Bulls and Nuggets Turn Preseason Into Track Meet, Blow Past the Total

So much for preseason restraint. The Bulls and Nuggets combined for 261 points in Denver, sailing past the 232.5 total and making DarkHorse's under look foolish in the process. Final score: Nuggets 133, Bulls 128.

The logic was sound on paper—shortened rotations, camp bodies, typical preseason lethargy. What actually happened? Both teams decided to treat this like a Western Conference Finals preview, not an October tune-up. The pace was frantic, the shooting was surprisingly crisp, and neither defense bothered showing up for work. When you're hitting 261 in a game that's supposed to feature extended garbage time with third-stringers bricking layups, someone didn't get the memo about taking it easy.

Chicago's injury situation—Claxton sidelined, Buzelis hobbled, rotation in flux—was supposed to grind their offense to a halt. Instead, they hung 128 on a Nuggets squad that apparently left its preseason defense back in the locker room. Denver answered with 133 of their own, because why not?

The under never had a chance. Both sides played loose, fast, and with zero regard for the typical preseason script. Sometimes the stars ignore the calendar, and tonight they torched the total by nearly 30 points. Tough miss, but when preseason suddenly looks like playoff intensity, you just tip your cap and reload.