BOSTON - No one, not even NBA players, like the idea of having to cough up $35,000 for a fine.
But considering all the potential options the NBA had when it came to doling out punishment to Marcus Smart for his altercation with the Atlanta Hawks' DeAndre Bembry on Saturday, taking a hit to wallet was the least painful for Smart and the Celtics.
“It’s a fine. Take it, can’t get it back; gotta go with it,” Smart told NBC Sports Boston. “No games missed, no suspension, so that’s always a good thing.”
In the third quarter Saturday, prior to a jump ball, Smart and Bembry had what appeared to be a fairly intense verbal exchange.
At one point, Smart appeared ready to move on from the play.
However, an official behind Smart hit both players with a technical foul.
For Smart, it was his second technical foul of the game and thus he was automatically ejected.
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While players and security for both teams entered the court, Smart seemed to have cooled off only to make an unexpected rush towards Bembry before being held back.
In its statement announcing the $35,000 fine, the league said the fine for Smart was based on him, “aggressively pursuing an opponent with the intent to escalate a physical altercation and failing to leave the court in a timely manner following his ejection.”
Smart said he wasn’t overly concerned about the league suspending him for tonight’s game against Miami.
“It was out of my hands, out of my control at that moment,” Smart said. “It’s done with, over with. We have Miami in here, and I got a good task ahead of me today; just move on.”
Without Smart, Boston (28-18) went on to win 113-105 over the Hawks for their third consecutive victory.
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