CHICAGO (Ticker) -- When the Chicago Bulls lose, they lose big.
Unable to stop Allen Iverson on either end of the court, the Bulls endured another lopsided loss, a 106-85 pounding at the hands of the Philadelphia 76ers.
With a young core, the Bulls are expected to contend for a playoff berth for the first time since the 1997-98 season. But through six games, they are showing plenty of growing pains.
The Bulls have lost four times, with each defeat coming by at least 21 points.
"This season, we have not taken the extra step to compete," said Bulls guard Jalen Rose, who scored 16 points. "This is the NBA and those teams are going to come after you. We are just not competing. We have to start playing hard and playing together."
"We have to play smarter," Bulls coach Bill Cartwright added. "We have to play tougher on defense. We have to come up with loose balls. Their guys were more aggressive than we were. They went over our back to get the ball."
Iverson had no trouble adding to Chicago's struggles. The lightning quick superstar was a one-man show, totaling 33 points, 11 assists and eight steals.
Glenn Robinson added 21 points and 11 rebounds for the 76ers, who led virtually the entire way and by as many as 25 points in the fourth quarter.
Expected to give the 76ers the second scoring option they have been lacking, Robinson drew praise from Iverson.
"I think Glenn makes the game so much easier for me," Iverson said. "Guys got to play me now, honest. I noticed during the game he was in the corner and I penetrated to the basket and his man helped, and just for that second he was open and hit a three. It's kind of a 'pick your poison' thing. Either you're going to come off of me or stay on the Dog. Whatever they do, we just do the opposite."
"When he and Allen click like together like that, it's nice," Sixers first-year coach Randy Ayers said.
Iverson began filling up the boxscore in the first quarter, when he scored 14 points, handed out four assists and amassed three steals. He did most of his damage driving to the basket and scored 10 points in a 15-5 burst to close the period and provided a 32-24 lead.
The Bulls also received a scare in the final minute of the quarter after starting forward Donyell Marshall hobble off the court with an injured left knee. But he returned in the second half and went scoreless while missing all four of his shots.
Marshall's injury was not the only one for the Bulls. In the third quarter, forward Tyson Chandler after aggravating a back problem that forced him to miss the season opener.
To open the second quarter, the Sixers got a boost from an unlikely source as Samuel Dalembert scored six straight points, making a pair of dunks for a 38-25 advantage.
Dalembert, who had four points in his previous five games, finished with 14, seven rebounds and three blocks in 22 minutes.
"Words can't even express what he did for us tonight, and I told him at the beginning of the season he has to be the X factor for this team," Iverson said.
Aaron McKie also contributed 12 points off the bench for Philadelphia, which shot 47.5 percent (38-of-80) and held a 49-40 rebounding advantage.
A jumper by Eddie Robinson pulled the Bulls within 43-38, but Iverson closed the half strongly. He scored six of his team's final 10 points as the Sixers built a 53-44 cushion.
Iverson finished the half with 20 points, making 6-of-11 shots from the field and all eight free throws.
Philadelphia scored the first eight points of the third quarter, capped by Iverson's jumper, for a 61-44 bulge. The Bulls were unable to get the deficit below double digits the rest of the way.
"I just thought it was important for us once we got the lead to hold onto it," Iverson said. "We had 15-point lead and we lost it, just like that. That's something we've been struggling with this year. It's kind of frustrating, but fortunately tonight, we were able to have a big lead, lose it and get it right back."
In the third quarter, the Sixers made 11-of-20 shots as the lead grew to 81-63.
Eddy Curry scored 21 points and Jamal Crawford 19 for the Bulls, who shot 43 percent (35-of-82).
In his NBA debut, Chicago rookie Kirk Hinrich scored five points on 1-of-10 shooting.
