Nuggets' Mudiay blames himself for argument with Malone
The Denver Nuggets dropped their fifth loss in six games on Tuesday to the Los Angeles Clippers, and emotions ran high.
During a timeout in the fourth quarter, Nuggets rookie point guard Emmanuel Mudiay and head coach Mike Malone got into a shouting match on the sidelines.
Michael Malone and Emmanuel Mudiay in a heated exchange on #Nuggets bench. pic.twitter.com/UMjuwfmUWW
— Nate Timmons (@NateTimmonsBSN) November 25, 2015
After the game, both Malone and Mudiay downplayed the dispute, insisting there's no feud.
"It's just both of us being competitive," Mudiay told Harrison Wind of BSN Denver. "Part of it, (it) probably was my fault. I could have been doing a lot more, so I kind of put the blame on myself. I got nothing against coach, I respect him and he's a great person."
Malone, who picked up a technical foul for storming onto the court during the fourth quarter, echoed Mudiay's sentiments after the 111-94 loss.
"Everything's fine," Malone told reporters. "I think there's frustration on our end having lost four games in a row now and just trying to find a way to get a win ...
"This is a very competitive game, guys are out there working hard trying to do their best and sometimes emotions get involved. By no means is there any issue with Emmanuel or anybody else on this team."
The last thing Nuggets fans want to see is another feud between their point guard and the head coach. Both Mudiay and Malone are newcomers this season, and it's no great secret that their predecessors, Ty Lawson and Brian Shaw, didn't see eye to eye.