CHICAGO (AP) _ Top draft pick Elton Brand scored 18 points, had 11 rebounds and fed Chris Anstey for a game-winning jumper Tuesday night as the Chicago Bulls beat the Denver Nuggets 86-84 in the preseason opener for both teams.

Ron Mercer, in his first game with Denver since being traded from Boston, scored 31 points to lead the Nuggets in Dan Issel's return as coach.

Denver's Raef LaFrentz hit a 3-pointer to tie the game at 84 with nine seconds left.

After a timeout, the Bulls inbounded to Brand, who drove to the middle. When the defense collapsed, he passed to Anstey on the right baseline and the Australian center sank a jumper with 1.4 seconds left.

Brand, who skipped his final two years of eligibility at Duke, was in the Bulls' starting lineup and it took him a couple of minutes to get going.

The second and third times he touched the ball, the 6-foot-8 rookie was called for an offensive foul and missed a short bank shot. But then he found the touch on a jump hook and finally relaxed, scoring seven more points in a row before heading to the bench.

Denver led 47-43 at halftime after overcoming an 11-point deficit. Mercer had 19 points in the first half, while Brand had 13.

Brand's debut came before thousands of empty seats at the United Center, perhaps a reflection that it was just a preseason opener or that fans were still fed up after Chicago's 13-37 mark during last year's lockout-shortened season.