 from the field and had seven players score in double figures. Paul Millsap had 22 points and eight rebounds in 27 minutes, and Wilson Chandler made five of the Nuggets' 20 3-pointers on his way to 19 points.The Nuggets (39-33) led by as many as 46 while improving to 1-2 on a seven-game trip. They also pulled within 1 1/2 games of idle Utah for eighth in the Western Conference playoff race.''Anytime on the road you're able to build a 40-point lead, your guys are playing at a high level,'' Denver coach Michael Malone said.Jokic went 9 for 11 from the field and made each of his two 3-point tries. He called the warm reception ''really, really cool,'' and his teammates also got a kick out of the Serbian contingent in the crowd of 20,671.''It was a home game for him,'' a grinning Millsap said. ''Definitely a home game for him. I see why he was feeling it out there.'' Cristiano Felicio scored 16 points for the Bulls (24-47), who have dropped four of five. Bobby Portis had 15 points and eight rebounds, and Noah Vonleh finished with 14 points.''We are not coming out with any type of edge whatsoever, and we're allowing teams to gain confidence in games, and it just goes downhill from there,'' coach Fred Hoiberg said.Chicago played without Kris Dunn, Lauri Markkanen and Zach LaVine due to injuries, and veteran center Robin Lopez did not dress. Dunn has a right toe sprain, Markkanen has been bothered by lower back spasms and LaVine is out with soreness in his surgically repaired left knee.LaVine (16.7 points per game), Markkanen (14.9) and Dunn (13.4) are the Bulls' top three scorers after Nikola Mirotic was traded to New Orleans last month.''When you lose, it hurts until midnight,'' Portis said. ''Then, when midnight comes, you worry about the next game.'' The Nuggets opened a 33-23 lead on Jokic's layup with 1:15 left in the first quarter and maintained a double-digit advantage for the rest of the game. Once a fast shooting start for the Bulls wore off, it was never in doubt.The lead ballooned to 20 for the first time on Chandler's layup with 5:52 left in the first half. It got up to 30 when Jokic and Will Barton hit consecutive 3-pointers, making it 74-44 with 58.2 seconds remaining in the quarter.Jokic then made a slick pass to set up Jamal Murray's three-point play, helping Denver to a 77-46 halftime lead. The Nuggets shot 68.3 percent (28 for 41) from the field in their highest-scoring first half of the season.PLAYING IT COYThe playoff race doesn't mean very much for lowly Chicago as the season winds down. It's the results for the teams at the bottom of the standings that affect the Bulls in terms of positioning for their pick in the draft lottery.Asked if he was scoreboard watching for the bottom of the NBA, a chuckling Hoiberg responded: ''I look at the scores. I follow the box scores very closely, as all coaches do at this time of year.'' TIP-INSNuggets: G Gary Harris (strained right knee) missed his third consecutive game. Malone called a Monday return at Philadelphia a ''best-case scenario.'' ... Barton and Murray each had 16 points. Reserve Devin Harris scored 14, and Trey Lyles had 10. ... The Nuggets swept the season series for the second straight year.Bulls: G Antonio Blakeney had six points on 3-for-10 shooting after he was listed as questionable due to a left wrist sprain. ... The Bulls made their first four 3-point attempts and finished 13 for 38 from beyond the arc. They went 3 for 30 from long range during Monday night's 110-92 loss to the New York Knicks.UP NEXTNuggets: Visit Washington on Friday night. Denver lost 109-104 to the Wizards on Oct. 23.Bulls: Host Milwaukee on Friday night in the finale of their season series. The Bulls won two of the previous three matchups, but lost 110-96 in their last meeting on Jan. 28.---Jay Cohen can be reached at http://www.twitter.com/jcohenap---For more NBA coverage: https://apnews.com/tag/NBAbasketball)
Mar 20, 2018 CHICAGO -- The Denver Nuggets find themselves in the hunt for a Western Conference playoff spot, but they know time is running out if they still hope to make their move.The Nuggets try to end a two-game skid which hasn't helped their chances when they face the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday. The Bulls are rebuilding and short-handed thanks to a recent rash of injuries but as Denver opens a season-high seven-game road trip, the Nuggets realize they need to make the most of the opportunity still in front of them.Still, even considering the Bulls' challenges, Nuggets coach Michael Malone isn't taking anything for granted."It's not going to be easy," Malone said, according to the Denver Post. "Any game with 11 games to go is going to be a hard-fought game." The Nuggets (38-33) are attempting to position themselves for the final Western Conference postseason berth, but have struggled throughout the season against losing teams. Denver had its share of troubles in a loss to the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday, but rebounded Monday night, albeit in a 149-141 double overtime loss to the Miami Heat.Despite Monday's setback, Malone was encouraged by his team's effort after the disappointing effort against the Grizzlies, who entered the game having lost 19 straight. Having moved on, Malone is looking for the Nuggets to take a step back in the right direction against Chicago, which has been playing without stars Kris Dunn, Zach LaVine and rookie Lauri Markkanen -- all of whom have been injured.Even with that being the case, Malone realizes if the Nuggets are to keep themselves in position to advance to the postseason, they have to do their part. They are two games behind Utah for the final playoff spot in the West."Effort, fight, urgency ... cannot be words that we're talking about," Malone said, according to the Post.The Bulls, meanwhile, are just trying to remain competitive as the regular season nears a close. Chicago (24-46) has dropped two straight and four of its past six games. Without their Big Three of Dunn, LaVine and Markkanen, Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg has been forced to string together a new-look starting lineup that has struggled to establish much consistency or rhythm.Chicago is coming off a 110-92 loss to the New York Knicks. If and when the Bulls can move closer to getting back to full strength remains uncertain.Markkanen is still dealing with back spasms, LaVine has tendinitis in his left knee and Dunn has been in a walking boot after Hoiberg told reporters that Dunn had a setback with the turf toe injury he has been dealing with.The injuries mount while the Bulls are battling for the bottom and a lottery pick in this summer's NBA Draft. While they have been careful to avoid the appearance that they are tanking, Hoiberg maintains their issues heading into Wednesday's game are real."We understand that these are legitimate things going on," Hoiberg told reporters Monday, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. "We've still got a lot of things going on with the three guys we accomplished in (last year's) trade -- Kris and Lauri and Zach -- and hopefully we do get them back on the floor sometime soon. When they're ready to go, they're going to be back out there playing again. At the same time, we understand that right now we've got to look at some guys in different situations, which we've done."
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