Denver Nuggets Lose 8th Straight, Fall to Bulls 99-90
The Denver Nuggets lost their 8th consecutive contest on Wednesday night as the fell on the road to the Chicago Bulls by a final score of 99-90.
The Denver Nuggets entered Wednesday’s game against Chicago reeling, losing their past 7 games. Wednesday night’s result was did not alleviate any concern, as the Bulls held serve, keeping the Nuggets in the loss column.
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Will Barton led the way for the Denver Nuggets off the bench with 16 points on 6-12 shooting, but had a +/- of -15 in 27 minutes. Kenneth Faried added 14 points on 7-10 shooting and 9 boards, while Danilo Gallinari and Darrell Arthur pitched in with 13 points a piece.
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Rookie Emmauel Mudiay did not have a good game, scoring only 4 points on 2-13 shooting in 30 minutes. Obviously Mudiay is a dynamic young guard with much upside, but fans must remain patient as he continues to develop. Tonight we saw some growing pains from the Denver Nugget’s point guard of the future.
It was a difficult night for the Denver Nuggets when it was all said and done, as the team only shot 38 percent from the field and was out-rebounded by the Bulls 62-49. For the Bulls, Pau Gasol dominated, recording a double-double with 26 points and 17 rebounds on 12-19 shooting. Jimmy Butler added 19 points and 6 rebounds.
The Denver Nuggets did take a lead into the fourth quarter at 72-68, but were outscored by the Bulls 31-18 in the final period. The biggest difference in tonight’s game was the Bulls’ ability to clean the glass, which afforded Chicago key second chance opportunities. Wednesday’s defeat was the Denver Nugget’s seventh loss on the road thus far into the 2015-2016 regular season.
An 8-game losing streak is never easy to shake, and after a disappointing start to the season, the Denver Nuggets must continue to look at the silver linings — even in losses. Taking a lead into the fourth quarter in a hostile environment like the United Center is admirable, but the Denver Nuggets must improve in closing out games. Will Barton played well off the bench, while Manimal was his usual self.
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The schedule does not get any easier for the Denver Nuggets, as they travel to the Air Canada center for a Thursday night tilt against the Toronto Raptors, who are fresh off a huge road victory against an Eastern Conference contender in the Atlanta Hawks. Let’s hope that Mike Malone’s squad can shake off there recent struggles and get a big win on the road tomorrow.