The NBA is investigating Atlanta Hawks guard Dejounte Murray after he made contact with an official in the Game 4 loss to the Boston Celtics on Sunday.
In the closing seconds of the game, Murray appeared to make contact with referee Gediminas Petraitis as the former All-Star was walking off the court following the Celtics’ 129-121 win. Murray then turned back and pointed and yelled at someone, although it is unclear who it was aimed at.
The guard was escorted off the court by Hawks security, and the franchise did not make Murray available for interviews after the game. The 26-year-old had 23 points, nine rebounds and six assists in 40 minutes during the defeat, which leaves the Hawks facing a 3-1 deficit in the first-round series.
It will be interesting to see how the NBA interpret the contact between Murray and the official. The league’s regulations suggest ‘any player or coach guilty of intentional physical contact with an official shall automatically be suspended without pay for one game’.
Back in October, Celtics forward Grant Williams was adjudged to have fallen foul of the rule. He was suspended for one game for making contact with a game official, which saw him ejected in the fourth quarter of a defeat to the Chicago Bulls.
Murray has been key for the Hawks in their battle against the Celtics, with his defensive hustle working alongside Trae Young’s offensive output. Murray is averaging 25.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, 5.8 assists and 2.3 steals through four games in the playoff series.
It is Murray’s first season in Atlanta after he was acquired in a monster trade with the San Antonio Spurs. It is also not Murray’s first run-in with an official; last season with the Spurs, he was fined $20,000 after he was ejected against the Memphis Grizzlies for throwing a ball off the referee’s legs.
The NBA usually make a decision on any punishment before the next game in a series, with the Hawks facing the Celtics in Boston for Game 5 on Tuesday night. Another Celtics win would see them eliminate Murray’s Hawks to advance to the Eastern Conference semi-finals against the Philadelphia 76ers, who swept the Brooklyn Nets.
If the Hawks want to pull off a dramatic turnaround and advance themselves, the franchise would need to win three successive games including two on the road. Without Murray alongside Young, the Hawks backcourt would undoubtedly be less effective and Atlanta face being knocked out in the first round for a second consecutive season.
