Chicago Bulls vs Denver Nuggets Prediction & Match Preview - November 19th, 2021 | NBA Season 2021-22
The Denver Nuggets will look to host the Chicago Bulls at Ball Arena on the second night of a back-to-back on November 19th.
The Chicago Bulls head into this game on the back of a 107-112 loss to the Portland Trailblazers. Notching their fifth loss of the season, the Bulls have fallen to 10-5 but remain as the third seed in the Eastern Conference
The Denver Nuggets, on the other hand, will head into their next game on the back of a 103-89 blowout loss against the Philadelphia 76ers.
Match Details
Fixture - Chicago Bulls vs Denver Nuggets | 2021-22 NBA Season
Date & Time - Friday, November 19th, 2021; 9:00 PM ET (Saturday, November 20th, 2021; 7:30 AM IST)
Venue - Ball Arena, Denver, CO
Chicago Bulls Preview
In the loss to Portland, the Chicago Bulls faced an epic meltdown as they let go of a comfortable lead late in the game. On their road-trip through the Western Conference, featuring back-to-back wins at Staples Center against the Clippers and Lakers, the Bulls were due to feel fatigued.
ZACH LAVINE SAID GOODNIGHT. (via @chicagobulls) https://t.co/2DK4QtabDg
Chicago's big three of DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine and Lonzo Ball each performed brilliantly. However, the overall lapse in the second half gave Portland the necessary opening to secure a win at home.
The Bulls have seen a tough stretch of eight games where they have emerged 5-3 without their starting forward and center. As Nikola Vucevic continues to be absent due to health and safety protocols, the Chicago Bulls' inside presence has dwindled significantly.
Key Player - DeMar DeRozan
A highlight of this journey along the Western Conference, however, has been the form of DeMar DeRozan. The Chicago Bulls enjoy a resurgence of the former All-Star as he looks to continue his dominant performances.
DeRozan looked like a scoring machine on the road trip. Other than the 18-point outing against the Warriors, DeMar DeRozan led the Bulls to wins in LA by recording 35 points against the Clippers and 38 points against the Lakers in back-to-back outings.
DEMAR DEROZAN IS DEEP IN HIS BAG.
(Check out the bench)
@NBCSChicago | @DeMar_DeRozan https://t.co/sv1WiipJYj
Although his performance against Portland was not as efficient, DeRozan still recorded 22 points for the game. Being a key aspect of Chicago's offense and a key scorer from midrange, DeMar DeRozan will be key for the Chicago Bulls as they face the Denver Nuggets.
Chicago Bulls Predicted Lineup
G - Lonzo Ball | G - Zach LaVine | F - Alex Caruso | F - DeMar DeRozan | C - Tony Bradley
Denver Nuggets Preview
Coming off the blowout loss to the Philadelphia 76ers at home, the Denver Nuggets will look to prevent a losing slide early as they head into this back-to-back game against the Bulls.
The Nuggets' 9-6 record sees them as the sixth seed in the Western Conference. Led by reigning MVP Nikola Jokic, the Denver Nuggets have been heavily dependent upon their superstar to perform in order to win.
Although the game was brought close in the first half, tragedy struck in the third as Nuggets head coach Michael Malone was ejected from the game.
Jokic's 27-point first-half success wouldn't continue as he finished the game with 30 points and 10 rebounds. Overall, the Nuggets will have to bounce back and shake off this funk if they look to be a competitive side.
In the loss to the #Sixers , #DenverNuggets star C #NikolaJokic is a BEAST. 10/17 FG. 3/4 3FG. 7/9 FT. 30 points. 10 rebounds. 7 assists. #GoNuggets https://t.co/sBbQB6kula
Key Player - Nikola Jokic
The key player for the Denver Nuggets heading into this matchup against the Chicago Bulls will be Nikola Jokic.
As the league's reigning MVP, Jokic has only improved upon his output from his MVP season. Playing with new intensity given the shorthanded roster, Jokic's relevance to the Denver Nuggets side has increased significantly.
Nikola Jokic currently has the highest single-season PER of all time. And it’s not close.
The gap between him (35.1) and the second player (Wilt Chamberlain at 32.1) is bigger than the gap between Wilt and the 45th player. https://t.co/dswUcE5rf1
Playing a key role in facilitating the Denver Nuggets' offense, Jokic's impact on the team is also felt on the defensive end. The drop-off in offensive and defensive ratings with Jokic off the court should raise some concerns for the Nuggets.
Heading into this game against the Bulls, Jokic will have every opportunity to dominate with Chicago missing their primary big man. As one of the best big men in the league, Jokic finding opportunities to score and mobilize Denver's offense shouldn't be a huge problem.
Denver Nuggets Predicted Lineup
G - Monte Morris | G - Will Barton | F - Aaron Gordon | F - Jeff Green | C - Nikola Jokic
Bulls vs Nuggets Match Prediction
The Chicago Bulls vs. Denver Nuggets presents itself as a difficult match to forecast.
Although the Nuggets have home court advantage, their lack of star power should create problems on the second night of a back-to-back. Meanwhile, Chicago's high octane offense will also suffer the effects of fatigue and the lack of a solid big man down low.
With both teams experiencing significant setbacks, the matchup does seem even. However, the likelihood of the Chicago Bulls winning is slightly better due to their ability to execute on both ends of the floor.
Where to watch Bulls vs Nuggets game?
The Chicago Bulls vs. Denver Nuggets game will be locally broadcast on Altitude. It will also be available on the NBA's League Pass platform. Fans can also listen to the game on the radio by tuning into KKSE 92.5 FM.