The Denver Nuggets beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 116-105 in Game 1 of their first-round series on Saturday night at Ball Arena. In the victory, the Nuggets were granted 33 free throw attempts, while the Timberwolves had 19 opportunities from the charity stripe.<\/p>\n
After the game, Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch voiced frustration about the number of free throws that the Nuggets got to shoot, essentially calling out the officiating. Finch was particularly annoyed by Nuggets star guard Jamal Murray getting 16 free throw attempts.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe 16 free throws from Murray is a head-scratcher,\u201d Finch told the media in his postgame press conference.<\/p>\n
Chris Finch:<\/p>\n
\u201cThe 16 free throws from (Jamal) Murray is a head scratcher\u201d pic.twitter.com\/E0p5wKAJf3<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Oh No He Didn\u2019t (@ohnohedidnt24) April 18, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cYeah, I thought we played really good defense,\u201d Finch expanded. \u201cI thought, on him, a lot of those ones in the second quarter, we were there, we were physical, we were vertical. He initiates the contact, he spills away, and he gets rewarded for it. Joki\u0107 does the same thing. We\u2019ve gotta be solid around that. But 16 free throws is a lot.\u201d<\/p>\n More from Chris Finch on Jamal:<\/p>\n \u201cHe initiated the contact, he spills away and then he gets rewarded for it. Jokic does the same thing. 16 free throws is a lot\u201d https:\/\/t.co\/zdgY5yWVSp<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/4E5y2jNNkd<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Oh No He Didn\u2019t (@ohnohedidnt24) April 18, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n It\u2019s worth noting that Joki\u0107 only had one free throw attempt.<\/p>\n Nuggets head coach David Adelman addressed the topic and said that Murray \u201cdrew a lot of fouls in that (second) quarter because he got fouled- a lot.\u201d<\/p>\n David Adelman on Jamal Murray: \u201cHe drew a lot of fouls in that (2nd) quarter because he got fouled\u2026A lot\u201d \ud83d\ude02 https:\/\/t.co\/zdgY5yWVSp<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/2vP23ruR5K<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Oh No He Didn\u2019t (@ohnohedidnt24) April 18, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n And Murray said, \u201cFour of them were technicals\u2026 I thought I got fouled on every single one of them. I don\u2019t know what everybody\u2019s talking about. It\u2019s real fouls.\u201d<\/p>\n Jamal Murray on going 16\/16 at the free throw line:<\/p>\n \u201cI thought I got fouled on every single one of them. I don\u2019t know what everybody\u2019s talking about. It\u2019s real fouls\u201d https:\/\/t.co\/zdgY5yWVSp<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/uGJqDUE5TI<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Oh No He Didn\u2019t (@ohnohedidnt24) April 18, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n While Finch is questioning if the Nuggets earned all of those free throw attempts, Denver also deserves credit for actually making almost all of those. The Nuggets went 30-for-33 on free throws, good for 91 percent. And Murray never missed over his 16 tries. Minnesota, meanwhile, went 14-for-19 (74 percent).<\/p>\n \t