Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray has been fined for his improper conduct in their Western Conference semifinals Game 2 defeat to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday night.
The 27-year-old was fined $100,000 for “throwing multiple objects in the direction of a game official during live play,” the league announced on Tuesday via Joe Dumars, the NBA Executive Vice President and Head of Basketball Operations.
Murray, who was clearly frustrated, tossed a towel and then a heating pad towards an official at Denver’s Ball Arena, sparking talks of a possible suspension for the guard.
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The incident occurred in the second quarter when the Nuggets’ No. 27, seated near the end of their bench area, was upset over some no-calls. He initially threw a towel before tossing a heat pack at the officiating crew chief, Marc Davis, during a Minnesota offensive play. However, his action didn’t stop Timberwolves big man Karl-Anthony Towns from making the shot before Denver guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope retrieved the heat pack and threw it off the court.
Davis, who was the baseline referee during the play, told reporters after the game that the officials didn’t notice the object had come from the bench area. He added that if they were aware, they “could have reviewed it under the hostile act trigger” and “the penalty would have been a technical foul.”
Murray was poor during the encounter, as he was bothered all game by Minnesota’s aggressive and physical defense, and he felt he should have gotten a few foul calls from the officials. He ended the game with eight points and 13 rebounds, shooting 3 of 18 from the field and 0-of-4 on 3-pointers, as he finished with a plus-minus -16.
The Nuggets’ guard, who scored two game winners in their first-round win over the Los Angeles Lakers, is averaging 20.4 points and shooting just 37.5 percent from the field and 28.6 percent on three-pointers through his first seven playoff games this season. In the two games against the Wolves so far, he is averaging 12.5 points and shooting 28.1 percent.
Murray was lucky to have avoided a suspension, and he will be available for Game 3 at Target Center on Friday night, when the defending champions will hope to get an instant response to prevent a possible sweep as they would be playing in Minnesota for the next two games.
