Boston Celtics rookie Marcus Smart received a one-game suspension on Saturday after he was caught hitting San Antonio Spurs star Matt Bonner in the groin.
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The league made their announcement in an official press release with Smart being issued with a flagrant two foul and was ejected when the incident occurred in the game.
Smart attempted to defend himself by suggesting that it was an accidental collision, but judging from the replay below, it is pretty clear that he aims a cheap shot at the Spurs veteran.
“The way he hit me, it threw my body back so it forced my momentum to come forward,” Smart told reporters, according to CSNNE.
“He just happened to jump in the way as I was trying to rip up [through a screen] and he got caught.”
Fortunately, Bonner was able to keep his cool to an extent with the teams avoiding getting into anything serious, but Smart has been disciplined for it and it will hurt his team as the Celtics continue to chase a playoff spot this year.
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