Nuggets coach Brian Shaw suspects his players might be tanking

Denver Nuggets coach Brian Shaw told the Denver Post he suspects his team has been trying to lose games on purpose.

Denver Nuggets coach Brian Shaw told the Denver Post he suspects his team has been trying to lose games on purpose. 

The Nuggets have lost nine of their last 10 games, including blowout losses by margins of 30 and 18 in their last two. 

"It just looks like you almost have to try to lose as bad, and in the way we've been losing," Shaw said. "At that point, something gives. The decision-makers at some point are going to make a decision. And everybody is going to have to live with it. Then it's out of our control."

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Denver is 19-29 on the season. Shaw took over as head coach of the Nuggets in June 2013 and the team went 36-46 in his first year.

Nuggets general manager Tim Connelly told the Post that he is not looking to make a coaching change and said Shaw has "been dealt a very difficult hand."

"And all I can do is try to do my best, do my job to the best of my ability every single day," said Shaw. "And I hope I get that back in turn. And it hasn't seemed to happen that way."

The Nuggets play the 76ers in Philadelphia on Tuesday. 

[FTW]

- Molly Geary