Though he isn't facing suspension, Boston Celtics Marcus Smart will be fined $35,000 for his on-court altercation with Hawks swingman DeAndre Bembry during Saturday night's game against the Atlanta Hawks, according to a report from Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe.
Marcus Smart has been fined 35k for the Hawks altercation. No suspension.
— Adam Himmelsbach (@AdamHimmelsbach) January 21, 2019
Smart, who scored four points and four assists in Saturday's 113-105 victory, picked up his fourth foul roughly three minutes into the third quarter. He then picked up a technical foul for exchanging words with Bembry during a jump ball scenario. The situation escalated quickly, and the two players had to be separated. Smart's teammates tried to hold him back, but he broke free and charged toward Bembry before being restrained again.
Eventually, Kyrie Irving and a member of Boston's security personnel managed to tackle Smart to the ground. Irving then ushered Smart to the sidelines to a smattering of boos from the Atlanta crowd. After reviewing the incident, Bembry was issued a technical foul as well.
Irving, who is familiar with Smart's personality, spoke with ESPN about the altercation following the game.
“We accept Marcus for who he is … It's our responsibility to pick him up,” Irving said.
Without a doubt, the Celtics will need Smart to keep a level head going forward, as he's one of the best defenders on the team. The former No. 6 overall pick has made 45 appearances with Boston this season (25 starts), racking up averages of 7.9 points on 41.3 percent shooting from the field (36.8 percent from beyond the arc), 4.0 assists, 2.8 rebounds and 1.8 steals in 26.3 minutes per outing.
The Celtics will be back in action on Monday night, when they'll welcome the Miami Heat to town. Tip-off inside TD Garden is set for 6:00 p.m. ET.
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