The NBA is investigating an incident involving Hawks guard DeJaunt Murray in which he appeared to make contact with official Gediminas Petraitis after the Atlanta Game 4 loss to the Celtics, according to ESPN. The Falcons don’t expect to hear word from the league about potential discipline for Murray until Monday, a source on the team said the athlete. Here’s what you need to know:
- And in a video clip circulated on social media after the match, Murray appeared to approach Petritis in frustration when he heard the sound of the bell and hit him with his chest. Murray walked away, signaling to the officials before teammate Aaron Holiday eventually directed him into the locker room.
- The 26-year-old finished with 23 points, nine rebounds and six assists on 4-of-8 shooting from 3-point range.
- Boston leads the first round series 3-1. Game 5 is set for Tuesday at 7:30 PM ET.
the athleteInstant Analysis:
Is suspension possible for Murray?
It seems so. Historically, shocking an official inappropriately as Murray did across a bright red line, results in an automatic ejection and a one-match suspension.
For example, Boston’s Grant Williams was ejected and suspended for one game in October after he made contact with official Cheryl Flores in a loss against Chicago. With the buzzer going off at the same time Murray called the Petraitis officiant, he couldn’t be fired on Sunday.
However, this would only make Murray’s suspension more bearable. – Hollinger
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