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Denver Nuggets star point guard Jamal Murray had a forgettable outing during Monday's 106-80 blowout Game 2 second-round playoff loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves. Afterward, Murray declined to speak to the media, receiving harsh backlash from NBA fans.
Murray struggled mightily offensively, tallying only eight points on 3-for-18 (16.7%) shooting, missing all four of his 3-point attempts. Meanwhile, the Nuggets trailed nearly the entire evening, falling behind by as many as 32 points on their home court en route to their 26-point defeat.
The 27-year-old's frustration appeared to boil over with 4:45 remaining in the second quarter as Minnesota pulled away. Murray, who is nursing a left calf strain, threw a heat pack onto the floor from the bench as Wolves big man Karl-Anthony Towns attempted a layup.
The officiating crew seemingly didn't notice, with crew chief Marc Davis noting postgame that Murray would have received a technical foul if they did.
Following his poor play and controversial outburst, Murray "left without speaking to reporters," per ESPN's Dave McMenamin.
Jamal Murray's decision irked fans on X/Twitter, with many referencing the star guard's immense confidence when Denver wins.
"All of a sudden, he doesn’t wanna talk," @lucrodontmiss said.
"Hate when players do this. You get up on the podium when you win, [so you] should be able to when you lose," @Markkern111 said.
"He makes it easy to not like him," @MobSquad508 said.
Meanwhile, some highlighted how Murray's first two postseason games against Minnesota vastly differed from his five-game first-round playoff series against the LA Lakers.
Despite struggling with inefficiency against LA, Murray tallied 20-plus points in all five contests. In contrast, he has 25 points through two outings against the Wolves.
"He doesn’t know what to do against real competition. [The] Lakers made him look like an All-Star," @FlukaTime said.
"LMAO, when the tables turn, baby," @Kwintarget said.
One fan even referenced Milwaukee Bucks veteran point guard Patrick Beverley's antics after the Bucks' six-game Round 1 playoff series loss to the Indiana Pacers. Beverley infamously prevented ESPN's Malinda Adams from asking him postgame questions because she wasn't subscribed to his podcast.
The fan quipped that Beverley still gave reporters a chance to interview him, unlike Murray.
"At least Pat Bev asked if they had subscribed," @Mkisii_mmeru said.
Watch: Jamal Murray allegedly makes money sign at refs months after Rudy Gobert's $100,000 penalty
Chris Finch blasts Jamal Murray for Game 2 outburst
While Jamal Murray declined his Game 2 postgame interview, Timberwolves coach Chris Finch spoke with the media.
The 54-year-old was asked what he thought about Murray throwing a heat pack onto the court. After noting that the referees said they didn't see the incident live, Finch highlighted the dangers of such actions.
"It's inexcusable and dangerous," Finch said. "I'm sure it was just a mistake and an oversight. I'm sure there was nothing intentional from the officiating at all but certainly can't allow that to happen."
It remains to be seen if Jamal Murray will receive a fine or suspension ahead of Friday's Game 3 face-off in Minnesota. However, if available, the Nuggets star will likely need to increase his offensive production considerably for the defending champs to avoid an undesirable 3-0 deficit.
