Nikola Jokić showed up like it was April. The bench looked like October.
That was the shape of the Nuggets’ third preseason game at Ball Arena, a competitive 133-128 win over the Bulls that turned into a showcase for Denver’s top-end talent and a reminder that the rotation behind it still has work to do. Jokić, Aaron Gordon, and Cam Johnson spent the night looking fully switched on, while the second unit had a much rougher time keeping pace.
There were still some encouraging signs beyond the stars. Julian Strawther got buckets.
Alpha Diallo finished with 3 steals and 4 rebounds in 14 minutes. Bryce Hopkins kept pressuring the defense.
But the loudest takeaway was hard to miss: Jokić remains an offensive machine, and Gordon looks healthier - and maybe better - than he has in three years.
The Nuggets came out scoring first when Jokić buried a three, then added two easy finishes at the rim to help Denver build a 13-12 edge. From there, the quarter turned into a trade of baskets with very little resistance on either end.
Christian Braun and Jamal Murray each missed open threes before the Bulls evened things up. Jokić had already done most of his work by then, finishing the opening quarter with 14 points.
Denver led 29-27 despite going just 1-for-9 from deep.
The next stretch belonged to Chicago. The Bulls opened the second quarter on an 8-0 run and kept extending the margin while Denver struggled to slow anything down.
Tyus Jones and Julian Strawther exchanged baskets, then Cam Johnson hit his first shot of the night - and first three - to briefly settle the Nuggets. It didn’t last.
Leonard Miller knocked down a three, Okoro added another, and Chicago’s lead swelled to 48-39 before Miller added two more easy baskets to push it to 13.
When the starters returned, Buddy Hield immediately drilled a three to stretch the Bulls’ advantage to 15. Jokić answered by finding Aaron Gordon in transition for a strong finish, then later slipped a pass to Braun for a layup.
Denver kept chipping away, with Johnson’s transition three cutting the gap to eight and Jalen Smith’s pair of threes helping Chicago restore a double-digit cushion. Jokić kept the offense humming, including a beautiful setup for Johnson’s third three, and Gordon added a transition triple of his own as the Nuggets’ top five kept proving how dangerous they can be.
Caleb Wilson’s buzzer-beating prayer still dropped, and Denver went into halftime down 9.
Chicago kept landing first punches in the third, with Miller staying hot from outside and finding Wilson for a running dunk. Jokić, though, was still carving up the defense, including another corner look to Gordon for his second three of the game.
The Bulls answered, the Nuggets answered back, and the two teams kept trading scores until Denver finally started to tilt the quarter in its favor. Gordon’s third three in four tries pulled the Nuggets within two and got him to 23 points.
Johnson’s fourth three on four attempts gave Denver its first lead since the first quarter, and Murray’s corner three in transition pushed Jokić to a triple-double in just 26 minutes. By the time the starters sat, Denver had a 99-94 lead.
The final period belonged to the deeper part of the roster, and it stayed lively. Strawther and Hawkins traded threes, Wilson kept working the mid-range, and Hopkins answered with four points to help preserve a 111-104 advantage.
Holmes, Brazile, and Nembhard all chipped in twos as Denver tried to hold the line. DaRon hit a three with 3:30 remaining to put the Nuggets up by 5, and Nembhard later found Holmes for a dunk with 1:30 left.
The Bulls still weren’t done, knocking down a three to make it a one-point game, but Hopkins forced free throws on a drive under a minute left and DaRon closed it out at the stripe after an immediate foul.
It ended as a preseason game should: loose, fast, and a little wild. But the important part was clear enough.
Denver’s stars looked ready right now. The supporting cast is still sorting itself out.
In Other News...
Nuggets Just Sent A Clear Message About Their Final Roster Spot
The Nuggets have made their first clear roster call of the preseason, waiving guard Lonnie Walker IV after bringing him in on a non-guaranteed training camp deal this offseason. Walker got into three preseason games, but Denver ultimately decided not to carry him into the regular season, instead leaning toward the guards already on two-way contracts as it sorted out the back end of the roster.
For a team that has spent camp sorting through its depth options, the move leaves one open spot heading into the regular season and keeps the door cracked for another addition down the line. It also suggests Denver is comfortable with the way its guard rotation is shaping up for now, even as the final piece of the roster remains unresolved. [Read more 🡒]
DaRon Holmes Faces A Nuggets Role Crunch He Didn't Expect
DaRon Holmes arrived in Nuggets camp with a chance to carve out a useful role after missing time while recovering from an Achilles injury, but the early read on his spot in the rotation has not made things any easier. Denver has been evaluating the 24-year-old big man as part of a crowded frontcourt, and his preseason work so far has not yet separated him from the pack behind the teams established reserve options.
With the big-man rotation already tight, Holmes is fighting for every available minute, and his path may be more complicated than it first looked. The remaining preseason games now loom as an important stretch for him, because Denvers depth up front means his best chance to stick could come from showing he can handle whatever role the Nuggets need, even if it is not the one he may have expected. [Read more 🡒]
Nuggets Preseason Rotation Is Revealing David Adelmans Early Trust Circle
Three preseason games have already given David Adelman a clearer look at where his early trust is landing, and the Nuggets coach has not been shy about mixing and matching as he sorts out the rotation. The minutes distribution has started to tell a story, with a handful of players getting a longer runway than the rest while others are still trying to work their way into the mix.
Tyus Jones, Julian Strawther, Marvin Bagley III and Alpha Diallo have all been among the players seeing the most meaningful time, which is usually a pretty good indicator of where a coachs confidence sits this time of year. The other side of that equation is just as interesting, though, because some Nuggets are still getting their chances later in games, and Spencer Jones has yet to appear in preseason at all. [Read more 🡒]