Boston Celtics guard Marcus Smart was fined $50,000 by the NBA on Thursday for shoving Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid on Wednesday night.
Kiki VanDeWeghe, the NBA's executive vice president of basketball operations, noted Smart's repeated acts of unsportsmanlike conduct during games this season in handing down the penalty Thursday. Smart has been fined for two prior incidents in 2018-19.
Smart was ejected less than a minute into the third quarter of the Sixers' 118-115 victory over Boston. He had taken objection to Embiid sticking his left elbow out as Smart ran past the Philadelphia center on defense.
With Embiid's back turned, Smart gave Embiid a two-handed shove that sent him sprawling toward the sideline. An enraged Embiid got up and went after Smart. Both players were restrained and no punches were thrown. After an officials' review, Smart was ejected for a flagrant foul 2.
"It's hard, because you send a message to a guy that you can't protect yourself," Smart said Friday in explaining his actions. "You're supposed to just take that. I'm sorry, I just wasn't raised that way. I protect myself at all times."
Embiid scored the next eight points to help Philadelphia trim a 69-58 halftime deficit.
"Stuff like that gets me going, gets the crowd going," Embiid said Wednesday. "Obviously, I was frustrated because it was a cheap shot. I didn't see it coming."
Smart's previous fines this season include a $35,000 penalty for going after the Hawks' DeAndre' Bembry on Jan. 19 and a $25,000 fine for shoving JR Smith during an Oct. 6 preseason game.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.