Butler, Gasol lead Bulls past Denver Nuggets

— Timberwolves suffer 10th straight defeat

(The Sports Xchange) — Forward Pau Gasol blocked a career-high nine shots to go along with 17 points and nine rebounds as Chicago topped Denver 106-101 setting a franchise record with 18 blocked shots in the process on New Year’s Day.

Bulls forward Jimmy Butler led the team with 26 points and eight assists, and guard Derrick Rose scored 17 points despite missing his first eight shots from the field.

Pau Gasol
Pau Gasol
Jimmy Butler
Jimmy Butler

Denver lost for the fifth time in six games and dropped to 4-12 on the road this season.

Forward Wilson Chandler scored 22 points to lead the Nuggets. Guard Ty Lawson added 20 points and seven assists, guard Arron Afflalo scored 19 points, and forward Kenneth Faried notched 18 points and 19 rebounds.

 

– – –

Kings 110,

Timberwolves 107

Sacramento guard Darren Collison made two free throws with 2.8 seconds remaining and Minnesota guard Troy Daniels’ three-point shot at the buzzer came up short as the Kings defeated the Timberwolves.

The victory snapped a brief two-game losing skid for the Kings, but was just their third win in their past 12 games.

For Minnesota, the loss was its 10th straight.