2024 NBA Playoffs: West Semifinals: #2 Denver Nuggets vs #3 Minnesota Timberwolves (MIN WINS 4-3)

[famicommander]

Posting this showing it is not just sore posters wanting Murray suspending.

Read on Twitter

There's no way they could justify suspending Murray after letting Embiid's 1st round antics slide. Murray's behavior was sad and embarrassing but Embiid, a repeat offender, went out there to intentionally hurt people and didn't get punished for it. By comparison Murray's little temper tantrum was nothing.

[AleksandarN]

Posting this showing it is not just sore posters wanting Murray suspending.

Read on Twitter

Still wondering why no ejection. No suspension sets a precedent.

Even Finch didn’t expect Murray to be suspended in the playoffs given precedent in the past. His words not mine.

Read on Twitter

[tsherkin]

Welp. If they can win another, then this becomes a series. If they don't win game 4, this was just a pleasant moment in time for Jokic and the Nuggets. They needed this, and they got it. Now the real work begins.

I have too much respect for the Nuggets to feel comfortable in this series until it's over. The advantages the Wolves have over the Nuggets (size, health, multiple defensive matchups to throw at their best players) are very real. But the Nuggets are versatile problem solvers.

The Wolves flexed on the whole NBA landscape with that game 2 decimation of the defending champ (and championship favorite until that game). Even if the Wolves lost this series, I'll always remember that game as one of the best moments in T-Wolves history. But the task of finishing this series remains to be done, and Denver will put everything they have into stopping us from doing that. A 2-1 lead isn't a huge cushion, though we did steal that precious Denver homecourt advantage.

Having to beat Denver two more times isn't something to take for granted.

Absolutely. But for Denver, urgency is key. Letting Minny get that 3rd win would be huge trouble.

[Exp0sed]

You know what they say..it ain't a series till the home team wins

[CodeBreaker]

Did McDaniels just forget how to shoot after Round 1?

He’s been a terrible shooter since the first month of the season. Without looking at the actual data, I think he probably was below 30% from 3 over the last 50 games of the regular season.

He was hitting them shots in the Suns series

[BigDan245]

When 2 elite teams are playing, home court means almost nothing. Any team who breathes a sigh of relief playing at home, will get their asses kicked.

It's nice to sleep in your own bed and play on your court, but do you think a team like Denver or Boston really gives a crap? Or even Dallas for that matter?

[iLLmatic860]

Read on Twitter

?s=46&t=tVloFuZHnRcV_n-C8CiW9Q

Gotta respect it Ant man

[Chanel Bomber]

Adam Silver will flush the league's integrity down the toilet for short-term ratings. He already has.

Not realizing that it will cause the league to lose its credibility and therefore viewership in the long run.

The league is not in good hands. Superfluous spikes in viewership are just a mirage.

[KembaWalker]

Read on Twitter

?s=46&t=tVloFuZHnRcV_n-C8CiW9Q

Gotta respect it Ant man

yeah he never blames the refs

[BigGargamel]

It's not like Ant even played poorly. He was just uncharacteristically non-aggressive. He's going to come out swinging tomorrow.

[Exp0sed]

Respect to Antman, his attitude is so refreshing. one of the most likeable superstars in the NBA ever and that's a great way to be a good role model for alot of young boys out there

apart from that string of turnovers when the game was already 99% lost anyway, it's not even like he played poorly or anything..not to his usual standards obviously but not like he was bad..

he took it on himself cuz that's what leaders do and that's why this team has come together as a juggernaut around him
can u compare him to a guy like Jokebiid whose 30, has failed every single time and was awful in elimination games and big game time after time and never took an ounce of the heat or the blame on himself?

also, Jokic is a next level class act. dude will be loved and rememberd around the world and the USA akin to a guy like Dirk
his comments and demeanor after the embrassing game 2 blow-out were incredible imo. no excuses, no deflecting, no bs just the honest truth - "I hope we can put up a fight in game 3" and they did.

I saw something about him saying that Denver will forever be his second home and that he values the fact he can walk with his family in Washington park and be treated "respectfully" (i.e, like a reguler dude, not pestered, bothered or ogled)

imagine if was drafted by say..an L.A team, he might have been another Darko Milicic lol
just a really good fit

[multo]

Ant put the blame on himself so it's almost a guarantee he'll have a good game next game. Will it be enough if Denver continues to have momentum? I have this pivotal Game 4 50/50 and a close one. Like everyone else, I'm wondering how it will be called by the refs - like Game 2 which favors the Wolves or like Game 3?

[Exp0sed]

Posting this showing it is not just sore posters wanting Murray suspending.

Read on Twitter

There's no way they could justify suspending Murray after letting Embiid's 1st round antics slide. Murray's behavior was sad and embarrassing but Embiid, a repeat offender, went out there to intentionally hurt people and didn't get punished for it. By comparison Murray's little temper tantrum was nothing.

I can't believe folks are still stuck on the Murray thing
Murray has zero history of malice, he made a mistake and he paid for it (a 100k is a hefty fine). i'd bet a 100$ he'll never throw another object on the floor till the end of his career. he has never been anything other than a tough competitor, suspending him for game 3 in these circumustences would have meant the series is over, no1 in the world wants that lmfao (apart from maybe Minny fans and i'm sure some of those wouldn't even want that).

it's all good, Wolves still got this. they'll win the series fair and square, they don't need help from sham suspensions

[KGDirkTD_Fan]

Posting this showing it is not just sore posters wanting Murray suspending.

Read on Twitter

There's no way they could justify suspending Murray after letting Embiid's 1st round antics slide. Murray's behavior was sad and embarrassing but Embiid, a repeat offender, went out there to intentionally hurt people and didn't get punished for it. By comparison Murray's little temper tantrum was nothing.

I can't believe folks are still stuck on the Murray thing
Murray has zero history of malice, he made a mistake and he paid for it (a 100k is a hefty fine). i'd bet a 100$ he'll never throw another object on the floor till the end of his career. he has never been anything other than a tough competitor, suspending him for game 3 in these circumustences would have meant the series is over, no1 in the world wants that lmfao (apart from maybe Minny fans and i'm sure some of those wouldn't even want that).

it's all good, Wolves still got this. they'll win the series fair and square, they don't need help from sham suspensions

If the Wolves are legit they don't need Adam Silvers help beating the Nuggets. They torched the Suns, they kicked the Nuggets ass for 2 games. It's better this way. Murray was frustrated, **** happens, dude doesn't have a history of being a scumbag. When folks talk about the 2007 Suns/Spurs all they talk about is how the Suns got railed by those suspensions. It sucks.

I don't have an opinion on the Embiid stuff but they weren't going to suspend Murray when they let Embiid off the hook.

[TimberKat]

You know what they say..it ain't a series till the home team wins

Actually, if a home team wins a game, it is overed

[Upperclass]

Minn, Den, Den, Den. Minn scoring is shaky and Denver can stop everyone but Ant. Den/Dal WCF.

[shrink]

Posting this showing it is not just sore posters wanting Murray suspending.

Read on Twitter

There's no way they could justify suspending Murray after letting Embiid's 1st round antics slide. Murray's behavior was sad and embarrassing but Embiid, a repeat offender, went out there to intentionally hurt people and didn't get punished for it. By comparison Murray's little temper tantrum was nothing.

Using Embiid as your measure of sportsmanship is pretty weak. Both should have gotten suspensions.

Gobert was fined $100,000 for flashing the money sign at refs a few weeks earlier. Stiff, but fair. In Game 2, Murray flashed the money sign, and threw a towel at a ref and threw a heat pad on the court during live action. Still $100,000?

And some DEN fans want to argue that not doing bad things before should let you act like an ass a few times before you are responsible for your behavior? How many things are okay to throw on the floor before it’s dangerous or childish? Are you really arguing the first two thrown things are for free?

The league’s decision is what it is. Unequal punishments and refereeing are already casting doubt on the integrity of the game, and we question the fairness of every game’s results more and more. In addition, allowing players to go unpunished for very public temper tantrums can’t be good for the NBA either. But here on these board, these weak poster defenses (“but he never threw things on the floor before” and “another guy (Embiid) did bad things too”) show a lack of responsibility and makes you look bad as well. If you are truly an honest fan of the NBA, you should disagree with the league’s response to both Embiid and Murray’s actions, because when the NBA lets players get away with this type of behavior, it make the game we love worse.

[shrink]

..suspending him for game 3 in these circumustences would have meant the series is over, no1 in the world wants that lmfao (apart from maybe Minny fans and i'm sure some of those wouldn't even want that).

I don’t think that’s right at all. I’m a Wolves fan, and I was happy to see MIN’s tough road to a championship, through PHX, DEN, and potentially OKC and BOS. Those could be epic games, and if MIN wants to be the best, they have to prove it and beat the best, not have an artificial title through weakened teams

Like true NBA fans, regardless of who wins, I want to see competitive NBA games, where no one is injured, the reffing is fair to both teams, and games are determined by the players. But that includes everything the player does. Nobody forced Murray to make the money sign, then throw the towel at the ref, then throw the heat pack on the floor, then refuse to be interviewed after the game. In a fair world, that would mean all the players should be allowed to do that too, and that is not going to create basketball games anyone wants to see in the future. That’s a much bigger deal than who wins a single playoff game.

[nomansland]

..suspending him for game 3 in these circumustences would have meant the series is over, no1 in the world wants that lmfao (apart from maybe Minny fans and i'm sure some of those wouldn't even want that).

I don’t think that’s right at all. I’m a Wolves fan, and I was happy to see MIN’s tough road to a championship, through PHX, DEN, and potentially OKC and BOS. Those could be epic games, and if MIN wants to be the best, they have to prove it and beat the best, not have an artificial title through weakened teams

Like true NBA fans, regardless of who wins, I want to see competitive NBA games, where no one is injured, the reffing is fair to both teams, and games are determined by the players. But that includes everything the player does. Nobody forced Murray to make the money sign, then throw the towel at the ref, then throw the heat pack on the floor, then refuse to be interviewed after the game. In a fair world, that would mean all the players should be allowed to do that too, and that is not going to create basketball games anyone wants to see in the future. That’s a much bigger deal than who wins a single playoff game.

Fair perspective. All of that stuff in bold warrants an ejection and fines, but not a suspension. People crying about suspensions just look like whiny losers seeking an easier path in the playoffs.

[shrink]

..suspending him for game 3 in these circumustences would have meant the series is over, no1 in the world wants that lmfao (apart from maybe Minny fans and i'm sure some of those wouldn't even want that).

I don’t think that’s right at all. I’m a Wolves fan, and I was happy to see MIN’s tough road to a championship, through PHX, DEN, and potentially OKC and BOS. Those could be epic games, and if MIN wants to be the best, they have to prove it and beat the best, not have an artificial title through weakened teams

Like true NBA fans, regardless of who wins, I want to see competitive NBA games, where no one is injured, the reffing is fair to both teams, and games are determined by the players. But that includes everything the player does. Nobody forced Murray to make the money sign, then throw the towel at the ref, then throw the heat pack on the floor, then refuse to be interviewed after the game. In a fair world, that would mean all the players should be allowed to do that too, and that is not going to create basketball games anyone wants to see in the future. That’s a much bigger deal than who wins a single playoff game.

Fair perspective. All of that stuff in bold warrants an ejection and fines, but not a suspension. People crying about suspensions just look like whiny losers seeking an easier path in the playoffs.

Patrick Beverley just got a FOUR game suspension for throwing a ball in the stands twice, and refusing to be interviewed after the game by ONE reporter. But you don’t think, even as a Nuggets fan, that Murray’s actions warrant even one game?

Expect a lot more of similar behavior from other stars then, and even more arguing if the NBA and its refereeing are fair. And apparently, more people calling others “whiny.” But this isn’t just a Murray problem - it’s an NBA problem, with unequal consequences for different players.

In a perfect world, Murray doesn’t choose to do any of his behavior. There was absolutely no need for him to act this way. But once he made those choices, then he should have been suspended for one game.