NBA fines Denver's Murray $100,000 for heating pad toss

NEW YORK – Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray was fined $100,000 by the NBA on Tuesday (Wednesday Manila time) for throwing multiple objects toward a game official during live play, the league announced.

Murray's actions, including tossing a heating pad at a referee, took place during Denver's 106-80 loss to the visiting Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday, frustration boiling over during a night of futility against the team with the NBA's best defense this season.

Minnesota coach Chris Finch later described Murray's actions — which were missed by the officiating crew at the time — as "dangerous and inexcusable".

The Timberwolves seized a 2-0 lead in their Western Conference best-of-seven second round series with games three and four in Minnesota.

Murray, a 27-year-old Canadian, averaged a career-high 21.2 points, a career-high 6.5 assists plus 4.1 rebounds and 1.0 steals a game for the Nuggets this season.

The defending NBA champion Nuggets, who eliminated the T-Wolves from the playoffs last year, eliminated the Los Angeles Lakers in the opening round of the playoffs.

Minnesota led the NBA in fewest points by opponents and kept rivals to the worst shooting percentage of any NBA club.