The NBA is investigating Atlanta Hawks guard Dejounte Murray following an incident involving a referee at the end of Game 4 against the Boston Celtics. According to ESPN's Tim Bontemps, the league is looking into Murray's actions towards officials after the Hawks' 129-121 defeat on Sunday night.
Murray appeared to make contact with referee Gediminas Petraitis as he left the court, before turning around and shouting. The 26-year-old was not made available to speak to the media after the loss at State Farm Arena. The NBA typically decides on disciplinary action before the next game, with Game 5 taking place in Boston on Tuesday.
The league has a strict policy regarding altercations with officials. Celtics forward Grant Williams received a one-game suspension last October for similar conduct. This is not Murray's first such incident; in February 2022, while with the San Antonio Spurs, he was fined £16,000 ($20,000) and ejected for throwing a basketball at an official's legs.
Murray has been a key player for the Hawks in the series, averaging 25.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, 5.8 assists and 2.3 steals. Atlanta face a 3-1 deficit after Boston's stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown combined for 62 points. Derrick White and Marcus Smart added 18 and 19 points respectively, while Robert Williams III and Malcolm Brogdon contributed off the bench.
Brown, who played without his face mask for the first time since mid-February, said removing it helped his performance. "Maybe it was all in my head, but I just needed a different look," he said. Tatum added, "I knew he was going to turn it up a notch."
