Nuggets’ Michael Malone yells in ref’s face, Jamal Murray throws cooler bag as Denver loses Game 2
Denver Nuggets head coach Michael Malone and star guard Jamal Murray expressed their frustrations over the team’s Game 2 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday night.
Malone exploded at a referee in the first quarter. He was upset about a foul after Timberwolves forward Karl-Anthony Towns went over Murray on a layup. He ran straight onto the court and yelled in official Marc Davis’s face. He did not receive any technical foul.
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Denver Nuggets head coach Michael Malone looks for answers during the second quarter against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Ball Arena in Denver on Monday, May 6, 2024. (AArón Ontiveroz/The Denver Post)
“I owe it to Jamal Murray, or anyone else in that situation, to express my opinion, express my concern and my disagreement,” Malone said of the incident. “That Minnesota team, I have to give credit. They’re a very good team. They came here and won two games. Tonight, they ran us off the court.”
Murray’s frustrations carried over into the second quarter.
He tossed a cooler bag onto the court after a Towns layup. He was not called to coach, but the announcer warned the building not to throw things on the field. Davis said he didn’t know the heat pocket was coming from the bench and that Murray would have received a technical foul.
Timberwolves coach Chris Finch was not happy about that incident.
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Jamal Murray, #27 of the Denver Nuggets, looks for a foul while playing against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the second quarter during game two of the Western Conference second round playoffs at Ball Arena on May 6, 2024 in Denver. (Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
“We try to impress upon them that there probably aren’t many fans in the building that have a heat pack,” Finch said. “So, it probably had to come from the bench, which seemed logical to them. But yeah, it’s unforgivable and dangerous and, you know, I’m sure it was just a mistake and an oversight. I’m sure there was nothing intentional.” . about refereeing at all, but I certainly can’t let that happen.”
Minnesota won the game 106-80. Towns and Anthony Edwards contributed 27 points each.
The Timberwolves held the Nuggets to just 29 of 83 shooting, even without center Rudy Gobert.
“We’ve had some really good defensive efforts this year,” Finch said. “That has to be up there with the best.”
Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards, right, drives to the basket as Denver Nuggets forward Justin Holiday defends in the second half of Game 2 of an NBA basketball second-round playoff series on Monday, May 6, 2024 in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
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The Timberwolves took a 2-0 series lead and have now won six straight playoff games dating back to their sweep of the Phoenix Suns.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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