 in Washington, DC. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)

The Chicago Bulls are visting the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday night in a battle of Eastern Conference contenders.

Feb 1, 2012 - The Chicago Bulls are visting the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday night in a battle of Eastern Conference contenders. Everyone expected Chicago to be one of the league's best teams once again after posting the best record in the NBA last season, but Philadelphia's early-season dominance has been a bit of a shocker to most fans.

While most people expected the 76ers to be pretty solid, nobody quite expected anything like this. Philadelphia has dominated opponents so far, allowing opponents to score less per game than anyone else in the league (including Chicago). Like the Bulls, the 76ers are keyed by an athletic point guard (Jrue Holiday) and a defensive beast on the wings (Andre Iguodala), and they take advantage of impressive depth.

But for Chicago, any game is truly winnable, and Philadelphia will likely find that out on Wednesday night. While the Bulls haven't been quite as dominant on the road and the 76ers have lost just twice in 13 games at home this season, the Bulls showed against the Miami Heat that they're capable of beating any team on the road.

Even with Luol Deng and Rip Hamilton missing the game due to injury, expect a highly competitive game between two of the Eastern Conference's most impressive outfits.

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