All season long, the Chicago Bulls have had their problems dealing with elite frontcourt players, as superstars like Joel Embiid and Anthony Davis have had their way with them. Now the Bulls face a Serbian-sized obstacle as they host the visiting Denver Nuggets inside the Staples Center.
The Nuggets rebounded well after their disastrous loss to the Washington Wizards last week. An impressive bounce-back performance from Jamal Murray helped the Nuggets overcome the Oklahoma City Thunder, 126-96.
Murray, who has been averaging over 30 points in his previous nine games, was spectacular once again for the Nuggets. He outplayed the backcourt of Oklahoma, and his 26 points paced Denver. Jokic showcased his versatility once again as he racked up his eighth triple-double of the season with 19 points, 11 rebounds, and 13 assists.
The Nuggets are starting to round into form, and they’re accomplishing this via high-octane offense that other teams are finding so difficult to stop. Beyond Jokic and Murray, the versatility of their attack manifested itself via brilliant scoring performances from Michael Porter Jr’s 20 points and the combined 28 points from Will Barton and Monte Morris.
"It just shows what kind of team we can be when we're locked in, focused, and all on the same page," Barton said after the win. “Holding the Thunder to below 100 points was also impressive, considering the Nuggets have had their struggles on that end of the floor all season long.”
The Bulls are the next team that will look to stop Jokic and company. The Bulls should be eager to get back into action and bounce back from a painful loss to the Phoenix Suns. Chicago was actually leading by seven points after three quarters, but once again, Chris Paul and Devin Booker showed the Suns’ resilience as they stormed back into the game and outscored the Bulls 32-16 in the fourth period to win, 106-97. That put an end to the Bulls’ season-high three-game winning streak.
Newly minted All-Star Zach Lavine is determined to head into the All-Star break on a high note, but MVP candidate Nikola Jokic has other plans. Find out which squad takes home the W live on NBA TV Philippines beginning 9:00 AM.
