Utah (9-5) is tied for the early lead in the Northwest Division due mostly to its strong play in Salt Lake City, where it has won all six of its games so far this season. Those victories have come by an average margin of more than 10 points for the Jazz, who are scoring 103.3 points per game at EnergySolutions Arena.

The Jazz have also won three of their last four overall, and bounced back from a Friday night loss at San Antonio with a 103-94 victory in Memphis on Saturday night. Mehmet Okur had a season-high 23 points and Ronnie Brewer tied his career high with 21. That duo combined to go 19-for-29 from the floor to help Utah shoot 55 percent, but Okur credited defense for the game's outcome.

The Jazz are 9-1 when allowing fewer than 100 points, compared with 0-4 when giving up 100 or more.

"The effort on defense is how we're making it right now," Okur said.

It's challenging enough these days for Utah to merely cobble together a full lineup. Brewer and C.J. Miles are the only Jazz players to start each game this season, and Deron Williams, leading scorer and rebounder Carlos Boozer and Kyle Korver all missed Saturday's game with injuries. The status of all three injured players is uncertain for Monday.

"(The injury situation) gives other guys a chance to play, and they should relish that and be ready to play when they get the opportunity," Jazz coach Jerry Sloan said. "We are sorry that some guys are out, but we're still going to play the game."

Chicago (6-8) hasn't been playing the game well at all lately, posting a 1-3 record through the first four contests of its seven-game road trip. The Bulls fell to 1-6 on the season away from the United Center after Sunday night's 114-101 loss in Denver.

While defense is helping the Jazz, it's holding back the Bulls. Chicago has given up 110 points or more in all four games during the road trip, and allowed the Nuggets to shoot 54.1 percent from the field Sunday.

Ben Gordon scored 28 points and Drew Gooden added 21 for the Bulls, who got outscored 31-16 in the fourth quarter.

Rookie point guard and top overall draft pick Derrick Rose had 15 points, six assists and earned the respect of Denver's Chauncey Billups.

"He's already really good. He's going to be really awesome," Billups said of Rose, who has scored in double figures in all but one game.

These teams split two meetings last season, with the home team winning each. The Bulls have lost their last three visits to Utah.