Denver Nuggets point guard Jamal Murray was fined $100,000 by the NBA on Tuesday for throwing multiple objects at a game official during the Nuggets’ 106-80 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 2 of the second-round series.
While on the bench in the second quarter Monday, Murray threw a towel toward the court and then a heat pack that landed on the floor during live game action. Minnesota’s Karl-Anthony Towns was receiving a pass from Kyle Anderson at the time of the incident with 4:41 remaining in the second quarter.
Nuggets guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope picked up the heating pad and tossed it out of play without the officials being aware. Murray was not ejected from the game.
“I was the lead official, and I didn’t notice it was on the floor or where it came from until Towns scored,” crew chief Marc Davis told a pool reporter, per ESPN. “We weren’t aware it had come from the bench. If we would have been aware it came from the bench, we could have reviewed it under the hostile act trigger. The penalty would have been a technical foul.”
Murray made just 3 of 18 shots from the floor and finished with eight points, 13 rebounds and four turnovers for the defending champion Nuggets, who trail 2-0 in the best-of-seven series. Game 3 is Friday in Minneapolis.
Timberwolves coach Chris Finch tried to lobby with the officials regarding the potential safety issue.
“We tried to impress upon (the referees) there probably aren’t many fans in the building that have a heat pack, so it probably had to come from the bench, which they found logical,” Finch said. “I’m sure it was a mistake and an oversight and nothing intentional by the officiating at all, but certainly can’t allow that to happen.”
