Denver Nuggets coach Michael Malone and superstar big man Nikola Jokic got ejected from Monday night's game on the road versus the Detroit Pistons.

Jokic picked up his second technical foul and was ejected right before halftime:

Jokic got the boot with just a little over a minute remaining in the second quarter. He had picked up a technical foul earlier, so the second one meant that the Nuggets star was automatically disqualified from playing the rest of the way in the Pistons game. Before he left the court, Jokic had produced nine points on 4-for-8 shooting from the field, five rebounds, five assists, and a block in 15 minutes of action.

Nuggets head coach Michael Malone was ejected after picking up two techs earlier in the half.

After the game, Malone joked about he and Jokic hanging out in the locker room, according to Katy Winge of Altitude TV:

“Coach Malone said him and Nikola Jokić are “kindred spirits.” Watching together in back, when something good happened, there were cheers and high fives. When something bad happened, Coach Malone said he (himself) was cursing in Serbian.”

Social media was swift to react to the ejections, with Nuggets fans criticizing the officials and questioning the reasoning behind the decision.

The Nuggets held on to beat the Pistons 107-103. Reggie Jackson scored 21 points and carried Denver in the fourth quarter with eight points and three assists in the final period.

The Pistons didn't score in the last 1:41, missing their last four shots.

Up next – the Nuggets take on the Orlando magic on Wednesday.