Bulls' Gibson out Tuesday due to ankle sprain

The Chicago Bulls will be without one of the league's best reserves when they take on the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday.

Taj Gibson will miss his second consecutive game due to a left ankle sprain suffered Friday against the Portland Trail Blazers. Gibson sat out Monday's game against the Utah Jazz, with the Bulls hanging on for a narrow victory and leaning heavily on Nikola Mirotic off the bench at power forward.

Making matters worse on Tuesday is that Joakim Noah is also questionable. If neither player suits up, the Bulls would be rendered quite thin in the paint and without their two best frontcourt defenders.

In 12 games this season, Gibson is averaging 12.4 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.1 blocks while shooting 54.6 percent from the floor. A Sixth Man of the Year contender a season ago, the Bulls have been 2.5 points per-100 possessions better this season with Gibson on the floor than without him.