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Marcus Smart Avoids Suspension, But Hit With $35K Fine For Saturday's Altercation

BOSTON (CBS) -- Marcus Smart will be able to play against the Miami Heat on Monday night, but the Celtics guard will be a little lighter in the pocket following Saturday night's heated scene in Atlanta.

Smart has been hit with a $35,000 fine for "aggressively pursuing an opponent in an attempt to escalate a physical altercation and failing to leave the court in a timely manner following his ejection," the NBA announced on Monday.

The incident took place in the third quarter of Saturday's 113-105 win over the Hawks, after Smart was assessed his second technical foul of the game and ejected. It was a questionable tech, because the referee came running from the other end of the floor to slap Smart with the T. Smart didn't want to leave the floor, and after a few moments, he charged at Hawks guard Deandre Bembry and attempted to throw a punch.

That usually doesn't sit well with the league offices, so Smart is fairly lucky he doesn't have to sit out Monday night's game against the Heat. And he's also lucky that teammate Jayson Tatum was standing between him and Bembry, because is Smart had a clear path to him, chances are the situation would have been a lot more physical and not just your usual NBA tussle.

Smart is having one of the best seasons of his career, shooting 41 percent from the floor and 37 percent from three-point range. He's averaging 9.1 points per game as a starter, and his move to the starting five (along with Marcus Morris) has been credited with sparking Boston's turnaround following a lackluster start to the season.

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