Ball Arena got rowdy Friday night, inspiring hope that Denver might be a basketball city after all.
It just wasn’t clear whose basketball city, after Bulls fans invaded Denver and left with a satisfying 114-108 win. Playing without MVP Nikola Jokic, who missed Friday’s game with a wrist injury, the Nuggets scrapped and clawed to give the Bulls everything they had.
Aaron Gordon erupted for 28 points, and Will Barton added 23. Barton’s corner 3-pointer with :29 seconds remaining momentarily cut the deficit to 110-108, but the Nuggets fell to an onslaught from Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan.