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The Nuggets suffered a crushing 106-80 loss to the Timberwolves on Monday, and Denver guard Jamal Murray let his emotions get the best of him during the game.
Murray boiled over while sitting on the bench during the first half of Game 2 of the Western Conference playoff series. The Nuggets allowed Minnesota to grab an offensive rebound to set up an easy layup from Karl-Anthony Towns while facing a huge deficit.
That was enough to prompt Murray to throw a heat pack he was using from the sideline and onto the ground. He whistled at an official on the sideline before sliding to the ground and lightly hitting a few players on the feet.
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Here’s a look at Murray’s throw and where the heat pack landed:
Jamal Murray throws heat pack pic.twitter.com/JDADMojQgp
– Rob Perez (@WorldWideWob) May 7, 2024
Nuggets bench throwing stuff on the court? pic.twitter.com/bnvfYIZrO9
– CJ Fogler’s account may or may not be notable (@cjzero) May 7, 2024
Murray’s throw went unnoticed when it happened. Neither coach saw the throw live, and Nuggets coach Mike Malone was surprised to hear about the incident after the game.
“I wasn’t aware of that,” Malone said of Murray’s draw, according to Twin Cities Pioneer Press. “But if that’s the case, we’ll have to see what happens (with discipline).”
Here’s what we know about Murray’s status and availability as Denver faces a 2-0 series deficit.
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Will Jamal Murray be suspended by the NBA for throwing a heat pack?
The NBA will not suspend Murray for Game 3. Instead, he will pay a hefty $100,000 fine for “throwing multiple objects in the direction of a match official during a live match.”
The following was released by the NBA: pic.twitter.com/MlbHrJ3qtQ
-NBA Communications (@NBAPR) May 7, 2024
When looking at other similar infractions, the NBA has tended to exercise its option to fine players.
Stephen Curry was notably fined $25,000 several times for throwing his spokesperson into the stands during a match. Meanwhile, Heat center Dewayne Dedmon was ejected for throwing a massage gun onto the court, but he did not miss any additional playing time due to suspension.
As such, Murray is lucky he didn’t get caught. If he did, he may have been expelled. And at the very least, he would have been whistled for a technical foul.
It’s also worth noting that crew chief Mark Davis indicated after the game that Murray may have only received a technical foul in the game if officials had reviewed the play for a “hostile act” call “.
“For an ejection, you would have to determine that it was thrown directly at someone rather than out of frustration,” Davis said, according to the Twin Cities Pioneer Press.
Timberwolves coach Chris Finch hoped Murray’s actions during the contest would have been taken into account.
“It’s inexcusable and dangerous,” Finch said of the throw. “I certainly can’t allow that to happen.”
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Jamal Murray suspension history
Murray was never suspended during his eight-year NBA career. He has only been ejected twice, once in 2021 for hitting Tim Hardaway Jr. in the groin against the Mavericks and once in 2023 after picking up two technical fouls against the Rockets.
Prior to the $100,000 fine, Murray had only been convicted once in his career. He was fined $25,000 for hitting Hardaway, but it was the only time he had been fined in his career – aside from the standard $2,000 fine for committed a technical foul.
Jamal Murray was ejected after this play on Tim Hardaway Jr. pic.twitter.com/VtxEXAoQDN
– Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) January 26, 2021
Murray has recorded 15 technical fouls in his career.
Timberwolves schedule, scores, results
| Game | Date | Site | Time (ET) | TV channel/result |
| 1 | Sat May 4 | in Denver | FINAL | Timber wolves 106Nuggets 99 |
| 2 | Monday May 6 | in Denver | FINAL | Timber wolves 106Nuggets 80 |
| 3 | Friday May 10 | in Minnesota | 9:30 p.m. | ESPN, slingshot |
| 4 | Sun May 12 | in Minnesota | 8 p.m. | TNT, slingshot |
| 5* | Tue May 14 | in Denver | To be determined | TNT, slingshot |
| 6* | Thursday May 16 | in Minnesota | 8:30 p.m. | ESPN, slingshot |
| 7* | Sun May 19 | in Denver | To be determined | To be determined |
* – if necessary
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