The Denver Nuggets are looking to snag a win in front of the their hometown fans Friday night against the 27-21 Chicago Bulls.
Chicago is a high-caliber, fast-paced team that has some legitimate talent on their roster. Jimmy Butler, Derrick Rose and Pau Gasol are the big guns on the Bulls roster that work magic for Chicago.
Chicago is 4-6 in their last 10 and 11-12 on the road this year.
Denver is 19-31 on the year, but has played much better than their record shows. The Nuggies are 10-15 at the Pepsi center this season and 4-6 in their last 10 games.
The Nuggets are coming off a tough loss against the Utah Jazz, looking to bounce back against the guys from Chi-town.
Keys to victory:
- Limit Pau Gasol’s ability down low: Gasol is a guy that will make or break the Bulls success on a nightly basis. Although the Bulls are a team run by their young guards, Gasol is a game changer for the Bulls and adds diversity to their team.
- Lock down the Bulls young guards: The heart and soul of the Bulls are Derrick Rose and Jimmy Butler. If the Nuggets can play solid defense and limit the duo’s ability, they will neutralize the Bulls’ biggest assets.
- Score 100 points: This has been the case all year long. When the nuggets score 100 points, more often then not they win. It will be critical for the Nuggets to score 100 if they want to have a chance to be Chicago.
The Nuggets need to neutralize the Bulls’ “Big Three” if they want to have a chance to beat the fifth-best team in the Eastern Conference.
Overall, the Nuggets have a tough task ahead of them; however, if they play solid down low and play lights-out defense, the Nuggets should be able to snag a victory.