A defenseless second half dropped the Nuggets to 0-2 to start their five-game road trip.

Here are three takeaways from Denver’s 129-121 loss Monday in Chicago:

1. That should’ve been a get-right opportunity for the Nuggets between two games against better teams, but to borrow a phrase from coach Michael Malone, his team “messed with the game.” The Nuggets led by 12 in the first half but gave up 68 points after halftime to a Bulls team that started the night 19-27. Nikola Jokic, who recorded another triple-double with 33 points, 14 assists and 12 rebounds, and Christian Braun, who scored a career-high 28 points to go with five rebounds, four assists and a couple of steals, were Denver’s best players, but they weren’t perfect. Jokic committed a team-high four turnovers, while Braun was responsible for a couple of rare defensive lapses that resulted in clutch 3s for Chicago. Now, the Nuggets need to come up with some answers before Wednesday’s game in New York. The Knicks dropped 145 points in Denver earlier this season and scored 143 points in consecutive games.

2. Trade talks are going to get louder for a couple of reasons. One, that’s another bad loss from the Nuggets, who have made a habit of losing to lesser teams. And two, the latest disappointing defeat came against Zach LaVine, a name the Nuggets have been linked to since trade season started. LaVine led his team to the win with 21 points and a 5-for-10 mark from 3-point range. But giving up Michael Porter Jr. to make the trade work isn’t an obvious answer. First, Denver’s guard play has improved with Jamal Murray and Russell Westbrook starting together, and though Porter went just 2 for 8 Monday, he’s still a better shooter and rebounder, two things the Nuggets could use more of, not less.

3. Malone utilized an eight-man rotation, but the bench was still an issue. DeAndre Jordan was the odd man out Monday, as Peyton Watson, Aaron Gordon and Julian Strawther were the only three reserves to get on the court. That trio combined to go 5 of 19 from the field and missed all five attempts from 3. Watson had some defensive highlights with three steals and a block, but the group couldn’t muster up any sort of efficient offense. The Bulls had two reserves – Dalen Terry (13) and Patrick Williams (11) – who outscored Denver’s bench on their own. All five of Denver’s starters scored at least 14 points and shot at least 40% from the field, but the bench’s lack of production, which was most evident during Chicago’s game-changing 13-0 run to start the fourth quarter, created too big of a burden.

BULLS 129, NUGGETS 121

What happened: Denver led by three after the first quarter and extended the lead to 68-61 at halftime. Chicago closed within a point to start the fourth quarter and used a 13-0 run to start the fourth to take the lead for good.

What went right: The Nuggets dominated the paint from start to finish. Denver scored 50 points in the paint in the first half alone and finished with an 84-38 advantage inside.

What went wrong: Chicago used the 3-point line to offset the gap in the paint. The Bulls outscored Denver by 27 points off 3-pointers in the first half. Chicago finished 24 of 53 (45.3%) from 3, while Denver went 6 for 27 (22.2%).

Highlight of the night: Peyton Watson used an orthodox pick and roll and a slick feed from Aaron Gordon to get a dunk. Watson set a screen for Jamal Murray on the right side of the court early in the second quarter. Instead of using the screen, Murray passed to Gordon on the left elbow. Gordon caught the ball and threw a one-hand bounce pass to the rolling Watson in one motion. Watson finished with a two-handed dunk over Matas Buzelis.

Up next: The Nuggets are off to New York for Wednesday’s game against the Knicks.