Report: Celtics' Jayson Tatum Won't Be Punished After NBA Reviewed Contact with Ref

The Atlanta Hawks will be shorthanded for Tuesday's Game 5 against the Boston Celtics because one of their players made contact with an official, but their opponent reportedly won't face discipline for the same issue.

On Monday, the NBA announced it suspended guard Dejounte Murray for one game for "making inappropriate contact with and verbally abusing a game official."

According to NBA reporter Marc Stein, the league also investigated Celtics star Jayson Tatum for making contact with an official during Game 4 but did not rule it a violation. He will not be suspended or fined as a result.

Tatum appeared to bump into an official and then pushed himself away after he was fouled hard in the third quarter. He continued walking away from the situation and was engaged in a heated conversation elsewhere. The league seemingly determined there was no ill-intent.

Murray's situation was more blatant.

He bumped into referee Gediminas Petraitis as he was walking off the floor following his team's 129-121 loss in Game 4. He continued to yell at the official until teammates and coaches eventually intervened and pulled him away:

Murray finished the game with 23 points, nine rebounds and six assists while shooting 9-of-20 from the field and 4-of-8 from three-point range. He was clearly frustrated with his team's inability to defend its home court and build on the momentum it generated with its Game 3 win.

Boston now leads 3-1 and is one win away from setting up a highly anticipated second-round showdown with the Philadelphia 76ers, who already swept the Brooklyn Nets in their opening-round series. Getting that last win in Game 5 would have been much more difficult if Tatum was suspended.

He is Boston's go-to option and poured in 31 points in the latest victory. He has scored at least 25 points in all four games this series and makes up half of one of the best one-two punches in the league alongside Jaylen Brown, who also had 31 points in Game 4.

Trae Young won't his backcourt counterpart in Game 5, which makes it difficult to imagine the Hawks extending their season past Tuesday.