Chicago Bulls Fall to Nuggets 125-107: Recap, Highlights and More

Feb 28, 2017; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bulls center Robin Lopez (8) is defended by Denver Nuggets forward Nikola Jokic (15) during the first quarter of the game at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Caylor Arnold-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 28, 2017; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bulls center Robin Lopez (8) is defended by Denver Nuggets forward Nikola Jokic (15) during the first quarter of the game at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Caylor Arnold-USA TODAY Sports /
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Denver Nuggets dominate the second half, as the Chicago Bulls fall at home.

The Chicago Bulls played extremely well early in this game. They had fantastic ball movement, looking like a fresh new team after the big trade at the deadline. However, as soon as the second half hit, the Bulls were completely overwhelmed.

Rajon Rondo was the star of the show for the Bulls, especially in the first half. Rondo came off of the bench, but he controlled the offense well and was able to put the ball in the basket more than we are used to seeing.

Rondo finished 19 points, five assists, four rebounds and three steals in this game. A nice showing for the leader of the second unit.

The Bulls went into half time of this game leading 59-56. However, the Nuggets came out firing in the second half. Danilo Gallinari and Nikola Jokic in particular were difficult for the Bulls to stop. It seemed like every time down the court in the second half, Gallinari was hitting an open jumper or Jokic was making a highlight reel play.

Related Story: Grading the Bulls/Thunder Trade

On the flip side, the Bulls stopped moving the basketball in the second half. They simply played one-on-one basketball, consistently putting up awful shots. It was an ugly offensive performance for the Bulls in the second half.

Gallinari finished with 22 points in this game on 7-10 shooting. Jokic recorded an impressive triple-double with 19 points, 16 rebounds and 10 assists. Wilson Chandler chipped in with 20 points.

This is a strong and well-rounded Nuggets team and they showed off their skills on Tuesday night. With all due respect, the Chicago Bulls are not as good as this team.

Highlights

https://twitter.com/nuggets/status/836774006141386752

Three Stars

Pretty tough to find three stars for the Bulls tonight, but here goes nothing.

1. Rajon Rondo: Rondo was a huge reason for the Bulls’ first half success tonight. He controlled the offense well and played hard on the defensive end. It was a gritty effort from Rondo that we have not seen a lot of this season.

2. Dwyane WadeWade dropped in 19 points on 8-14 shooting in this one. An extremely efficient night from him, but a lot of it seemed to come late after the game was well in hand.

3. Bobby PortisThe newest Bulls’ starter, Bobby Portis had himself a nice game. Portis scored 12 points, pulled down six rebounds and had three steals. He shot 5-10 from the field, but 2-5 from three-point range is encouraging.

Next: Bulls Front Office Cannot Evaluate Talent

Next Game

Up next, the Chicago Bulls will host the Golden State Warriors on Thursday. The Nuggets will travel to Milwaukee to take on the Bucks on Wednesday night.