Seven Denver Nuggets scored a dozen or more points, including a game-high 22 from Danilo Gallinari, as Denver defeated the Bulls 125-107 in Chicago on Tuesday night. Nikola Jokic recorded a triple-double, and Denver shot 56.3 percent from the field as a team in the win.
After enduring a mini-slump that saw him record just 16 points in three games, Jokic closed out February with one of his best all-around games of the month. His 10 assists and 16 rebounds were both high marks in the contest, and his 19 points marked his largest total since scoring 40 and 27 in back-to-back games Feb. 10 and 11. Will Barton and Jamal Murray combined for 29 points (15 and 14) off the bench and Wilson Chandler scored 20 in the victory.
Denver was stout on the defensive end, meanwhile. The Nuggets held Jimmy Butler to just eight points on 3-for-13 shooting. Rajon Rondo and Dwyane Wade led Chicago with 19 points apiece. The Bulls managed 96 shot attempts to Denver’s 80, but shot just 45.8 percent from the floor on the night.
The Nuggets have a quick turnaround on Wednesday. They face the Timberwolves in Minnesota before a short respite. Denver begins a four-game homestand on Saturday. Their next three opponents, Minnesota, Charlotte and Sacramento, are all sub-.500 teams. They host the No. 3 and No. teams in the East, Washington and Boston, to close out the homestand next week.
