Will Jamal Murray be banned by the NBA? Latest news on the Nuggets star’s Game 3 status after throwing the heat pack

The Nuggets suffered a crushing 106-80 loss to the Timberwolves on Monday, and Denver guard Jamal Murray let his emotions run wild during the game.

Murray seethed 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 by Karl-Anthony Towns while facing a massive deficit.

That was enough to cause Murray to hurl a heating pad he was using from the sideline to the ground. It whistled past a referee on the sideline before skidding across the floor, lightly hitting several players in the foot.

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Here’s a look at Murray’s throw and where the heat pack landed:

Jamal Murray throws a heat pack pic.twitter.com/JDADMojQgp

— Rob Perez (@WorldWideWob) May 7, 2024

The Nuggets bench is 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 by most 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 throw, according to the Twin Cities Pioneer Press. “But if that’s the case, we’ll have to see what happens (with discipline).”

Murray could indeed face disciplinary action for his actions, and his status for Game 3 of the Nuggets-Timberwolves series will be of particular interest to fans of both teams.

Here’s what we know about Murray’s status and availability as Denver faces a 2-0 deficit in the series.

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Will Jamal Murray be suspended by the NBA for throwing heat packs?

The NBA has not yet indicated whether it will review Murray’s actions during Game 2 of the Western Conference semifinals. If this is the case, Murray could be punished for his actions, although he is more likely to face a fine than a ban.

For other similar offenses, the NBA has tended to exercise its ability to punish players. Notably, Stephen Curry has been fined $25,000 on multiple occasions for throwing his mouthpiece into the stands during a game. Meanwhile, Heat center Dewayne Dedmon was ejected once for throwing a massage gun onto the field, but he did not miss any additional playing time due to a suspension.

So Murray is lucky he didn’t get caught. If so, he might have been ejected. And at least he would have been whistled for a technical foul.

It’s also worth noting that team manager Mark Davis suggested after the game that Murray might have only received a technical foul in the game if the referees had reviewed the play for a “hostile act.”

“For an ejection, you would have to determine that it was thrown directly at someone and not out of frustration,” Davis said, according to the Twin Cities Pioneer Press.

It seemed like Murray’s throw was simply out of frustration. That should save him from suspension, but it doesn’t protect him from the fine to the same extent.

Either way, Timberwolves coach Chris Finch hopes Murray’s actions are addressed during the contest.

“It’s inexcusable and dangerous,” Finch said of the throw. “There’s no way I can let that happen.”

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History of Jamal Murray’s suspension

Murray has never been suspended in his eight-year NBA career. He has only been sent off twice, once in 2021 for hitting Tim Hardaway Jr. in the groin against the Mavericks and once in 2023 after suffering two technical issues against the Rockets.

Murray was fined $25,000 for hitting Hardaway, but that remains the only time he has been fined in his career – aside from the usual $2,000 fine for a technical Foul.

Jamal Murray was sent off after this play against Tim Hardaway Jr. pic.twitter.com/VtxEXAoQDN

– Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) January 26, 2021

Murray has committed 15 technical fouls throughout his career. Perhaps his actions on Monday will be enough for the NBA to retroactively give him a 16th-ranked pick, but it looks like his otherwise solid disciplinary record could work in his favor in this case.

Nuggets fans should soon know whether their struggling star can play for the defending champions in a crucial third away game.

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