Nugget Sends Bulls to Another Loss

By ESPN

The Denver Nuggets defense was absent for most of the night. They got a stop with the game on the line and sent Chicago to another loss in Colorado.

Rookie Jamal Murray scored a season-high 24 points, Will Barton hit two free throws with 9.5 seconds left and the Nuggets beat the Bulls 110-107 on Tuesday night.

It was Denver's 10th straight home win over the Bulls and its 16th in the last 17 meetings at Pepsi Center.

The Nuggets survived a 35-point, eight-rebound night from Jimmy Butler to keep Chicago winless in Denver since Feb. 8, 2006. Dwyane Wade had 22 points after sitting out Sunday's game against the Lakers.

Butler insisted the streak wasn't weighing on the team's mind.

"It's a basketball court with two rims, two backboards and a ball," he said. "At the end of the day put the ball in the basket, do everything you can do in every other city and win the game."

Chicago had a chance to end the streak but with the game tied Barton was fouled by Wade on a drive to the basket, and he hit two free throws left to give Denver a 109-107 lead.

"We are going to put the ball in Will Barton's hands, let him attack downhill," Nuggets coach Michael Malone said. "If he draws a crowd, let him get the ball to Murray, who had been shooting the ball light's out, on the back side to make a shot."

The Bulls called timeout and Fred Hoiberg drew up a play for Butler, but Denver shut it down.

"Kenneth Faried was standing in the paint so I didn't have nowhere to go," Butler said.

Wade got the ball to Isaiah Cannon, coming around the defense but shot an airball on a 3-point attempt and the Nuggets got the ball.

"We got a shot from a very good 3-point shooter. We're fine with it," Wade said. "We had a chance to come in and get one and we didn't."

Tuesday, November 22 Scoreboard

New York 107, Portland 103

New Orleans 112, Atlanta 94

Denver 110, Chicago 107

Los  Angeles Lakers 111, Oklahoma City 109

Wednesday, November 23 Schedule (All Times Central)

Memphis at Philadelphia, 6 p.m.

San Antonio at Charlotte, 6 p.m.

Phoenix at Orlando, 6 p.m.

Portland at  Cleveland, 6 p.m.

Atlanta at Indiana, 6 p.m.

Boston at  Brooklyn, 6:30 p.m.

Miami at Detroit, 6:30 p.m.

Toronto at Houston, 7 p.m.

Los Angeles Clippers at Dallas, 7:30 p.m.

Denver at  Utah, 8 p.m.

Minnesota at New Orleans, 8:30 p.m.

Los  Angeles Lakers at Golden State, 9:30 p.m.

Oklahoma City at Sacramento, 9:30 p.m.

Thursday, November 24 Schedule

No games scheduled

Friday, November 25 Schedule (All Times Central)

San Antonio at Boston, noon

Washington at Orlando, 6 p.m.

Dallas at Cleveland, 6:30 p.m.

Charlotte at New York, 6:30 p.m.

Chicago at Philadelphia, 6:30 p.m.

Los Angeles Clippers at Detroit, 6:30 p.m.

Atlanta at Utah, 7 p.m.

Toronto at Milwaukee, 7 p.m.

Miami at Memphis, 7 p.m.

Brooklyn at Indiana, 7 p.m.

Oklahoma City at Denver, 8 p.m.

Minnesota at Phoenix, 8 p.m.

New Orleans at Portland, 9 p.m.

Golden State at Los Angeles Lakers, 9:30 p.m.

Houston at Sacramento, 9:30 p.m.

Saturday, November 26  Schedule (All Times Central)

San Antonio at Washington, 6 p.m.

New York at Charlotte, 6 p.m.

Detriot at Oklahoma City, 7 p.m.

Memphis at Miami, 7 p.m.

Minnesota at Golden State, 9:30 p.m.

Sunday, November 27 Schedule (All Times Central)

Cleveland at Philadelphia, noon

Denver at Phoenix, 2:30 p.m.

Sacramento at Brooklyn, 5 p.m.

Milwaukee at Orlando, 5 p.m.

Los Angeles Clippers at Indiana, 5 p.m.

New Orleans at Dallas, 6 p.m.

Houston at Portland, 8 p.m.

Atlanta at Los Angeles Lakers, 8:30 p.m.