No Joker, No Problem: Nuggets knock off Bulls |
CHICAGO - Playing in back-to-back games is hard enough in today's NBA, but to do it against two of the better teams in the league is an entirely different animal. That is what the Chicago Bulls (9-16) were up against on Tuesday as they welcomed the defending NBA champion Denver Nuggets (16-9) to the United Center.
Coming off a hard-fought yet gut-wrenching OT loss to the Bucks on Monday, the Bulls had no time to relax as the Nuggets came to town looking to avenge a loss from the night before in what was their first of a back-to-back. Even with the MVP Nikola Jokic getting thrown out on a questionable decision, it still wasn't enough as the Nuggets got up on the Bulls early and rode that to the 114-106 win. This was another loss that the Bulls couldn't afford to take, but one thing that this team will never lose is the fight they show. This team will fight and give you their all for 48 minutes, and since Zach Lavine has gone down, you have seen more fights from this group. However, this was one of those nights where you could have used Lavine and his scoring on the court, as the Bulls could only get consistent rhythm in the second half. That came after scoring 25 points in the first two quarters, but trailing by eight as the Bulls got off to a horrid start in the first quarter before settling. The third quarter is where the Nuggets tried to pull away as they put up 35 points on what was otherwise an excellent Bulls defense. Chicago managed to hang with them by scoring 30 points before outscoring them by four points in the fourth quarter. That wasn't enough, as two poor quarters were the difference in the Bulls hard-fought loss. It was another game and another day at the office for Coby White, who extended his team record to 12 straight games with at least three made triples by going 5-10 from distance. He led all scorers with 27 points and has become the best and most consistent scorer for the Bulls this season. He has done a great job stepping up his game but can't do it alone, as other players continue to play better the past two weeks. Nikola Vucevic was one of those unsung heroes in this one, as he put together arguably his best game of the season. His 26 points were second on the team behind White, but with 16 rebounds for a massive double-double, you have to wonder if this was the wake-up game he needed. Remember, he did this without Jokic, but that shouldn't matter, as Vucevic hasn't been playing well lately. One night after dropping 41 points, age caught up to Demar DeRozan in a hurry, but more so the fatigue factor, as it does take some guys longer to recover than others. He had a rough go of things from the floor, going 3-13 to finish with 14 points. When Ayo Dosunmu ( 9 points) and Patrick Williams (7 points) also struggle to get going, had DeRozan given the Bulls a typical DeRozan night, there is a great chance the Bulls would win this game. Another thing that fans have noticed the past few weeks is the emergence of the Bulls bench, as they are starting to play much more consistently from one night to the next. Jevon Carter ignited the Bulls second unit with nine points off three triples with Andre Drummond adding eight. Torrey Craig, Dalen Terry, and Terry Taylor each had two points off the bench to close out the scoring. Last season was a long time coming for the Nuggets as they have been one of the more consistent teams in the league for the better part of five years, but never kicked the door in. They finally kicked that door down last season, and Jokic is the engine that makes this team tick. With him getting ejected after just 16 minutes and having only four points, the Nuggets needed everyone else on their roster to step up in a massive way. That hasn't been a problem for this team in the past, and it wasn't an issue on Tuesday as Reggie Jackson came out on fire, dropping a team-high 25 points while knocking down five of the Nuggets 14 triples. He may have been the only player in Denver with 20 points, but the Nuggets did have five players in double figures, showing how much balance this team has. Michael Porter Jr added 17 points and seven rebounds to back Jackson in the starting lineup, with Aaron Gordon continuing his steady play with 14 points and six boards. However, once again, the Nuggets' bench came through in the biggest moments as they continued to prove from top to bottom why they could be the strongest team in the NBA. Julian Strawther had his way with the Bulls in the team's first meeting of the season, and this was no different as he led the second unit with 16 points. Christian Braun added 13 points off the bench while the duo also knocked down four three-pointers. DeAndre Jordan (9 points) and Justin Holiday (8 points) continue to do their thing in the minutes given to them as this Nuggets team continues to prove they will once again be a force this season.
