Bulls fend off Nuggets in double overtime |
CHICAGO - It is always nice to beat the defending NBA champs, even if it is just the preseason. Well, that is exactly what the Chicago Bulls did on Thursday as they knocked off the defending NBA Champion, the Denver Nuggets, 133-124 in Double Overtime at the United Center.
Granted, this game doesn't count for anything in the standings, but it can be used as a small moral victory, as the Bulls will have to figure out how to knock off the premiere teams this season. That is something they did a better job with a season ago, but it is still not at the level it needs to be for this team to be taken seriously. For the most part, this was a back-and-forth affair as the Bulls took the lead in the first quarter only to have the Nuggets battle back and tie things up at the half. Then came the third, when the Bulls started to take the game over and build a near 10-point lead heading into the fourth. Unfortunately, the Nuggets had one strong run of their own remaining in their back pockets as they rallied to tie things up and forced the extra period. In the first overtime, both sides needed four extra minutes before the Bulls finished the Nuggets off for their first preseason win. For the Bulls to have the success they want to have, they will only go as far as their big three take them, and two of them were close to midseason form this season. That being Demar DeRozan and Zach Lavine as the duo combined for 36 points in the game. Chicago was led by DeRozan, who led all scorers with 19 points while also picking up a team-high four steals. Per the usual, DeRozan was lights out at the free throw line, going a perfect 8-8. Lavine also put forth a strong showing on the court as he chipped in with 17 points while also coming away with three additional steals as the Bulls defense continued to create problems on loose balls. Apart from those two, the rest of the Bull's starting five was lackluster at best, with Nikola Vucevic picking up 10 points, Coby White and Patrick Williams adding eight and two points a piece. Thankfully, the Bulls got some much-needed production off the bench, which they hope can carry over into the regular season. This time, the veteran Alex Caruso came up huge off the bench as he led the second unit with 14 points. Considering how much he struggled offensively last season, it was nice to see him get back to doing what he does best, which will go a long way for the Bulls this season. Along with Caruso, Terry Taylor had a massive night on the court, adding 10 points with seven rebounds. Rookie Julian Phillips and free agent Jevon Carter chipped in with eight points, with Quentin Jackson also adding seven as the Bulls second unit was very impressive in this one. Chicago also knocked down 14 triples for the second straight game and continued to shoot well from beyond the arc at 37%. The success of the Nuggets all starts and stops with the MVP Jokic, as he will be looking to secure that award once again. This may not be the regular season, but he still put forth a great offensive night, leading the way for Denver with 17 points while also adding six rebounds and six assists. Unlike the Bulls, who had three starters in double figures, Jokic was the lone starter to surpass that mark, but the bench came through in a massive way for this team. Julian Strawther came through with 16 points off the bench to lead that second unit while also knocking down four of the Nuggets 20 triples in the game. Collin Gillespie (13), Braxton Key (10), and Hunter Tyson (10) all had double-figure outputs off of the bench for the Nuggets, which was the main reason why they managed to force overtime before falling in double overtime late. These same teams will meet again on Sunday as the Bulls will head to Denver for game three of their five-game preseason slate.
