The Atlanta Hawks fell to a 3-1 series deficit against the Boston Celtics during their first-round matchup after being beaten on their home court in Game 4.
After the 8-point loss, Dejounte Murray was visibly upset with a referee and went up to him. Murray seemed to bump the ref’s shoulder and stare at him before walking away, prompting the official to give Murray a death stare as he walked off.
Dejounte Murray appeared to say something to a ref after the Hawks’ Game 4 loss.
(via @creatorjordan23) pic.twitter.com/2KdiRpZqed
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) April 24, 2023
The league is very particular about regulating how players interact with referees. It’s not easy officiating an NBA game and refs often become targets for fanbases and players after tough losses. Evidently, this is another one of those cases. Tim Bontemps has revealed that the NBA is investigating the matter.
The NBA is investigating Hawks guard Dejounte Murray’s actions toward officials at the end of Game 4 Sunday night, a league source told ESPN.
— Tim Bontemps (@TimBontemps) April 24, 2023
The foul-calling was definitely inconsistent throughout the night and frustrated Murray. But as a veteran in the NBA, Murray should know better than to try and size up a referee after a game.
Do The Hawks Have A Chance?
If the Hawks pull off a 3-1 comeback to win this series now, it may be the greatest series comeback in NBA history just by virtue of the odds. The Hawks were not expected to even take a game off Boston by many, and they’ve already over-delivered in that respect. Taking another win will swell them up with pride, but winning all 3 remaining games is going to be a very tall order.
Trae Young had a great game but he and Murray aren’t enough to deal with Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. given the depth Boston has on top of their two stars, Atlanta just doesn’t have the pieces to realistically compete with them. The focus within the franchise will start pivoting to the offseason, as the Hawks look to bounce back next year with a training camp under new coach Quin Snyder and possibly a lot of roster moves.
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