National Basketball Association

Lauvergne scores 18 points, Nuggets beat Bulls 112-94

Published Oct. 8, 2015 11:47 p.m. ET

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BOULDER, Colo. (AP) Joffrey Lauvergne had 18 points and eight rebounds, and the Denver Nuggets beat the Chicago Bulls 112-94 on Thursday night in an exhibition at the University of Colorado's Coors Event Center.

Will Barton had 17 points and Jokic Nikola added 14 for the Nuggets (2-1).

NUGGETS: Lauvergne has been getting the bulk of the preseason time at center in the absence of starter Jusuf Nurkic, who is sidelined by a left patellar tendon injury.

BULLS: Nikola Mirotic led the Bulls (1-1) with 18 points, making a pair of 3-pointers.

NOAH'S NIGHT: Joakim Noah appeared shaken up when he hit the floor hard in a first-quarter tussle for the ball with Kenneth Faried, but he returned to play in the second quarter and finished with five rebounds and two points in 15 minutes.

SIDELINED: The Nuggets' Darrell Arthur missed the game with a right hamstring strain. The Bulls' Derrick Rose is continuing his recovery from a left orbital bone fracture suffered Sept. 29 in the team's first practice of the season.