The discord between Denver Nuggets coach Michael Malone and general manger Calvin Booth had been known for quite some time around league circles, so their firings weren’t truly shocking.
It’s the timing of it that throws everyone off.
The tension began to mount over the past week, sources told Yahoo Sports, as the Nuggets began to lose ground in the uber competitive Western Conference playoff race, with the firings coming during a four-game losing streak.
With three games remaining in the regular season, that's when most teams are tightening up things as opposed to looking for a jolt.