Postgame kick costs Murray $25K
When the Spurs’ depleted roster returned to practice Monday, the gym echoed with Dejounte Murray’s inspirational words.
“We are here to win,” the point guard repeatedly told his teammates. “One game at a time. This is what we’ve got, but we are here to win.”
Two days later in Oklahoma City, the Spurs gave it their best shot but wound up losing 102-99 when Luguentz Dort’s 3-pointer from the corner beat the buzzer.
It was all too much for Murray, who responded by booting the game ball into the stands with the force of an NFL kicker. For that spontaneous reaction, and despite the stands being empty amid restrictions by the Thunder to help stop the spread of COVID-19, the NBA slapped Murray with a $25,000 fine Friday.
A video provided by the league shows Murray, Lonnie Walker IV, Keita Bates-diop, Jakob Poeltl and Patty Mills walking off the court while Oklahoma City players celebrate in the background. As the ball bounces to a near stop around the top of the key, Murray boots it over the scorer’s table.
Murray wasn’t available for comment Friday because the Spurs had the day off, but fans reacted quickly on social media.
“Tell me what sense a $25K fine makes for kicking a ball into empty stands. Cardboard cutout safety?!” @icurtruecolors tweeted.
Others applauded Murray’s emotional reaction. The Spurs hit the floor with just 10 available players because Demar Derozan was out for personal reasons and Derrick White, Keldon Johnson, Rudy Gay, Devin Vassell and Quinndary Weatherspoon are going through the league’s health and safety protocols for COVID-19.
“Didn’t know I could love DJ more than I already did. But here we are,” @ben_gavin tweeted.
With Derozan and his teamleading 19.8 points per game missing, Murray picked up the scoring slack in Oklahoma City with a 27-point outing.
But he insisted afterward it wasn’t intentional. “I am just being Dejounte,” he said.
Indeed, the outing underscored the effectiveness of his all-around game. In 32 minutes, he also had nine rebounds, a team-best six assists without a turnover and two steals.
“I can affect the game a bunch of ways,” he said. “I love to try to affect it on the defensive end first. The offensive end will come to me, getting guys great shots, staying aggressive and looking for my shot. Just trying to be a leader on both ends and trying to win games.”
Murray has played some of his best basketball of the season over the past seven games, averaging nearly 19 points, 8.0 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 2.4 steals while shooting 89.5 percent from the free-throw line.
For the season, he’s averaging 15.6 points, 7.3 rebounds (seventh among the league’s guards), 5.1 assists and 1.6 steals. He has two triple-doubles, making him the first Spur with multiple triple-doubles in the same season since David Robinson had four in 1993-94.
Duncan urges support of Black restaurants
There’s more time for San Antonians to dine out while supporting Black-owned restaurants and the San Antonio Food Bank.
Black Restaurant Week San Antonio — which grew to include 30 eateries and vendors in the third installment — was extended Thursday into a twoweek event, per an announcement by Spurs legend Tim Duncan, who is donating to the cause.
The week was previously scheduled to end Feb. 28 but will now last until March 7. Valero Energy Foundation joined the Tim Duncan Foundation in the effort for the extension.
Each participating restaurant is offering BRWSA specials. The two foundations will match each dollar donated by the restaurants from the sale of the featured items, providing 21 meals to kids and seniors through the San Antonio Food Bank.
The coronavirus pandemic stretched the Food Bank thin, but the pantry remains a source of help throughout the hardship, which now includes a larger need after the brutal winter storm that left many food insecure.
San Antonio Food Bank Chief Resource Officer Michael G. Guerra said the extension was BRWSA founder Ryane Smith’s idea, but Duncan helped get the word out.
He also promoted the first week of BRWSA and donated $100,000 during its launch.
Duncan also donated $200,000 to the food bank with Spurs Give, the team’s nonprofit, at the start of the coronavirus pandemic.
Guerra, who said he doesn’t know exactly how much money has been raised, encouraged people to check the BRWSA website for a list of restaurants participating in the extension. Most, but not all, will be part of the second week.
“Together we can make this the biggest week in the nation in supporting black-owned restaurants,” Duncan said.