Hawks’ Dejounte Murray disagrees with one-game suspension after making contact with referee

The Atlanta Hawks will likely be with out its second-leading scorer on Tuesday because the seven-seed makes an attempt to stave off elimination towards the Boston Celtics. 

On Monday, star guard Dejounte Murray was suspended for Game 5 after he made contact with an official following Sunday’s loss in Game 4.

Dejounte Murray of the Hawks throughout the playoff sport towards the Boston Celtics at State Farm Arena on April 23, 2023, in Atlanta. (Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

A video posted to social media confirmed Murray making contact with referee Gediminas Petraitis as he walked off the ground. 

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Murray, who has averaged 25.3 factors per sport throughout the collection, stated he didn’t consider he ought to have been suspended whereas taking duty for not being accessible for his teammates. 

“I’m a grown man, and I maintain my very own and I take full duty for not with the ability to play for my teammates, and the followers and simply the group as a complete,” Murray stated Tuesday, in line with ESPN. “But on the finish of the day, there’s rather a lot that led as much as that, and I believe a variety of gamers may relate to these frustrations.”

Dejounte Murray of the Hawks reacts throughout the playoff sport towards the Boston Celtics on April 21, 2023, in Atlanta. (Adam Hagy/NBAE by way of Getty Images)

“At the tip of the day, I really feel like, I do not assume I ought to have been suspended,” Murray stated. “But like I stated, it is out of my management.”

Murray informed reporters that “rather a lot” led to the altercation, together with his previous experiences with Petraitis, going again to when Murray was a member of the San Antonio Spurs. 

“A number of ignoring, a variety of brushing me off, brushing my teammates off when asking questions of how we may very well be higher,” Murray stated Tuesday, in line with ESPN. “And even simply with that particular person, it goes again to San Antonio, the place, I do not know why that particular person handled me the way in which he handled me over time.

Atlanta Hawks guard Dejounte Murray drives towards the Celtics throughout the playoff sport, Tuesday, April 18, 2023, in Boston. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

“And what I imply by handled me [is], I’m only a man who likes to have dialog, particularly with the referees. You ask 98% of the refs why they greet me earlier than video games, they usually’ll inform you as a result of I’m one of the respectful ones. I do not cry about calls, I do not disrespect them, name them out their names, none of that.”

The Hawks are on the point of being bounced from the NBA Playoffs in 5 video games as they put together for Tuesday evening’s sport at TD Garden enviornment in Boston.