Bulls Squander a 15-Point Lead, Fall to Nuggets

By the Bulls Nightly Desk · Monday, October 12

The Bulls built a 15-point lead in Denver and still lost 133-128, dropping to 1-2 in the preseason. Leonard Miller and Buddy Hield carried the bench while Matas Buzelis and Jalen Smith came off the injury list.

Bulls Nightly artwork — Illustration by Hoops Nightly.

Fifteen Up, Still Lost. Chicago led by as many as 15 in Denver and traded the lead 11 times before the Nuggets closed it out at the line. Drew Peterson's late three made it 131-128, but Cam Whitmore's free throws and a Peterson turnover sealed it, 133-128.

Miller's Best Outing. Leonard Miller scored 26 off the bench on 11-of-14 shooting and 4-of-6 from three in 22 minutes, his most efficient preseason game. He closed it out alongside Jalen Bridges, Noa Essengue and Patrick Williams.

Wilson's Floor Game. Rookie Caleb Wilson put up 17 points on 6-of-10 shooting and handed out five assists in 25 minutes, a preseason high in dimes. He also turned it over five times, worth tracking as his role grows.

Hield's Sharpest Night. Buddy Hield made 4 of 6 threes for 15 points off the bench, his best shooting outing since arriving from Charlotte in the trade that sent Rob Dillingham the other way.

Two Names Cleared. Matas Buzelis and Jalen Smith were both cleared Sunday, closing out the ankle and foot issues they picked up against the Grizzlies. The timing matters with the opener in Toronto nine days out.

Claxton's Clock Keeps Ticking. Nic Claxton hasn't played since his hamstring gave out on October 5, when a separate report put him out at least two weeks. His return is pegged for October 21 — opening night in Toronto — with no update confirming he'll be ready.

Denver's Stars Showed Up. Aaron Gordon scored 25 and Nikola Jokic added 22 points, 11 boards and 10 assists for the Nuggets. The Chicago Sun-Times' Joe Cowley pointed to Chicago's thin frontcourt as the story, calling it the 'center of attention for shrinking Bulls.'

On deck The Bulls play at the Bucks on October 14 and host the Timberwolves on October 16, both preseason, before the regular-season opener at the Raptors on October 21.

Did the Bulls win last night?

No. Chicago led by 15 points in Denver but lost to the Nuggets 133-128 in a preseason game on October 11.

When does Nic Claxton return for the Bulls?

Claxton has been out since October 5 with a hamstring injury, and his return is estimated for October 21, the regular-season opener at Toronto.