The Denver Nuggets fired Michael Malone on Tuesday in the second stunning NBA coaching dismissal in as many weeks.
The news dropped from seemingly out of nowhere before lunchtime in Denver with less than a week remaining in the regular season. The Nuggets have three games left on their regular-season schedule and will now face the postseason without their leader who's been with the team for 10 seasons and presided over the most successful era in franchise history.
It's an era that produced six consecutive playoff appearances and the franchise's only NBA championship in 2023, just two seasons ago.