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The Denver Nuggets have given point guard Andre Miller a two-game suspension for conduct detrimental to the team, general manager Tim Connelly announced in a news release on Thursday.
Miller got into an argument with Nuggets head coach Brian Shaw during their 114-102 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday. The 37-year-old, who had seen his minutes dwindle this season but never to the point of getting DNP-CD's, was displeased with Shaw's decision to sit him for the entire game, via Chris Dempsey of the Denver Post:
Miller yelled about the disrespect he felt he was being shown by sitting. And if he was being disrespected, he'd do the same to the Nuggets' first-year head coach.
"There's a time and place for everything," Shaw said. "In the middle of the arena in front of everyone ... I just tried to calm it down."
Asked if Miller understood the reasons for his one-game seat on the bench, Shaw said, "You'll have to ask him."
But by that time, Miller had already left.
Regardless of whether Miller's objection was justified — and it might be, as Denver has performed better when he's been given major minutes this season — you sort of have to side with Shaw here. If you're in your 15th season as a professional, you should know that outbursts on the sideline in the middle of a game are not okay.
Miller will miss the Nuggets' home game against the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday and won't go with them to Los Angeles on Friday to face the Lakers. After they practiced on Thursday, they had a lengthy team meeting without the presence of Miller, via Mark Kiszla of the Denver Post.
Denver is in a free-fall, having lost eight games in a row. The Nuggets are 14-17 on the season, four and a half games out of the last playoff spot in the West.
Miller is averaging just 5.9 points, 3.3 assists and 2.4 rebounds in 19 minutes per game this season, all career lows.
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