Minnesota Timberwolves star Kevin Garnett has labelled the Denver Nuggets players "quitters" after Brian Shaw was fired earlier this week.

The Timberwolves lost to the Nuggets on Wednesday night, but Garnett was still unhappy with the way the players failed to perform for their coach.

"To be honest, they quit on Brian Shaw and I thought they'll quit again," Garnett told reporters after the game.

"A quitter is a quitter. That was my take on that."

Denver have won back-to-back games for the first time since January after Melvin Hunt was appointed interim coach following Shaw's departure.