Singing, dancing and motivational speaking were among the possible fixes Michael Malone floated Monday in Chicago.

The Nuggets’ coach didn’t have an answer for why his team has made a habit of starting third quarters slowly on this seven-game road trip. The trend added another data point in a 109-97 loss to the Bulls.

“That continues to be a real issue,” Malone said after his team dropped to 2-2 on the trip and 11-12 overall. “In Miami, it was an issue. In Orlando, it was an issue. In New York, it was an issue, and it was again tonight.”

Denver led by 11 in the second quarter. Chicago cut the lead to three by halftime and scored the first seven points of the third quarter, erasing Denver’s lead. Malone called a timeout after the Bulls went up four and later wondered what he could do differently at halftime.

“You want me to sing? You want me to dance? You want me to do something, I’ll do it, because we come out of the halftime, and we stink,” Malone said. “That’s been consistent. That has to change. As a starter, you have a responsibility to go out there and not necessarily make shots, not necessarily play perfect, but to play with effort, play with energy, and we haven’t done that this road trip.”

Malone said he typically meets with his coaches quickly before showing some video clips to the team. They discuss any changes in strategy and try to close on a positive note, but he’s open to changes to the routine.

“Maybe it’s taking too long. Maybe we got to get our guys out there earlier. Maybe we’ve got to bring in Tony (Robbins) to talk to the team at halftime,” Malone said. “I don’t know what it is, but I’ll look at myself first and foremost and see how I can do a better job of getting those guys out and ready to play at a much higher level than we have recently.”

Point guard Monte Morris floated the idea of doing some layup lines before the third quarter starts to reintroduce some movement but seemed equally mystified by the struggles to start the second half.

“It just feels draining,” Morris said. “It’s like an episode of like Space Jam or something. It just takes your talent or something.”

Nikola Jokic didn’t make too much of the developing trend but did say the team lacked some consistency.

“That’s going to help us a lot,” Jokic said.

Morris and Will Barton III led the Nuggets with 19 points apiece.

Jokic finished with 17 points, making just 6 of 17 shots from the field, and added 12 rebounds and 15 assists. The 60th triple-double of Jokic’s career broke a tie with Boston Celtics legend Larry Bird for eighth on the NBA’s career charts.

“Anytime you pass Larry Bird in any category, that is a hell of an accomplishment,” Malone said.

“This is going to sound strange. I don’t even think he played that great tonight. That’s great when you can go out there and get 17, 15 and 12, and I don’t think you had one of your best games because we expect and demand so much of him. This is so unfair, but Nikola needs to be great every night.”

Denver’s star understood he needs to score more given the team’s injury issues, even when teams send double teams his way, as Chicago did for most of the game. He lamented a couple of misses around the basket that would have inflated his stat line and shooting percentages.

“Tonight was not my night. I think I missed easy ones,” Jokic said. “That happens. Some nights are good. Some nights are bad.”

Aaron Gordon (18) and Jeff Green (14) made sure all five Denver starters got to double figures. The starters were able to regain a lead, and Denver only trailed by one point when Morris and Jokic checked out late in the third.

Zach LaVine, who led all scorers with 32 points, scored seven straight after Jokic and Morris checked out, and a six-point possession fueled by a flagrant foul helped the Bulls open a double-digit lead against Denver’s bench early in the fourth quarter.

“If you’re not starting quarters, and you’re not closing quarters, what are you doing?” Malone wondered.

The Nuggets’ bench players needed a couple of makes from Vlatko Cancar and Markus Howard when the outcome was already decided to finish 4 for 22 as a group.

The Bulls were without DeMar Derozan and Alex Caruso, while the Nuggets had Bones Hyland, Austin Rivers and Bol Bol in the league’s health and safety protocols and three others out with longer-term injuries.

The Nuggets continue their longest road trip of the season and look to break a stretch of sluggish third-quarter starts Wednesday in New Orleans.

“We’ve been losing the leads and losing games, basically, off one quarter once we hit that draught,” Morris said.

“I feel like we just got to stay together but at the same time be real with ourselves. We’ve got to be better.”