The Denver Nuggets suffered their first home loss of the season in a 130-127 game against the Chicago Bulls Monday night. 

The Nuggets have been riding a high all season and even with the loss, their 10-3 record ties for the team's third-best start in franchise history. 

The first half was an even back-and-forth battle between the two teams with Denver going into halftime slightly ahead, but a resurgent third quarter by Chicago where they outscored Denver by 11 points gave the Bulls the edge they needed to outlast any comeback attempts the Nuggets threw at them. 

Chicago came in with a fierce energy that Denver couldn't keep up with and the differences in effort showed up in the final score. 

"Yeah, I mean, we started slow, we couldn’t make a shot. In the second half they were scoring a lot," Nikola Jokic said (via Nuggets). "In the first quarter and second quarter they were really good, then we had that run at the end of the second quarter. It seemed like they were one step ahead. They were pushing the pace, passing the ball, attacking downhill, and we were kind of just there."

Considering how successful the Nuggets have been this season and the star power they have at their disposal with Jokic and Jamal Murray, it takes an electric effort to take them down. Jokic and Murray alone combined for 70 points, but the entire Bulls lineup showed up in force and refused to back down.

"They play fast, they play fast even after makes. When they get it going, they can get it going. It’s not just one person. Multiple guys impacted the game tonight. So, they just play fast and play free," Jamal Murray said. "They get that thing up. Their bench came in and did more damage than their starters."

Chicago's bench did put up 66 points Monday night, with standout performances by Jalen Smith and Ayo Dosunmu playing vital support roles. Chicago also took the advantage behind the arc with 19 three-pointers.

When the entire team is firing on all cylinders like that, it can overwhelm even the most impressive of star performances. The Nuggets will need more energy from their role players going forward to avoid another situation like Monday night's loss where they found themselves outworked.

Denver won't have much time to reset as they now have to embark on a brief roadtrip that begins with a matchup against the struggling New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday.