


The 2023 NBA playoffs, which have already been highly dramatic so far, have added another possible seed of intrigue.
The NBA will investigate Hawks star guard Dejounte Murray after he appeared to make contact with an official as time expired in Atlanta’s 129-121 loss to the Celtics in Game 4 of their first-round playoff series, according to ESPN.
A video shared to Twitter shows a visibly heated Murray appear to lean in to official Gediminas Petraitis as he was walking off the court and say something to him, possibly shoving him in the process.
The NBA will attempt to determine if the contact was intentional.
Any player who makes “intentional physical contact” with a referee will automatically be suspended for one game, per the NBA rulebook.
Murray, 26, is now at risk of missing Game 5 of the playoff series.
Atlanta is already down 3-1 in the series to the No. 2 seed in the East.
The Celtics suffered from this rule earlier in the season, when forward Grant Williams was suspended one game for making contact with an official during a game against the Chicago Bulls.
Now, their playoff opponent could be the one suffering a self-inflicted wound.
It’s the latest controversy to hit the 2023 NBA playoffs.
Warriors agitator Draymond Green was ejected from Game 2 and suspended for Game 3 of the team’s series against the Kings after he stomped on center Domantas Sabonis when the two got tangled up under the rim.
In the 76ers vs. Nets series, Joel Embiid was assessed a flagrant 1 for kicking Nets center Nic Claxton in the groin – though he was neither ejected nor suspended.
However, later in that game, 76ers guard James Harden was ejected for appearing to elbow Royce O’Neale in the gut as he drove to the basket.
Philadelphia still won that Game 3, and completed a sweep of Brooklyn on Saturday without Embiid, who is now out with a knee injury.