BOSTON - Death, taxes, and Marcus Smart getting fined for an on-court outburst during an NBA game. These are the three things that any person who lives in Boston can count on happening on a consistent cycle of repetition.

Yes, Smart is the emotional energy of the Boston Celtics and many consider him to be the most crucial guy in the locker room. But the team leader also has a bit of a hot streak and it has gotten him into some trouble in the past.

The latest blemish on Marcus Smart's basketball record comes in the form of a $35,000 fine that the league slapped him with yesterday after deciding how best to respond to the outburst he levied during the Tuesday night overtime loss the Celtics suffered to the Brooklyn Nets, per ESPN.

After a controversial jump ball call from the refs led to the Nets defeating the Celtics in overtime, Marcus Smart had to be held back by members of his team and the team's security director after he was locked in a screaming match with the officials in the game. As a result, the league fined Smart $35,000, citing his actions of "confronting and verbally abusing" the referees as the impetus for the penalty.

This is not the first time that the Celtics have felt cheated by the officiating teams in the NBA. One only needs to look to last month's game against the Los Angeles Lakers when a deciding offensive possession for Boston was ruled out of bounds on Jaylen Brown, even though replay footage showed that he never even came close to stepping out. When it seems like every call goes against you, it is natural to feel frustration.

After all, this is not the first time that Smart has been fined as a result of his reaction to this Celtics' frustration with the refs. Criticism of the refs back in 2018 netted Smart a $15,000 fine, which he also incurred back in November. The $35,000 fine was said to be in keeping with Smart's track record and, if he has another instance of this behavior, he could receive a suspension.

But isn't that just Smart being Smart? Sometimes his fiery spirit gets the best of him.

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