Instead of being contrite, Rajon Rondo sounded dumbfounded when asked to explain his latest NBA suspension.

In the third quarter of the Celtics’ 89-81 win in Atlanta Saturday night, Rondo collided with former high school teammate Josh Smith, sending the Hawks power forward flying into the basket stanchion. Rondo thought Smith may have flopped, and he approached official Rodney Mott.

Rondo made contact with Mott, but the official didn’t see it as significant enough to call a technical foul or eject Rondo. After the game, however, Atlanta general manager Danny Ferry presented video of the incident to the game officials and the league office.

“The league thought it was a big deal,” Rondo said. “I don’t feel there was a need to have an investigation. I know Rodney, and that particular time with that play, I actually went up to him and I made a joke, he laughed, and in the midst, I did touch him, and the league, I guess, reviewed it. The media blew it up, on ‘SportsCenter’ or whatever, and I served a one-game suspension.

via Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe