Hawks’ Dejounte Murray suspended one game for contacting the official

The NBA announced Monday afternoon that Atlanta Hawks guard DeJaunt Murray has been suspended one game without pay for calling and verbally abusing an official at the end of Game 4 of Atlanta’s first-round series with the Boston Celtics on Sunday night.

Murray will serve the suspension for Game 5 on Tuesday night — which could be the final game of the Atlanta season. Trailing the Celtics 3-1 in a best-of-seven series, the Celtics will advance to face the Philadelphia 76ers in the Eastern Conference Semifinals with a win.

Murray, who had 23 points, nine rebounds and six assists in 40 minutes in the Celtics’ 129-121 win on Sunday, made contact with referee Gediminas Petritis as he walked off the court at the end of the game. He then turned back, pointed at one of them and yelled at him before walking out of the court.

Murray did not speak to reporters after Sunday’s match.

The league usually takes a tough stance against anyone who comes into contact with a game official. Earlier this season, Celtics forward Grant Williams was suspended for a game for making contact with an official when he was sacked in the fourth quarter of a loss to the Chicago Bulls back in October.

Murray averages 25.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, 5.8 assists and 2.3 steals over four games in this series for the Hawks. He is in his first season with the Hawks after being acquired in a successful deal with the San Antonio Spurs last summer.

In 74 games this season, Murray — who was an All-Star last season in San Antonio — has averaged 20.5 points, 5.3 rebounds and 6.1 assists.

While still with the Spurs last season, Murray was fined $20,000 after being ejected from a game in Memphis on February 28, 2022, when he threw a ball off a referee’s legs.

If Boston wins Game 5, its series with Philadelphia will begin on Saturday; It won’t start until Monday if first-round Atlanta is forced to play at least a sixth game. The condition of 76ers star Joel Embiid remains in doubt at the start of the Eastern Semifinals after he suffered a sprained right knee in Game 3 of the first round series against the Brooklyn Nets.