Hawks' Murray suspended for contact with official

The NBA announced Monday afternoon that Atlanta Hawks guard Dejounte Murray was suspended one game without pay for making contact with 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 in Game 5 on Tuesday night -- which could be the final game of Atlanta's season. The Hawks trail the Celtics 3-1 in the best-of-seven series, and the Celtics will advance to face the Philadelphia 76ers in the Eastern Conference semifinals with a win.

Murray, who had 23 points, 9 rebounds and 6 assists in 40 minutes in Sunday's 129-121 Celtics win, made contact with referee Gediminas Petraitis as he was walking off the court at the end of the game. He then turned back and pointed and yelled at someone before exiting the court.

Murray did not speak to reporters after Sunday's game.

The league typically takes a hard stance against anyone making 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 ejected from the fourth quarter of a loss to the Chicago Bulls back in October.

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

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

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

If Boston wins Game 5, its series with Philadelphia will start Saturday, while it will not start until Monday if Atlanta forces it to at least a sixth game. The status of 76ers superstar Joel Embiid remains in doubt for the beginning of the East semis after he suffered a right knee sprain in Game 3 of their first-round series against the Brooklyn Nets.