Rose held out of second half, Bulls fall to Nuggets

Posted on by

Chicago Bulls Logo - Red bull with script above head

DENVER—Ty Lawson scored 20 points, including a key jumper in the waning seconds, and the Denver Nuggets beat the Bulls 114-109 on Tuesday night for their fifth straight win.Arron Afflalo added 19 points and Danilo Gallinari had 15 for the Nuggets, who defeated the Bulls for the eighth straight time in Denver. Derrick Rose was limited to 10 minutes in his second game back from a left hamstring strain. Rose, who scored 18 points in his return Monday night against Utah after a four-game absence, felt tightness in the hamstring during the first quarter and didn’t play the rest of the way.Jimmy Butler had 32 points, and Pau Gasol finished with 22 points and 11 rebounds.Trailing 56-49 at halftime, the Bulls closed to 64-61 when Mike Dunleavyswiped the ball from Lawson to start a fast break that he finished with a layup.But the Nuggets pushed back. When Dunleavy later made a 3-pointer, Lawson answered with a three-point play to help Denver to an 86-76 lead heading into the fourth quarter.The Nuggets used a 6-0 burst that included a pair of dunks by Alonzo Geeto stretch their lead to 94-80 with 8:25 remaining, but then had to fend off a late rally by the Bulls.Gasol scored a pair of baskets to get the Bulls within 10. After a video review erased a 3-point basket by Gallinari because he stepped out of bounds, Gasol converted a three-point play, making it 105-98 with less than two minutes left.Butler’s three-point play with 31.4 seconds remaining trimmed Denver’s lead to 109-106, but Lawson then hit a step-back jumper with 8.3 seconds left. After a Bulls turnover, Lawson hit one of two free throws and it was enough to hold off the Bulls.

NOTES—Joakim Noah was inactive because of an eye abrasion suffered in the win at Utah. … Taj Gibson missed the game because of a left ankle injury. … The Bulls haven’t won in Denver since Feb. 8, 2006. … Gasol leads the Bulls with seven double-doubles….Former DePaul Blue Demon Wilson Chandler finished with 14 points for Denver and has had 10 or more points in 10 of his last 11 games…..The Bulls are at Boston on Friday.