Did Jamal Murray avoid suspension to protect NBA TV ratings?

The Minnesota Timberwolves took the wind out of the Denver Nuggets’ sails with their 26-point win in Game 2 of the Western Conference semifinals, proving to be the more dominant team on both sides. But while there was a lot of excitement in the air, much of the conversation focused on Jamal Murray’s unruly actions.

Minnesota unleashed NAW & Order-style defense against Denver’s No. 1 backcourt, causing the star point guard to post the worst shooting performance of his playoff career (an ice-cold 16.7% field goal percentage).

Remember Jamal Murray throwing the towel in the Minnesota Timberwolves’ Gameday 2 game against the Denver Nuggets?

Murray was so frustrated that he tried it throw a towel to the floor just to disrupt the Timberwolves’ flow. When that attempt failed (mainly due to poor form), Murray went one better and threw a “heat pack” onto the pitch that almost landed under the feet of Karl-Anthony Towns. Had that happened, we would have had a different conversation in many ways.

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Can Jamal Murray just throw a heat pack on the ground and face no consequences? Awkward. @NBAOfficial

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— Tarun Sharma (@tksharmalaw) May 7, 2024

But somehow the referees overlooked both egregious acts, allowing Murray to avoid any penalties in the game. No sending off, no technical foul, not even a warning. The referees thought it was an accident. Apparently someone sneezed the heat pack onto the floor.

However, tape never lies, and both of Murray’s throws (towel and heat pack) were caught on tape, making him ripe for punishment from the league. I mean, throwing things on the ground, intentionally trying to (a) hit the referee, or (b) slip an opponent can’t be tolerated, right? Right after that, most people thought so. Of course that didn’t happen.

Related: The 10 Greatest Minnesota Timberwolves Players of All Time

Instead, Murray avoided all disciplinary action without a $100,000 wrist penalty (Murray earned $33.8 million in base salary that season). If you recall, this is the same punishment Rudy Gobert received for flashing the money signs at referees during a regular season game.

Oh yeah, Jamal did that in Game 2 too. In fact, he yelled at referees, flashed a money sign and threw objects onto the field. All of that was apparently just worth the same discipline Gobert received.

Could Jamal Murray avoid a ban based on NBA TV ratings?

Or… have NBA executives stepped in to ensure a star like Jamal Murray is available for one of the most anticipated games of the 2024 NBA Playoffs? That’s what several NBA executives say said Heavy.com.

“We all know what’s going on here and it looks bad. It was about protecting the television audience for the next game – or games.”

An anonymous NBA team manager on Jamal Murray’s “discipline” after Game 2

Since Murray’s incidents were unusual and we didn’t see other athletes acting like a two-year-old throwing a tantrum, no one really knew what to expect, but a suspension for Game 3 seemed a real possibility.

Related: The Los Angeles Lakers are eyeing the Timberwolves’ top assistant Micah Nori

However, others had other theories. Would the NBA really suspend one of the Nuggets’ best players for their biggest game of the season when Denver was already struggling from a 2-0 series deficit?

“Well, what you just said with the $100,000 fine against Jamal Murray is that we are prioritizing the ratings on ESPN for this big game on Friday night over the referees and the players. But who is happy? ESPN is happy. ESPN got its game. They have a playoff game of great interest on a Friday night in prime time.”

Another anonymous NBA team manager on Jamal Murray’s “discipline” after Game 2

Remember, no team has ever managed to overcome a 3-0 deficit and win a seven-game series. If Murray were out, Denver’s chances of extending the streak would diminish, and the NBA knows it.

Consider how much pregame hype there was before play began on Friday. The Timberwolves felt confident, but everyone knew the reigning champions would fail and would be more determined than ever to finish off their newfound biggest rivals.

But it would have been a daunting challenge without their sharp-shooting point guard, who was already desperate to get back on his feet. Not to mention, how would the NBA market a game like this? Not having Murray by Jokic’s side certainly wouldn’t help the ratings.

Related: Kevin Garnett predicted Timberwolves Gm 3 loss, including soft refs

Whatever. The league allowed Murray to play in Game 3 and he torched the Timberwolves with 24 points. The NBA can now no longer reverse its decision. All the Wolves can do now is try to get back into Murray’s head. Restoring NAW and order in Minnesota once and for all.