After the Nuggets’ eighth consecutive loss, 114-102 to Philadelphia on Wednesday night at the Pepsi Center, J.J. Hickson agreed with the notion that the Nuggets have hit rock bottom. But that point may have come earlier, in the second half, when Andre Miller, headed for his first healthy scratch, decided he would verbally take it out on coach Brian Shaw.

Miller yelled about the disrespect he felt he was being shown by sitting. And if he was being disrespected, he’d do the same to the Nuggets’ first-year head coach.

“There’s a time and place for everything,” Shaw said. “In the middle of the arena in front of everyone … I just tried to calm it down.”

Asked if Miller understood the reasons for his one-game seat on the bench, Shaw said, “You’ll have to ask him.”

But by that time, Miller had already left.

Many of his teammates remained, however, to explain the free-fall the Nuggets are in.

It is the team’s longest slide since dropping eight straight to end the 2002-03 season. It is also the Nuggets’ fifth consecutive home loss. And this one came with an increasingly agitated fan base that peppered the team with boos at the end of the half and in the third quarter, and then flat-out started leaving en masse with 5:33 left in the fourth and the team down 104-89.

The fans booed again as time ran out on the latest defeat.

“We deserved every bit of that,” Shaw said.

It was that kind of night.

“It’s not even a slump right now,” Shaw said. “It’s worse than a slump.”

The stats that mattered most? Second-chance points and 3-point makes.

The two teams were within striking distance of each other in every other area. But Philadelphia knocked out the Nuggets from the 3-point line, outscoring them 27-15 from that distance. And many of those makes came from extra possessions created by offensive rebounds. The 76ers had 25 second-chance points.

From there, it was academic.

Philadelphia snatched its third road win of the season by just wanting it more. And it had difference-makers in forward Evan Turner (23 points, five rebounds, six assists) and its young, sensational point guard, Michael Carter-Williams (16 points, nine rebounds, six assists).

The Nuggets were led by Hickson’s 19 points and 11 rebounds.

But points, rebounds and all other production-based barometers aren’t the point. Right now, the Nuggets need players to lead with their hearts. Until that happens, nothing good is on the horizon.

Christopher Dempsey: cdempsey@denverpost.com or twitter.com/dempseypost

Nuggets Recap

What you might have missed

Andre Miller did not play for the first time this season. In the last five games, he has seen his minutes dwindle from 29 to 15 to 11 to nine to none. … The Nuggets’ bench was outscored 34-26.

Final thought

It’s time for a long look in the mirror for this team.

Up next

Memphis, Friday, 7 p.m.