Hawks’ Dejounte Murray faces possible Game 5 suspension for bumping official

Hawks guard Dejounte Murray could face a possible suspension after losing 129-121 to the Celtics in Game 4.

According to ESPN’s Tim Bontempsthe NBA will reportedly investigate Murray after he made contact with an official at the end of the game.

As the final buzzer sounded, Murray walked up to the official Gediminas Petraitis and appeared to yell something as he bumped into him. Teammates and coaches then ushered Murray into the dressing room.

Murray, who recorded 23 points, nine rebounds and six assists in the loss, continued to yell at the umpires as he left the court, visibly frustrated with the late-contest administration that put them in a 3-1 hole against the Celts.

The Hawks protested several calls during the game, including a Flagrant 1 calling Trae Young after he fouled Jayson Tatum while driving to the net.

Tatum was the focus of another controversial no-call. Marcus Smart dribbled the ball off either his or Clint Capela’s foot and after Tatum recovered it from backcourt, he drilled a dagger 3 pointer to put the Celtics at 12 with two minutes remaining.

It’s unclear who the ball came from, but officials decided it was a distraction rather than a backcourt injury. Had the call gone the other way, the Hawks would have put the ball back by nine.

Will Dejounte Murray be banned for Game 5?

It’s not yet known if Murray will be suspended for Game 5, but here’s what the NBA rulebook can tell us about the ramifications of contacting an official.

According to the NBA rule book:

Any player or coach found guilty of intentional physical contact with an official will be automatically banned from a game without payment.”

If circumstances warrant it, a fine and/or a longer period of suspension will be imposed

In October, Celtics forward Grant Williams was banned for a game for contacting an official.

The league’s decision Williams was for “reckless contact with a match official and inappropriate language,” earning him a technical foul and a sacking.

However, a suspension is not always issued for contacting an official. In February 2022, Pistons wing Hamidou Diallo was fined $20,000 for contacting an officer.

As a member of the Spurs in 2022, Dejounte Murray was fined $20,000 for throwing the ball at an official after being thrown from a game in Memphis.