The Los Angeles Lakers will be without Luka Dončić for their next game barring a reversal from the NBA.
The Lakers star received his 16th technical foul of the season Saturday against the Orlando Magic, triggering an automatic one-game suspension. Unless the league rescinds the foul, Dončić will be out for the Lakers’ clash with the East-leading Detroit Pistons on Monday.
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The Lakers have already appealed the tech, per Dan Woike of the Los Angeles Times.
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The foul occurred late in the third quarter, after an exchange of words between Dončić and Magic big man Goga Bitadze. The two had been jawing during a free throw, and Dončić continued talking to him as they ran down the floor.
The officials hit the players with a double tech. That will be more costly for Dončić, who is also facing a $5,000 fine.
The Lakers went on to win 105-104, via a game-winning 3-pointer from Luke Kennard. Dončić posted 33 points, 8 assists, 5 rebounds and 4 steals. It is the Lakers’ ninth consecutive win.
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Goga Bitadze disputes JJ Redick, Luka Dončić’s claims about trash talk
Lakers head coach JJ Redick told reporters after the game that Bitadze saying something about Dončić’s mother triggered the conflict:
“We’ll obviously try to get that rescinded. I’m not sure what happened. I do know that there were certain things said in a language that the referees couldn’t understand in reference to Luka’s mom.
Dončić claimed the offending statement was Bitadze, who is Georgian, saying he would “f*** [Dončić’s] whole family.”
Bitadze, however, denied that was the case and claimed Dončić was the actually first to bring the families into it via Jason Beede of the Orlando Sentinel:
“I have all the respect for Luka and what he has done. And I really respect everybody’s family. Where I come from, it’s really sacred and we really respect each other’s families and I would never directly say that. He just said some inappropriate things in the Serbian language, which, I played in Serbia. I understand, I don’t know if he knew | understood what he said. So I just said it back. And it was nothing towards his family or anybody. His family, I really, truly respect them and that’s pretty much it.
“I’m a fan of his game and don’t want to look like it was directed to his family, or anything. It was just in the heat of the moment. I heard what he said and I felt like I had to respond the same way. So, from my side, if he feels like I said something too much or crossed the line, I apologize as a man. I can take [accountability], but I didn’t say anything but what he said. What he came out and said, I don’t think that’s the truth. I know that’s not the truth. So, I know what I said and that was pretty much it in the heat of the moment. So like I said, some things were said and I apologize if it crossed the line.”
This is the second time this month Dončić has told reporters an opponent said something offensive to him, only for that same opponent to immediately say Dončić was the one who initiated the trash talk. The same thing happened with Matas Buzelis of the Chicago Bulls.
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In a conversation with a pool reporter, crew chief Marc Davis said the two players were T’d up for “continual taunting of one another” and “were both warned to cease their comments” while lined up for free throws.
Dončić’s impending suspension isn’t unique
If it goes through, it will be the first time Dončić has received the technical foul suspension, though he’s come close in the past. He finished three straight seasons from 2020 to 2023 with 15 techs and had 13 last season. He was actually in the same position in 2023, but the NBA decided to rescind the 16th tech in that case.
The league has already rescinded one tech from Dončić this season, but that was a clear case of a mistaken official.
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Dončić would be the second player in the NBA to receive such a suspension, joining Phoenix Suns star and past Lakers villain Dillon Brooks. Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert has also been suspended multiple times due to his six flagrant fouls.
If Dončić’s foul isn’t rescinded, he will face a $5,000 fine for every subsequent technical foul and another one-game suspension for every two techs for the remainder of the regular season.
All of this arrives amid one of the best stretches of Dončić’s career. He entered Saturday coming off the Lakers’ first 60-point game since Kobe Bryant’s farewell performance in 2016 and is now averaging 40 points over his past nine games.