Los Angeles Lakers star guard Luka Doncic was whistled for his 15th technical foul of the season during Thursday night’s defeat to the Denver Nuggets at Ball Arena in Denver, leaving him one call away from an automatic one-game suspension under NBA rules.
The technical was assessed with 1:36 remaining in the first half after Doncic directed profanity toward official Tyler Ford. In a post-game pool report, the officiating crew confirmed the infraction was issued “for the use of inappropriate language.”
Speaking to reporters on Spectrum SportsNet, Doncic said he was surprised by the decision, noting that “three other players said the exact same sentence and they didn’t get a tech. That was the first thing I said—no warning or nothing.”
NBA regulations mandate a one-game suspension once a player reaches 16 technical fouls in the regular season, with additional suspensions coming after every two subsequent technicals. Doncic has finished three previous seasons stuck on 15 technicals but has never crossed the suspension threshold.
With 20 games remaining on the Lakers’ schedule, the 27-year-old acknowledged the challenge of staying below the limit. “Don’t get another tech,” he said. “We’ll see. Can’t predict the future.” The guard recently completed a stretch of 15 consecutive games without a technical before Thursday’s call.
The Lakers, locked in a crowded Western Conference playoff race, rely on Doncic’s league-leading playmaking and scoring. Analyst JJ Redick recently highlighted the “daring” creativity in Doncic’s game, crediting his willingness to attempt high-risk passes as a key to Los Angeles’ late-game surges.
Los Angeles resumes play Saturday at Crypto.com Arena against the Phoenix Suns, with Doncic needing to avoid any further technical fouls to remain eligible.
Source: Lakers Nation
