Jamal Murray Reacts to Timberwolves Coach's Comments on His 16 Free Throws
Jamal Murray and the Denver Nuggets took Game 1 of the first-round series against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday, 116-105. Murray led all scorers with 30 points on an inefficient 31.8% shooting from the field. Although he struggled to shoot, the one-time All-Star made the most of his attempts from the free-throw line and shot 16-for-16.
His co-star, Nikola Jokic, did most of the work in the game and punished the interior defense. He had a triple-double of 25 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists on 57.9% shooting. It was a statement win for Denver, as they hold the series lead to 1-0.
Jamal Murray Believes He Deserves All of His Free Throws
Murray spoke to reporters after the game and defended himself from the criticism he received for shooting 16 shots at the charity stripe.
"I thought I got fouled on every single one of them. So I don't know what everybody's talking about," Murray said. "It's real fouls. We were just being aggressive."
Jamal Murray on 16 free throws:
— DNVR Nuggets (@DNVR_Nuggets) April 18, 2026
"I thought I got fouled on every single one of them. So I don't know what everybody's talking about..."
Full presser: pic.twitter.com/R1AKyzRJ8Z
This was in response to what Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch said about Murray's free throws. Finch voiced out his frustration with the Nuggets star's shots in front of reporters.
"The 16 free throws from [Jamal] Murray is a head scratcher," Finch said.
The Wolves shot 19 free throws as a team, which was just three more than Murray. The Nuggets ended the game with 33 attempts at the line, with the Canadian guard leading the group.
"I thought we played really good defense. I thought, on him, a lot of those ones in the second quarter, we were there. We were physical, we were vertical," the coach commented. "He initiated the contact, he spills away, and then he gets rewarded for it. Jokic does the same thing. We've got to be solid around that. 16 free throws is a lot."
"It's almost as many as we've shot all game."
More from Chris Finch on Jamal:
— Oh No He Didn't (@ohnohedidnt24) April 18, 2026
"He initiated the contact, he spills away and then he gets rewarded for it. Jokic does the same thing. 16 free throws is a lot" https://t.co/zdgY5yWVSppic.twitter.com/4E5y2jNNkd
There is history between the Wolves and the Nuggets. This is the third time both teams have faced each other in the playoffs. The last time they played a best-of-seven series was in 2024, and it lasted seven games. Unfortunately for Denver, Minnesota got the best of them, and they were eliminated in the second round.
Fans can expect a physical battle between the two teams, given the familiarity between them from their previous games. Game 2 will be on Monday at Ball Arena.
Related: Nikola Jokic's Numbers in Nuggets' 10-Game Win Streak Are Unreal
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This story was originally published April 18, 2026 at 8:29 PM.