Denver, Colorado – Denver Nuggets star point guard Jamal Murray is facing criticism after throwing a heat pack onto the court during a game against the Minnesota Timberwolves. The incident occurred during the Nuggets’ 106-80 playoff loss on Monday. Murray’s behavior has been described as “inexcusable” and “dangerous” by Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch.
Finch, speaking to reporters after the game, explained that although he did not witness the incident himself, he was informed about it before speaking to the officials. He emphasized the importance of preventing such actions from happening in the future.
Crew chief Marc Davis stated in the pool report following the game that had officials seen the incident, Murray would have received a technical foul. Davis highlighted that if the source of the heat pack had been identified as the bench, it could have resulted in a technical foul for Murray.
Despite the controversy, Denver head coach Michael Malone claimed he was unaware of the incident and refrained from commenting on it. Malone expressed surprise at the news but stated that if the act did occur, he would wait to see how the situation unfolds.
The Nuggets’ loss to the Timberwolves puts them in a difficult position, having now dropped the first two games of their second-round playoff series. History shows that only five teams in NBA history have managed to come back and win a best-of-seven series after losing the first two games at home, according to ESPN Stats and Information.
Looking ahead, Denver will have an uphill battle to defend its title as they face the Timberwolves in Game 3 at the Target Center in Minneapolis on Friday. With Murray’s ineffective performance and the team’s overall struggles, the Nuggets will need to regroup and refocus to turn the series around.