Nuggets' Jamal Murray deserved technical foul for tossing heating pad on court in Game 2
Denver Nuggets star Jamal Murray could face punishment from the NBA for his actions during Monday night's playoff loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Although game officials didn't see it at the time, Murray should have been hit with a technical foul for throwing a heating pad onto the court during live action in the second quarter of Game 2, according to crew chief Marc Davis.
"I was the lead official, and I didn't notice it was on the floor or where it came from until (Minnesota's Karl-Anthony) Towns scored," Davis said in the postgame pool report. "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."
Nuggets guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope picked up the heating pad and tossed it off the court as play continued.
After the game, Timberwolves coach Chris Finch called Murray's actions "inexcusable and dangerous."
Potentially complicating matters, Murray also appeared to throw a towel toward the court just moments before the heating pad toss.
Murray did not address the media after the game. He scored just eight points on 3-for-18 shooting in the 106-80 loss that put the defending NBA champions down 0-2 in the series as they head to Minnesota for Game 3 on Friday night.