Murray dodges technical foul call after throwing heating pad

DENVER — Nuggets guard Jamal Murray should have been called for a technical foul — but not ejected — for throwing a heating pad on the floor during Denver’s 106-80 Game 2 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves, crew chief Marc Davis said after Monday’s contest.

With Murray on the bench and Karl-Anthony Towns receiving a pass from Kyle Anderson to put Minnesota up 49-30 with 4:41 remaining in the second quarter, the Nuggets point guard tossed the pad on the floor while live game action ensued.

Nuggets guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope picked up the pad, tossed it to the sidelines and play continued without any whistle from the referees.

“I was the lead official, and I didn’t notice it was on the floor or where it came from until Towns scored,” Davis told a pool reporter. “We weren’t aware it had come from the bench. If we would have been aware it came from the bench, we could have reviewed it under the hostile act trigger. The penalty would have been a technical foul.”

The Timberwolves now lead the Western Conference semifinal series 2-0.

Minnesota coach Chris Finch called Murray’s act “dangerous” and “inexcusable” and said the Wolves attempted to reason with the officiating crew to adjudicate the incident.

“We tried to impress upon [the referees] there probably aren’t many fans in the building that have a heat pack, so it probably had to come from the bench, which they found logical,” Finch said. “I’m sure it was a mistake and an oversight and nothing intentional by the officiating at all, but certainly can’t allow that to happen.”

Davis also was asked by the pool reporter why Murray should have received a technical foul and not been ejected from the game.

“For an ejection, you would have to determine it was thrown directly at somebody versus thrown in frustration,” Davis said.

Murray — who finished Game 2 with 8 points on 3-for-18 shooting, 13 rebounds, 2 assists and 4 turnovers — exited the arena without speaking to reporters, according to a Nuggets spokesperson. Denver coach Michael Malone said he did not know that Murray had chucked the heating pad.

“I am not even aware of that,” Malone said. “I really can’t comment. But if that’s the case, we will have to see what happens. I wasn’t aware of that. I knew a heating pack was on the floor, but it was not in my field of vision.”

Malone confronted Davis during the first quarter, leaving the bench area to yell at Davis near the free throw line after an offensive foul was not called on Towns for colliding with Murray.

“When [Murray] is out there battling a guy like Karl-Anthony Towns and trying to take charge in what I thought was an easy call and he is not rewarded, I owe it to Jamal Murray or anybody else in that situation to voice my…