Nuggets point guard Chauncey Billups played for Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle in Detroit, and reflected on the coach's past departure on Friday.

Carlisle coached the Pistons to 50 wins and they advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2003, but he was then fired.

"None of us thought he would, or deserved, to be fired but we can't control that," Billups said of how the players felt.

"You know, the NBA is unbelievable with what happens sometimes. You've got to expect the unexpected, even though we didn't expect for him to get fired. We had a great year, we lost in the Eastern Conference Finals and I was hurt in the (Eastern Conference) finals."

Now the two are on opposite benches, with the Nuggets and Mavericks doing battle in the second round of the Western Conference playoffs.

"Rick was a great coach," Billups said. "He was a great coach, very successful everywhere he's been. We were a great, great combo. He had a great feel for the game. I learned a lot from him in my year that he was at Detroit, and we've remained friends ever since."