Through 1 Quarter

Fans are certainly getting their money’s worth as the Denver Nuggets and the Chicago Bulls have combined for 60 points one quarter in. Denver and Chicago are all tied up at 30. The Nuggets have been led by power forward Aaron Gordon, who so far has ten points and two assists along with four boards and two blocks.

Gordon has led the way so far for Denver, as he has ten points and two assists in addition to four rebounds and two blocks. Gordon hadn’t helped his team much against the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday, so this is a nice turnaround for him.

Denver and Chicago have certainly played as if they’re avenging a loss, because they are. Denver will have to keep the pressure on with three quarters left to go.

Who’s Playing

Chicago @ Denver

Current Records: Chicago 10-5; Denver 9-6

What to Know

The Chicago Bulls have been on the wrong side of a one-way rivalry with the Denver Nuggets and are hoping to record their first win since Dec. 2 of 2015. Chicago is on the road again on Friday and plays against Denver at 9 p.m. ET Nov. 19 at Ball Arena. If the game is anything like the Nuggets’ 131-127 victory from their previous meeting in March, the scorekeeper will be kept real busy.

Chicago was within striking distance but couldn’t close the gap on Wednesday as they fell 112-107 to the Portland Trail Blazers. Chicago was up 63-48 at the end of the half but couldn’t hold on to the lead. Their loss shouldn’t obscure the performances of shooting guard Zach LaVine, who shot 7-for-12 from beyond the arc and finished with 30 points and six boards, and shooting guard Alex Caruso, who almost posted a triple-double on 12 points, ten rebounds, and nine dimes. Caruso hadn’t helped his team much against the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday, so this was a nice turnaround for him.

Meanwhile, the point spread favored Denver on Thursday, but luck did not. The contest between the Nuggets and the Philadelphia 76ers was not particularly close, with Denver falling 103-89. Power forward Aaron Gordon wasn’t much of a difference maker for Denver; Gordon played for 31 minutes but put up just nine points on 4-for-13 shooting.

The losses put Chicago at 10-5 and Denver at 9-6. Chicago is 3-1 after losses this year, Denver 2-3.

How To Watch

• When: Friday at 9 p.m. ET
• Where: Ball Arena — Denver, Colorado
• TV: Altitude Sports & Entertainmnt
• Online streaming: fuboTV (Try for free. Regional restrictions may apply.)
• Follow: CBS Sports App
• Ticket Cost: $31.77

Odds

The Bulls are a slight 2.5-point favorite against the Nuggets, according to the latest NBA odds.

The line on this game has moved quite a bit since it opened, as it started out with the Nuggets as a 4.5-point favorite.

Over/Under: -110

See NBA picks for every single game, including this one, from SportsLine’s advanced computer model. Get picks now.

Series History

Denver have won nine out of their last ten games against Chicago.

• Mar 19, 2021 – Denver 131 vs. Chicago 127
• Mar 01, 2021 – Denver 118 vs. Chicago 112
• Jan 17, 2019 – Denver 135 vs. Chicago 105
• Oct 31, 2018 – Denver 108 vs. Chicago 107
• Mar 21, 2018 – Denver 135 vs. Chicago 102
• Nov 30, 2017 – Denver 111 vs. Chicago 110
• Feb 28, 2017 – Denver 125 vs. Chicago 107
• Nov 22, 2016 – Denver 110 vs. Chicago 107
• Feb 05, 2016 – Denver 115 vs. Chicago 110
• Dec 02, 2015 – Chicago 99 vs. Denver 90

Injury Report for Denver

• Nah’Shon Hyland: Game-Time Decision (Hip)
• Nikola Jokic: Out (Wrist)
• Zeke Nnaji: Out (Ankle)
• Michael Porter Jr.: Out (Back)
• Jamal Murray: Out (Knee)

Injury Report for Chicago

• Nikola Vucevic: Out (Covid-19)
• Patrick Williams: Out (Wrist)