Bulls Face Nuggets in First Preseason Road Game

The Chicago Bulls visited the Denver Nuggets at Ball Arena in Denver on Sunday, October 11, 2026, for their third NBA preseason game, testing their young roster against Nikola Jokic and a veteran opponent while dealing with injuries that weakened their frontcourt and limited their rotation options.

Chicago entered the matchup with a 1-1 preseason record after beating the Phoenix Suns 124-117 and losing to the Memphis Grizzlies 104-100. Denver also stood at 1-1, following a 109-97 loss to Utah and a 117-106 victory over the Jazz, according to UrbanMatter and Yahoo Sports.

Caleb Wilson, Chicago's No. 4 overall pick, led the Bulls with 21 points against Memphis, shooting 7-of-17 from the field and 5-of-11 from three-point range, Yahoo Sports reported. He missed a potential go-ahead three-pointer with two seconds remaining as Chicago trailed by two.

Leonard Miller contributed 12 points and 11 rebounds against Memphis, while Josh Giddey scored 13 points and Norman Powell added 17. Dailyn Swain recorded four assists, providing additional playmaking opportunities while Chicago dealt with injuries to its guards.

Wilson's performance followed a 15-point showing in his preseason debut, according to Fubo. His development was a key storyline heading into the matchup against Jokic, a three-time NBA Most Valuable Player whose passing and court awareness Wilson had studied during high school.

Chicago also faced uncertainty surrounding forward Matas Buzelis, who left the Memphis game with a right ankle injury after playing approximately 12 minutes. Buzelis described the problem as minor in comments reported by UrbanMatter and traveled with the team to Denver, although his availability remained subject to the team's decision.

The Bulls were also without center Nic Claxton because of a hamstring injury and Zach Collins because of a toe injury, according to Yahoo Sports. Tre Jones and Jaylin Sellers were additional injury concerns, leaving Chicago with fewer established options in its backcourt and frontcourt.

Jalen Smith and Tobe Awaka were among the available big-man options discussed in UrbanMatter's preview. The shortage of healthy interior players raised questions about how Chicago would defend Jokic and manage its center rotation against Denver's size.

Chicago coach Tiago Splitter had also used smaller lineups during the preseason, including forward Leonard Miller at center. The approach offered another option while the Bulls assessed their young players and worked through their personnel limitations.

Denver entered the game after its 117-106 win over Utah, in which Aaron Gordon scored 18 points and grabbed five rebounds. DeMar DeRozan, a former Bull who joined the Nuggets during the offseason, scored eight points in approximately 11.5 minutes off the bench, according to Yahoo Sports.

Jokic recorded six points, five assists and four rebounds in 16 minutes against Utah, while Jamal Murray made his preseason debut with four points on 1-of-4 shooting, Fubo reported. Denver's projected starting group played together for the first time in that victory.

Historical matchups offered Chicago some encouragement. Yahoo Sports reported that the Bulls had won six of their previous 10 meetings with Denver, including three victories in their last four games against the Nuggets. Chicago averaged 127 points across those most recent four matchups.

The October 11 game was scheduled for 8 p.m. Central Time at Ball Arena, with Chicago Sports Network and ESPN among the listed broadcast options. The contest marked Chicago's first preseason road game under Splitter as the team continued evaluating its rotation ahead of the regular season.