Luka Doncic Hits 16-Technical Threshold, Faces Mandatory One-Game Ban
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Lakers star Luka Doncic picked up his 16th technical foul of the season late in the third quarter of Saturday’s road game in Orlando, triggering an automatic one-game suspension under NBA rules.
The technical was assessed after an on-court exchange with Magic center Goga Bitadze. Head coach JJ Redick told reporters afterward that Los Angeles will ask the league to rescind the call, claiming Bitadze directed a remark about Doncic’s mother in a language the officials did not understand.
If the league upholds the ruling, Doncic will have to sit out Monday when the Lakers visit Detroit. Any further discipline is also looming; every two additional technicals would cost him another game for the remainder of the regular season.
This is the second time this year a player has reached the 16-technical benchmark. Phoenix forward Dillon Brooks hit the limit in mid-February.
Doncic’s on-court demeanor has drawn league attention before. Earlier this month he was fined $50,000 for flashing a “money” gesture at an official during a matchup with New York.
On the floor, the 27-year-old continues to post MVP-level numbers. He followed a 40-point outing Wednesday in Houston with a 60-point explosion Thursday in Miami, helping Los Angeles climb to third in the Western Conference behind an eight-game winning streak.
Source: Hoops Rumors
