CHICAGO (AP) _ Ron Mercer scored 17 points and rookie Khalid El-Amin added 16 Wednesday night as the Chicago Bulls beat the Denver Nuggets 83-79.

The Bulls led 40-15 early in the second quarter, before Denver chipped away and grabbed a 79-77 lead on George McCloud's 3-pointer with 1:53 remaining.

Elton Brand, who scored 14 points, made baskets on consecutive possessions to put the Bulls ahead 81-79 with 47 seconds left.

McCloud, who led Denver with 15 points, then missed an open 3-pointer with four seconds left. A pair of free throws by Jamal Crawford sealed the victory.

Mercer, acquired as a free agent in the offseason to bolster the lowest-scoring offense in the league, made 5 of 16 shots.

El-Amin made 7 of 11 shots against second-teamers and swished a basket from about 55 feet to beat the first-quarter buzzer.

The Bulls committed 41 fouls and made only 21 of 38 free throws. The Nuggets shot only 31 percent from the field.