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Is the NBA Bullying Jamal Murray? Former Laker Points out Irony in Watered-Down Fine for Misconduct – “Finish Getting Your A**-Whooping”

Published 05/08/2024, 1:33 PM EDT

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USA Today via Reuters

What would bad luck during a game look like? For Jamal Murray, it would be the recent game between the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Denver Nuggets. Just a couple of days ago, Jamal Murray found himself fined $100,000 instead of facing suspension for tossing a towel and a heating pad in the direction of an official during gameplay.

The NBA officially announced the fine on Tuesday in a press release from Joe Dumars, the vice president and head of basketball operations at the NBA. As the news spread, it captured the attention of millions, raising eyebrows across the basketball world. Even Lou Williams chimed in on the conversation when he caught wind of Jamal Murray’s headlines.

To share his insights on the matter, he sat down with the team at Run It Back. A snippet of the interview was then shared on the official Twitter account of Run It Back with the caption, “@TeamLou23 reacts to Jamal Murray’s $100K fine.” Now, what did Lou have to say on Jamal’s behalf?

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When asked about Jamal’s recent controversy, Lou remarked, “I love it. The NBA could’ve easily given these guys an out, suspend them for game 3, now there’s your built-in excuse, now the fans are like ‘ahh it’d be different if Jamal Murray was playing’. Like nope, you’re going to stay here and finish getting your a** whooped.

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But why did he say that?

Jamal Murray’s actions stir debates and frustration

Lou’s frustration with the NBA and Jamal’s case fueled his anger even more. When Murray tossed the heating pad and towel onto the floor during the live match, there were 4 minutes and 41 seconds remaining in the second quarter, with the score at 49-30. Kentavious Caldwell Pope, the guard from the opposing team, picked up the objects and tossed them to the sideline.

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The game continued without any whistle. However, Minnesota’s coach was furious at Jamal’s actions, calling them “dangerous” and “inexcusable” after the Timberwolves’ loss in Game 2. Meanwhile, Crew Marc stressed that he didn’t notice anything during the Nuggets vs. Timberwolves game.

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For an ejection, you would have to determine it was thrown directly at somebody versus thrown in frustration,” he told a reporter afterwards. Murray, with 13 rebounds, 4 turnovers, and 2 assists, immediately left the arena. Meanwhile, spectators argued that the fate of the game would have been different if Jamal had remained on the court. But now, the question remains: What’s next for Jamal? Will he pay the $100,000 fine? Stay tuned to find out!

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Written by:

Yashika Dutta

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Yashika Dutta is an NBA writer at EssentiallySports who actively covers NCAA Division 1 basketball. With more than two years of content creation experience, she showcased her journalistic skills by covering the 2023 Big Ten Volleyball Championships and the 2023 NCAA Division 1 Women’s Volleyball Championships before shifting to the thrilling world of the NBA. As a former state-level basketball player, Yashika brings her dynamic energy to the NBA team.
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Edited by:

Caroline Joseph