2026-10-11 · 8:00 PM CT · Preseason
Chicago Bulls31-51
Denver Nuggets54-28ESPN standings data retrieved October 6, 2026. NBA comparisons use the completed 2025–26 regular season. Each upcoming fixture labels preseason or regular-season status.
Chicago Bulls2025–26 regular season
| Measure | Season average | League rank |
|---|---|---|
| STANDARD STATS | ||
| Points / game | 116.3 | 12 / 30 |
| Rebounds / game | 45.0 | 9 / 30 |
| Assists / game | 28.5 | 7 / 30 |
| Turnovers / game | 14.6 | 24 / 30 |
| Steals / game | 7.6 | 23 / 30 |
| Blocks / game | 5.0 | 11 / 30 |
| FG% | 46.9% | 14 / 30 |
| 3PT% | 35.6% | 19 / 30 |
| FT% | 77.6% | 18 / 30 |
| THE LAB MEASURES | ||
| eFG% | 54.7% | 14 / 30 |
| Turnover rate | 12.7% | 23 / 30 |
| Offensive rebound rate | — | — |
| Free-throw pressure | 0.246 | 22 / 30 |
Denver Nuggets2025–26 regular season
| Measure | Season average | League rank |
|---|---|---|
| STANDARD STATS | ||
| Points / game | 122.1 | 1 / 30 |
| Rebounds / game | 44.0 | 14 / 30 |
| Assists / game | 29.0 | 4 / 30 |
| Turnovers / game | 12.2 | 3 / 30 |
| Steals / game | 6.8 | 30 / 30 |
| Blocks / game | 4.0 | 28 / 30 |
| FG% | 49.6% | 2 / 30 |
| 3PT% | 39.6% | 1 / 30 |
| FT% | 80.8% | 5 / 30 |
| THE LAB MEASURES | ||
| eFG% | 57.7% | 1 / 30 |
| Turnover rate | 10.9% | 3 / 30 |
| Offensive rebound rate | — | — |
| Free-throw pressure | 0.294 | 4 / 30 |
ESPN team totals and game box scores checked October 6. NBA season averages and ranks use 2025–26; preseason game results are shown separately. Ranks are within the league, with ties sharing a rank; a lower turnover rate is better. Season offensive rebound rate needs opponent defensive-rebound totals, which this feed does not supply. A dash means unavailable. This game’s offensive rebound rate uses the opponent’s actual rebounds.
eFG% gives a made three its extra value. Turnover rate estimates the share of plays lost before a shot. Offensive rebound rate is the share of available offensive rebounds collected. Free-throw pressure is FTA/FGA. The calculations are (FGM + 0.5 × 3PM)/FGA; TOV/(FGA + 0.44 × FTA + TOV); OREB/(OREB + opponent DREB); and FTA/FGA.
This is preseason. Use the team numbers as background and watch how the new lineups play together. No spread or Lab win probability is published for this game.
Last season 31-51 | 12th in the East | Missed postseason
2025-26 efficiency 112.1 offense | 117.4 defense | -5.3 net per 100 possessions
Chicago finished 12th at 31-51 and missed the playoffs for a fourth consecutive season. Its minus-5.3 net rating reflected a roster short of both efficiency and extra possessions. The Bulls averaged 3.6 fewer shot opportunities than opponents, with weak offensive rebounding and limited ability to force turnovers making the scoring assignment harder.
Bryson Graham took over the front office and hired Tiago Splitter. Caleb Wilson, the fourth pick, joins Matas Buzelis and Josh Giddey as the young foundation. Nic Claxton gives Chicago a more credible interior defender, and Norman Powell supplies experienced scoring. The late acquisition of Buddy Hield adds shooting after Rob Dillingham moved out.
The unfinished issue is producing enough advantages around those players. Claxton can improve the defense without fixing loose possessions or creating perimeter pressure on his own. Powell can score without guaranteeing the young players get better attempts. Graham has made the rebuild more legible, but the roster still needs a sustainable shot-creation structure and a better way to win the possession count. Wilson's development should be supported by that structure rather than treated as its substitute.
Projected finish is 13th in the East. The added size and a clearer development plan should make Chicago more functional, but we do not see enough two-way improvement for a Play-In forecast. The important progress would be better chances for Wilson and Buzelis, fewer wasted possessions and evidence that the defense can hold together with the main offensive players on the court.
Last season 54-28 | 3rd in the West | First-round loss to Minnesota, 4-2
2025-26 efficiency 121.2 offense | 116.0 defense | +5.2 net per 100 possessions
Denver finished third at 54-28 and lost to Minnesota in six games in the first round. Its 121.2 offensive rating was the league's best. A defense allowing 116.0 points per 100 possessions, ranked 21st, explains why that advantage did not make the Nuggets a complete contender. Nikola Jokic could create a good shot without making the next defensive possession a good one.
The front office added DeMar DeRozan, Marvin Bagley III and Alpha Diallo while losing Peyton Watson and Tim Hardaway Jr. DeRozan can organize scoring possessions when Jokic rests. Diallo provides a possible defensive answer on the wing. Neither addition removes the importance of Aaron Gordon, whose 36-game season left Denver short of its most useful defensive forward for long stretches.
The unresolved concern is how the supporting cast generates enough stops without sacrificing the offense. Watson's departure makes that assignment harder. Bagley is another option behind Jokic, but does not establish a proven defensive bench. DeRozan helps with shot creation in an area that was already strong. Management still has to demonstrate that the tradeoff produces better lineups rather than simply a different scoring distribution.
Projected finish is sixth in the West. Jokic and Jamal Murray keep Denver in the direct-playoff group, but we do not credit a meaningful defensive improvement before seeing it. Better Gordon availability could move the Nuggets above that forecast. The case for a title still depends on the possessions their offense cannot rescue.
A matching published game video is not available in the verified archive yet.
