Bulls 99, Nuggets 90
CHICAGO -- Chicago Bulls center Pau Gasol had 26 points and 19 rebounds to lead the Bulls to a 99-90 comeback win over the Denver Nuggets at the United Center on Wednesday.
The Bulls (11-5) trailed the Nuggets by four points entering the fourth quarter and outscored them 31-18 in the final 12 minutes. The Nuggets were ahead 79-77 when the Bulls went on a 12-2 run. Gasol had six points during the run.
The Bulls won their fourth consecutive home game and improved to 7-1 at the United Center this season. The Cleveland Cavaliers are the only other team in the Eastern Conference with just one home loss.
The Nuggets (6-13) have struggled equally at home and away this season, and that trend continued on Wednesday. The Nuggets' losing streak was extended to eight games. They own the NBA's current longest losing streak after the Los Angeles Lakers snapped their seven-game skid with a win on Wednesday.
The Nuggets trailed by as many as eight points in the third quarter before pushing their way back into the game. Nuggets forward Darrell Arthur led the charge. He scored eight points in an 8-3 run to go ahead 70-68. Denver led 72-68 heading into the fourth quarter.
Gasol sparked the Bulls by doing a bit of everything in the opening quarter. He hit his first six shots and finished the quarter with 12 points on 6 of 8 shooting. He also contributed five rebounds, two assists and two blocks. Behind that effort, the Bulls built a 28-21 advantage after one quarter.
The Bulls stretched their lead to 51-40 late in the second quarter, but the Nuggets battled back. They finished the quarter on a 6-0 run and pulled within 51-46 at halftime. Nuggets guard Will Barton scored seven points off the bench in the quarter. He had 16 points in the loss.
Bulls guard Jimmy Butler scored 19 points. Center Joakim Noah had nine points and 11 rebounds, and forward Doug McDermott had 11 points off the bench for the Bulls.
Nuggets forward Kenneth Faried had 14 points and nine rebounds. Center Joffrey Lauvergne contributed 11 points and seven rebounds off the bench for Denver.
Bulls forward Nikola Mirotic suffered a concussion and a facial laceration that required stitches after he took an accidental elbow to the face while defending a layup in the first quarter. He left the game with 7:21 left in the first quarter and did not return.
NOTES: Bulls G Kirk Hinrich (hip) was ruled out before Wednesday's game after previously being considered doubtful. He suffered the injury on Nov. 27. ... Bulls G Aaron Brooks was active after being a game-time decision because of a left hamstring injury. He missed the previous four games. ... F Wilson Chandler (hip) and F Jusuf Nurkic (knee) were inactive for the Nuggets. ... Nuggets coach Michael Malone started the combination of G Emmanuel Mundiay, G Randy Foye, F Danilo Gallinari, F Kenneth Faried and C Nikola Jokic for the second time this season.