Bulls at Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets look to bounce back from a thorough whipping when they host the struggling Chicago Bulls on Thursday. The Golden State Warriors set a record with 51 first-quarter points en route to steamrolling the host Nuggets 142-111 on Tuesday.
The 31-point loss to the Warriors knocked Denver out of first place in the Western Conference, ended a 12-game home winning streak and it also stunned coach Michael Malone. "I'm disappointed in the fact that we gave up 51 points in a quarter," Malone told reporters afterward. "That's mindboggling. I can't wrap my head around that number." Things could improve quickly against a Bulls' squad that has lost its last eight games and also has dropped six straight games in Denver. Chicago is 0-4 on a five-game road trip and the defeats include being lambasted 146-109 by the Warriors last Friday.
TV: 9 p.m. ET, NBCS Chicago-Plus, Altitude (Denver)
ABOUT THE BULLS (10-34): Forward Jabari Parker is back in the rotation after a stretch in which he saw action in just one of 13 games and he has put together back-to-back double-figure performances. Parker was especially solid with 18 points on 7-of-10 shooting against the Lakers in 17 minutes and insisted he can be the same player he was before undergoing two ACL surgeries on his left knee. "I know who I am and confidence has never been a problem for me," the 23-year-old Parker told reporters. "Just want to continue to do what I know I am capable of. Just have to remind myself that I am still fortunate. I am not hurt and I am still able to get on the court. That kind of perspective goes a long way for where I've been in my life."
ABOUT THE NUGGETS (29-14): Malone insisted there would be some discussion about the Golden State contest as he isn't a fan of blindly moving on and forgetting about what happened. "I don't believe in flushing games when you get your (bleep) kicked," Malone told reporters. "Take this failure, learn from it and use it moving forward. If you can do that, this negative becomes a positive in the long run." Standout center Nikola Jokic had 17 points and eight assists against the Warriors and described the outcome this way: "We're not a bad team. The game just happened."
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Nuggets have won the past six overall meetings versus the Bulls.
2. Denver SG Malik Beasley scored 22 points against Golden State and knocked down a career-best six 3-pointers.
3. Chicago PG Kris Dunn is just 8-of-27 shooting over the past three games.