After a disheartening loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday afternoon, the Denver Nuggets bounced back on Monday night with a 17-point victory over the NBA's best, the Chicago Bulls. Ty Lawson, who struggled for most of Sunday's game, bounced back with a 27-point game in the 108-91 victory.
After playing a close first half, 54-52, the Nuggets really pulled away from the Bulls in the third quarter, which they won the scoring battle, 27-16. Arron Afflalo added 22 points of his own, 11 in the first half and 11 in the second. The bench contributed 34 points, including 17 from Al Harrington and 12 from Andre Miller (who added 10 assists).
The Nuggets won the rebounding battle, 45-32, largely due to its starters (who pulled down 33 of them). Ty Lawson finished the game with nine rebounds, falling short of a double-double.
C.J. Watson and John Lucas each scored 17 points, helping to replace the injured Derrick Rose. Carlos Boozer scores 14 points and grabbed seven rebounds.
The Nuggets (27-23, 12-11 away) remain on the road for a game against the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday.
For more on this matchup, check out the Bulls blog Blog a Bull and the Nuggets blog Denver Stiffs. Tune in to SB Nation's NBA news hub for more updates and commentary from around the league.