(Denver) Jamal Murray, of the Denver Nuggets, was fined $100,000 for “throwing several objects towards an official during a sequence of play in a game,” the NBA announced Tuesday.
Murray threw a towel and heat pack onto the field late in the second quarter against Minnesota on Monday.
The Timberwolves won 106-80, taking a 2-0 lead into the second round in the West.
The Nuggets were frustrated as they trailed by 28 points shortly before the half.
TNT replays showed Murray sitting at the end of the Denver bench and throwing a heat pack onto the court.
The item slid across the floor to the bottle while many players were active in that area, just before Karl-Anthony Towns made a stride shot with 4:41 left in the second quarter.
The Nuggets’ Kentavious Caldwell-Pope retrieved the bag and set it aside, while the house announcer warned the crowd not to throw any objects onto the court.
The officials’ crew chief, Marc Davis, told a group reporter that the officials did not know the object came from the bench.
Otherwise, “we could have considered it [comme un acte hostile]. The penalty would have been a technical foul. »
“We tried to tell the referees that there probably aren’t many spectators with a heat block. So it probably had to come from the bench,” Minnesota head coach Chris Finch added.
Finch said Murray’s actions were “inexcusable and dangerous.”
Murray left the arena without speaking to reporters.
Nuggets head coach Michael Malone said he didn’t know Murray was the culprit.
The Nuggets were off Tuesday. Their next media availability will be after practice on Wednesday.
Seconds before throwing the heat pack, Murray threw a towel in Davis’ direction. The towel landed on Davis’ heels and someone near the court quickly removed it. Davis didn’t notice what happened.
Murray, hampered by a left calf strain and the T-Wolves’ defense, was 3 for 18 in continuous play in Game 2, finishing with eight points.
That followed his scoreless first half in the series opener – the first time that had happened in either half in his career in 59 games.