Boston Celtics guard Marcus Smart was handed a one-game suspension by the NBA on Saturday for hitting San Antonio's Matt Bonner in the groin with an uppercut, the league announced.
The ban without pay came for what was whistled as a flagrant foul, one that resulted in rookie Smart's ejection with 8:56 remaining in the fourth quarter of San Antonio's 101-89 triumph Friday over the visiting Celtics.
Smart, who was coming off a season-high 25 points in a loss to Oklahoma City, will serve his suspension on Sunday when the Celtics play host to the Detroit Pistons in a match-up of clubs fighting for playoff spots.
The Celtics are 30-38 and level with the Indiana Pacers for the eighth and final Eastern Conference playoff berth, one win ahead of Charlotte and two wins and a loss ahead of Brooklyn. The Pistons, 24-44, are six games back with only 14 games remaining in the regular season.
