Rajon Rondo Ejected For Bumping Official As Celtics Fall To Hawks In Game 1 (VIDEO)

Rajon Rondo gets ejected for bumping an official during Game 1 against the Hawks.

The Celtics were outplayed by the Hawks en route to a 83-74 loss in Game 1 on Sunday and their chances of flipping the script in Game 2 took a major hit when All-Star star point guard Rajon Rondo was ejected for bumping an official late in the fourth quarter.

With Atlanta holding on to a four-point lead with less than a minute remaining in regulation, Hawks forward Josh Smith battled Celtics frontcourt players Brandon Bass and Kevin Garnett for a loose ball. As the shot clock wound down, the referee called a foul on Bass. That's when Rondo lost his cool, earning a technical foul for barking at the official.

Rondo responded to the technical by bumping the official in the back, earning himself an ejection.

The NBA Rulebook states that "any player or coach guilty of intentional physical contact with an official shall automatically be suspended without pay for one game."

Right after Rondo was tossed, several NBA analysts reacted on Twitter and brought up a possible (and seemingly probable) suspension.

@jadande
J.A. Adande

Rondo bumped the ref. That's gotta be a suspension. This thing just went deep south for the Celtics

April 30, 2012 1:27 am via TweetDeck Reply Retweet Favorite

@ESPNChrisPalmer
chris palmer

Rajon Rondo has been ejected. Bumped ref. Could be suspended.

April 30, 2012 1:27 am via web Reply Retweet Favorite

@GwashNBAGlobe
gary washburn

Remember folks, Rondo is not a first-time offender, he threw a ball at Sean Wright in Feb loss at Detroit, got a 2-game suspension #celtics

April 30, 2012 1:33 am via TweetDeck Reply Retweet Favorite

"Obviously, I was upset about the call," Rondo said after the game. "I said some words to Mark. I deserved the first tech. As I was walking I thought he stopped. My momentum carried me into him. I even think I tripped on his foot I didn't intentionally chest bump him."

He also said that whether he gets suspended or not is out of his control.

Head coach Doc Rivers said that he would be "surprised" if Rondo get suspended.

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Comments

[bagelmart]

09:35 PM on 04/30/2012

These refs act like they're cops. Soon they'll be using tasers and pepper spray.

[KOSSNC]

08:11 PM on 04/30/2012

Has a player ever gotten a call overturned by arguing with the ref. Rondo that is what the coach is for.

[I AM THAT]

06:54 PM on 04/30/2012

He arched his back into the ref. Game over liar! Get outa town, bum!

[I AM THAT]

06:50 PM on 04/30/2012

Just like our biggest politicians...he lies.

[blackjacki2]

05:19 PM on 04/30/2012

so gullible. Yeah, the guy that just assaulted a ref 2 months ago just coincidentally "slipped" into another ref. It's not that he has a poor temper, no class, and a history of bullying refs. It's just that he needs to keep his shoelaces tied! /sarcasm

[philincrockett]

02:41 PM on 04/30/2012

Ref set rondo up. he "stopped short", rondo stepped on ref's foot, and the momentum caused the bump. ref should be suspended.

[AzGalDreamin]

11:42 PM on 04/30/2012

LMAO .... ummm ok, whatever you say. Thanks for the giggle though.

[pleasantlyny]

02:18 PM on 04/30/2012

You can clearly see rondo trip... i understand the ref tossing him but making anything more than this is wrong.... he deserved the first tech and the second but not for bumping ... running his mouth.

[blackjacki2]

05:26 PM on 04/30/2012

No, you don't see him trip at all. You see him catch the ref's foot, barely. You can also see that it doesn't effect his balance and he clearly sticks out his chest just before contact.

[beverlyamy1]

02:13 PM on 04/30/2012

rose out,rondo out makes it much easier for the heat.

[NatTurner1]

01:44 PM on 04/30/2012

This is one of those days where you wish it was hockey and people could defend his actions by crying, "its part of the game" while the league would allow him to simply go to "timeout" for bad behavior.

[beasteben]

01:34 PM on 04/30/2012

Celtics look tired next to the Hawks anyway. Rondo or not, Celtics drop out from round one.

[theRealAmerica]

05:08 PM on 04/30/2012

Took the lead from 19 to 4....in the fourth...that's not tired...that's bad play...if it was the other way around...and they stayed at 4 and then the lead ballooned to 19...then...that's being tired.

[ruolivert]

01:33 PM on 04/30/2012

Also that was a foul: Josh Smith had the ball in his hands and the Celtic player had his arms around Smith's chest. Doesn't matter if your on the floor

[ruolivert]

01:29 PM on 04/30/2012

I don't understand how people can defend Rondo, oh yeah, that's right, he's walking triple double. Forget the fact that he's initiated contact with refs several times in his career and believes he's got the same kind of juice that Kevin Garnett does with being able to yell at anyone he wants to with impunity. He's got a terrible attittude and this just goes to show it.

[pleasantlyny]

02:19 PM on 04/30/2012

Noooo, he admits he dersered the first foul. You can clearly see rondo stumble right into the ref.

I do however think both techs were warranted... but nothing else.

signed Celtic hater

[JJ33]

12:07 PM on 04/30/2012

RONDO IS A HOT HEAD WITH A PUNK ATTITUDE,HE SHOULD BE TOSSED FOR MORE THAN 1 PLAYOFF GAME

[theRealAmerica]

05:09 PM on 04/30/2012

^^^^Atlanta fan....

[freefreememe]

11:53 AM on 04/30/2012

FREE Rondo!! I looked at the play over and over...he DID bump the ref...he will get a game and a fine...but I totally disagree...I do not think there was any real bad intent....

[SoutheastBeast]

11:22 AM on 04/30/2012

I love Rondo's game. But he bumped the ref. He's gonna get a one game suspension. That's how it goes. YOu can't touch the ref.