Denver Nuggets head coach Michael Malone and star guard Jamal Murray expressed their displeasure with the team’s Game 2 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday night.
Malone lashed out at the referee in the first quarter. He was upset about a no-call after Timberwolves forward Karl-Anthony Towns beat Murray for a layup. He ran onto the court and screamed in official Mark Davis’ face. He was not given a technical foul.
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Denver Nuggets head coach Michael Malone looks for answers during the second quarter against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday, May 6, 2024, at Ball Arena in Denver. (AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post)
“I owe it to Jamal Murray, or anyone else who was in that situation, to speak up and express my concerns and dissent,” Malone said of the incident. “That team over there in Minnesota, I have to give them credit. They’re a very good team. They came here and won two games. They ran us off the floor tonight. Ta.”
Murray’s frustration carried over into the second quarter.
After Towns’ layup, he threw a heat pack down the court. He was not called to a technical, but the public address announcer warned the building not to throw things onto the court. Davis said he didn’t know there was a heat pack coming from the bench and Murray would have gotten a technical foul.
Timberwolves coach Chris Finch was unhappy with what happened.
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Jamal Murray, No. 27 of the Denver Nuggets, attempts a foul call during the second quarter of Game 2 of the Western Conference second round playoffs at Ball Arena in Denver on May 6, 2024. (Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
“We tried to impress upon them that very few fans would have heat packs in the building,” Finch said. “So maybe it was from the bench and they decided it was logical. But certainly, it was inexcusable and it was dangerous and you know, it was just a mistake and an oversight. “I’m sure there was nothing intentional about it.”I’m not thinking about the referee at all, but I can’t let that happen. ”
Minnesota State won 106-80. Towns and Anthony Edwards each contributed 27 points.
The Timberwolves held the Nuggets to 29 of 83 shots despite being without center Rudy Gobert.
“We played really good defense this year,” Finch said. “It has to be the best of them.”
Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards defends Denver Nuggets forward Justin Holiday during the second half of Game 2 of the NBA Basketball second-round playoff series on Monday, May 6, 2024 in Denver. right) heads toward the basket. (AP Photo/David Zarbowski)
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The Timberwolves led the series 2-0 and have won six straight playoff games since sweeping the Phoenix Suns.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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