“Going on vacation early” – NBA Twitter convinced Dejounte Murray GETTING PHYSICAL with ref will land Hawks star a suspension
Boston Celtics beat the Atlanta Hawks to take a 3-1 series lead
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Dejounte Murray for the Atlanta Hawks (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
Playoff games are an emotional affair for fans and players. Even more so when the result doesn’t go in your favor. After Game 4 between the Boston Celtics and the Atlanta Hawks, there was one such incident where emotions took over. Hawks star Dejounte Murray was seen bumping a referee after his team lost 129-121 to the Celtics and fell to 1-3 in the best-of-seven series. Atlanta was hoping that they would tie the series at home and head to Boston with the pressure to win solely on the Celtics.
Boston is now just one win away from advancing to the Conference semifinals. The Celtics picked up a formidable win on the backs of Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum. Both put up 31 points for their team. The Hawks, on the other hand, put up a good fight at home. Trae Young scored an impressive 35 points and De’Andre Hunter finished with 27.
After what can only be assumed as a tough loss for the home side, Dejounte Murray looked visibly frustrated. While many have spoken about the officials not being up to mark, players getting physical with the referees is a rare occurrence. The league tends to impose heavy penalties on players who mistreat match officials, and acts of physical engagement are instantly penalized.
Although the incident with Murray happened after the game, the league has taken notice. The probability of the league taking action against Murray ahead of Game 5 is high. With the Hawks still having a slim chance of staying alive in the postseason, losing one of their key stars for an elimination game will only make the hill steeper. They can still make a historic comeback after a 3-1 deficit, but the odds of it happening with Murray are minuscule.
Twitter fans convinced Dejounte Murray will be suspended for Game 5 vs. Celtics
NBA fans on Twitter have expressed their opinions about Murray’s actions on the platform. While some have been critical of the referee, some expect a heavy fine. Many Celtics fans are also calling for the league to suspend the player. Their demands come based on the suspension of Rajon Rondo in 2012 for a similar incident.
The Boston Celtics will now travel home to play Game 5. They would certainly look to win the series 4-1 at TD Garden and advance to the Conference semifinals where they will play the Philadelphia 76ers. The 76ers await their opponents after sweeping the Brooklyn Nets in the first round of the playoffs. However, Joel Embiid is currently injured due to a right knee sprain. 76ers coach Doc Rivers even revealed that the scan did not go well.
Regardless, it would be safe to assume that the matchup between the Celtics and the 76ers would be an exciting clash. Boston lost in the NBA Finals last year, while the 76ers have expressed their hunger to win the same. With Joel Embiid and Jayson Tatum looking to redeem themselves in their own right, the 76ers and the Celtics facing off promises to bring the best basketball for fans and viewers.
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Jay Lokegaonkar
(46 Articles Published)