The Denver Nuggets returned home from their four game road trip early this morning and immediately prepared themselves for a game tonight against the Chicago Bulls. The lack of rest showed as the Nuggets stayed with the Bulls up until the fourth quarter and then fell behind. At the end of the game they didn’t have enough in the tank to mount a comeback. Josh Giddey and Coby White had big games for the Bulls to offset performances from Jamal Murray and Peyton Watson and Chicago outlasts the Nuggets to seat a 129-119 win.

Jamal Murray provided the majority of the offense to start the game for Denver and got them a small lead. They couldn’t get much separation though as their defense was lackluster. The rest of the Nuggets starters chipped in on offense to keep them in front until the bench started checking in. Russell Westbrook was first off the pine and had some solid minutes which extended Denver’s lead. He hit a logo three to extend it to ten in the midst of a 16-4 run that forced the Bulls to take a timeout. Chicago responded out of the break and started knocking down outside shots to cut into the lead. The Nuggets reserve group had a strong close to the quarter to stop the Bulls momentum and at the end of the first quarter Denver led 35-27.

White picked up right where he left off in the first with a three for Chicago and led a run to tie the game at 37 just two minutes into the second quarter. A timeout brought Murray back into the game and the pace picked up. Westbrook continued to will his way to points. Unfortunately Murray got himself into foul trouble around the seven minute mark and had to go out. Both teams struggled with turnovers for a stretch after that with the lead switching between them. Michael Porter Jr. started to heat up and also had a nasty block to push Denver back in front. They got up a couple possessions before Chicago, and White, started hitting threes again. He continued to keep the Bulls in it, all the way up to knocking down a three right before the end of the half to tie it at 65.

The Nuggets struggled to score to open the second half and also got frustrated with the whistle which drew Michael Malone a technical. The Bulls were able to get in front by a couple of baskets behind Giddey who was attacking the basket. Murray kept Denver in it as he and Giddey went back and forth through the meat of the third quarter. Around the five minute mark Murray forced a loose ball out of the hands of the Bulls but looked like he got his hand smashed in the process. He stayed in the game but the Nuggets went cold from the floor for a moment. Luckily Chicago couldn’t get much going either and the Nuggets eventually took the lead back on a Watson three. He was playing some of his best ball of the year, particularly as the third quarter closed. White kept scoring on the Bulls side and that had the game tied at 95 going into the fourth.

Porter went on a quick 4-0 run to open the final quarter but White once again responded. He led a 7-0 run for Chicago that forced a timeout from Malone. Christian Braun paused the momentum swing with an and-1 but Denver kept bricking threes and letting the Bulls get to the rim. Chicago’s lead grew up to seven with just over seven minutes to go. The Bulls couldn’t miss, even their BS throw the ball at the rim shots were falling and for a moment it looked like they would pull away. Denver hit some threes to fight back but still couldn’t keep Chicago off the scoreboard (and when they did they’d give up an offensive rebound). After Denver failed to convert a transition opportunity and Giddey knocked down a three the lead was up to twelve with under four minutes to go. The Nuggets got it back down to eight but time started to become a factor. They were down just six with a minute to go but Westbrook missed a three and Nikola Vucevic hit a little baby hook in the lane to seal it. Denver runs out of gas and loses 129-119.