Denver's preseason has been a split with Utah. The Jazz took the opener 109-97, and the Nuggets answered with a 93-79 win in the rematch. By Sunday they'll have had a few days off, playing their first home game against a team other than Utah. The one name on Denver's list is Spencer Jones, who sat out the win over the Jazz with a hamstring issue.
The injury Chicago really feels is Claxton. He tweaked a hamstring and is getting re-evaluated in 2 weeks, so he won't play this one. He was brought in to anchor the paint, and with Collins also banged up, the Bulls' frontcourt behind him is thin.
That leaves Sunday as a stress test for the Bulls' size. If Claxton and Collins are both out, Chicago's bigs have to deal with a Denver frontcourt playing at home at altitude, where visiting legs fade by the second half. It's also a chance to see how Wilson handles real NBA size and physicality away from the United Center crowd.
Tip is 7:00 PM MT. It's preseason, so starters' minutes are whatever the coaches want them to be. Watch the rotations, how Wilson looks, and whether the Bulls' new guards have figured out how to share the ball. The score is the least important number of the night.