Bulls Hold Off Nuggets to End the 5-Game Losing Streak
In the thin air of the Mile High City, where champions are forged and streaks are meant to be broken, the Chicago Bulls found something they had been desperately missing: a pulse. On a Monday night, with the sting of a five-game losing streak still fresh and the exhaustion of a double-overtime heartbreaker just 24 hours prior, they walked into Ball Arena and stared down the undefeated-at-home Denver Nuggets. What followed was not just a basketball game; it was a 48-minute fight for survival, a chaotic, brilliant, and utterly defiant performance that ended with a 130-127 victory for the road-weary underdogs.
This wasn’t supposed to happen. The Nuggets, led by the basketball monolith that is Nikola Jokic, were riding a seven-game wave of dominance. The Bulls were arriving in Denver not just beaten, but emotionally and physically drained. They were without the scoring punch of Coby White, sidelined by a strained calf after dropping 27 points the night before. The script was written for a blowout.
But someone forgot to give the Bulls their copy.
The Bulls’ Bench Mob Stuns the Former Champions
From the opening tip, Chicago played with a desperate energy. They built a lead that swelled to as many as 18 points, a stunning cushion against the former champs. But as anyone who watches this league knows, no lead is safe against a team like Denver. The Nuggets, as they always do, clawed their way back. The 18-point lead vanished. Later, a 13-point fourth-quarter advantage for the Bulls evaporated under a furious rally led by Jamal Murray, who seemed to find another gear when the lights were brightest.
The true story of this game, the narrative that will be whispered in the Bulls’ locker room, was the unbelievable explosion from the second unit. The box score tells a tale of two different teams: Chicago’s bench outscored Denver’s by a staggering 66-9. It was a clinical, overwhelming display of depth. Ayo Dosunmu, playing with the poise of a seasoned vet, poured in 21 points. Jalen Smith added 16 bruising points and 8 boards, and Jevon Carter was a pest on defense while chipping in 15 of his own. They didn’t just hold the line; they redrew it.
A Duel of Titans in the Final Minutes
As the clock wound down, the game tightened into a classic fourth-quarter slugfest. Every possession felt heavy, every shot monumental. Nikola Jokic, who had been a force of nature all night, compiled a ridiculous triple-double: 36 points, 18 rebounds, and 13 assists. He was unstoppable. Jamal Murray, dormant for stretches, erupted for 18 of his 34 points in the final frame, hitting clutch shot after clutch shot to pull the Nuggets ahead.
With 2:19 left, a Murray layup gave Denver a 117-116 lead, and the 19,951 fans in Ball Arena roared, sensing the inevitable comeback was complete. The Bulls, having blown two massive leads, could have folded. They could have remembered their losing streak, the fatigue in their legs, and the thin mountain air burning their lungs.
They did not.
Josh Giddey, who had a masterful night with 21 points and 14 rebounds, answered with a turnaround jumper. Then Jokic, because he’s Jokic, drained a three to put Denver back up, 120-118. The arena was electric. The Bulls were on the ropes.
This was the moment. Kevin Huerter, receiving a pass from Nikola Vucevic, rose from beyond the arc. With 1:25 remaining, he let it fly. Swish. The Bulls were back in front, 121-120. The silence that fell over the crowd was deafening. On the next possession, Dosunmu streaked to the rim for a dunk, pushing the lead to three. But the dagger, the final twist of the knife, came from Vucevic. With just 33 seconds left, he calmly stepped into a three-pointer and buried it, capping a night where his quiet contributions set the stage for others to shine.
Jokic had one last look at the buzzer to tie it, a final prayer from a basketball god. But on this night, it clanged off the iron. The horn sounded. The Chicago Bulls had done the impossible. They had not only snapped their losing streak, but they had also handed the Denver Nuggets their first home loss of the season in a game that felt like a playoff battle in mid-November. It was a testament to grit, a story of redemption, and a reminder that in the NBA, any team can find its heart when it needs it most.
