The NBA’s version of the running of the Bulls chased Nuggets fans out of Ball Arena in the final minutes of Monday’s game.

Chicago left Denver with a 129-119 win thanks to a 31-11 advantage in fast-break points.

“You get outscored by 20 on the break in a game you lose by 10 … There were just examples I could tell we were dead tired in that third quarter (and) fourth quarter,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone said.

“They were just driving the ball down our throat, throwing the ball over our heads, and we just weren’t able to get back.”

Malone stressed the importance of getting back in transition to his team earlier the day and repeated the message during his pregame media availability. Jamal Murray pointed out the transition offense as the main reason for Denver’s defeat to start a crucial five-game homestand.

“They told us before the game even when we make a basket, they’re going to come down and press our feet and try and score and stuff like that,” Murray said. “We were aware of it here and there, but I don’t think we fully understood it on how much they would do it. We got kind of lackadaisical. That led to guys getting into rhythm. Now, we’re in rotations or foul trouble.”

Bulls guard Coby White led all scorers with 37 points on 11 of 22 shooting, while Josh Giddey added 26 points, nine assists and eight rebounds.

Murray scored 17 of his team-high 28 points in the second half on the second night of a back-to-back with Nikola Jokic and Aaron Gordon on the bench in street clothes. Peyton Watson poured in a career-high 24 points on 12 shots, while Michael Porter Jr. (16), Russell Westbrook (14) and DeAndre Jordan (10) also scored in double figures. Jordan started in Jokic’s place and added 17 rebounds and seven assists, while Watson, starting in Gordon’s place, grabbed six rebounds and blocked four shots.

The Nuggets were at a rest disadvantage after playing Sunday night in Houston, while Chicago last played Saturday in Los Angeles. Malone acknowledged as much, made things difficult and didn’t fault his team’s effort. But Murray took issue with his team’s game-plan discipline after the Bulls raced through Denver.

“We’ve got to pay attention to what the other team is good at. If that’s what they do, then let’s focus on that,” Murray said.

“It’s tough when they tell you something and you’re still late to go do it or something. … That’s on all of us players, myself included. It’s just giving them the angle or giving them the room or the gap to see red and just attack, attack.”

BULLS 129, NUGGETS 119

What happened: Denver led by eight after the first quarter, but Chicago tied it 65 by halftime. The game remained tied to start the fourth quarter, but Chicago got hot in the fourth to drop Denver to 45-28.

What went right: Russell Westbrook moved past Kevin Garnett for 20th place on the NBA’s career scoring list with a deep 3 in the first half. After scoring 28 points Monday, he’s a few hundred behind John Havlicek.

What went wrong: Outside of the transition defense, Denver’s reserves also struggled to keep up with Chicago’s bench. Dalen Terry and Jalen Smith each scored 14 points, combining for 28 of the Bulls’ 34 points off the bench. Denver finished with 23 points off the bench, with Russell Westbrook scoring 14 of them.

Highlight of the night: Michael Porter Jr.’s shooting slump continued, but he showed off a different part of his game early in the first quarter. With Jamal Murray driving the left baseline, Porter cut from the opposite wing, caught a sharp pass from Murray and elevated for a one-handed dunk over Nikola Vucevic.

Up next: Denver’s five-game homestand continues Wednesday against the Milwaukee Bucks.