DENVER (AP) — The Denver Nuggets have fired coach Brian Shaw after 1½ seasons.

General manager Tim Connelly said in a statement Tuesday: “You won’t find a better guy than Brian and he is one of the brightest basketball minds I’ve ever been around. Unfortunately things didn’t go as we hoped, but we know with his basketball acumen that he has a very bright future ahead of him.”

Assistant coach Melvin Hunt will serve as interim coach.

Shaw went 56-85 for a .397 winning percentage. Denver takes a 20-39 record and a six-game losing streak into its game against Milwaukee on Tuesday night.

Shaw replaced George Karl, who was ousted after Denver won a franchise-record 57 games in 2012-13 only to be bounced from the first round of the playoffs for the fourth consecutive season.