Last Saturday, Los Angeles Lakers All-NBA and All-Star guard Luka Doncic faced a possible suspension after receiving a technical foul in the Lakers’ win at the Orlando Magic. By Sunday, the NBA announced that Doncic’s technical, his 16th such foul of the season, had been rescinded. Doncic, 27, avoided suspension.
Doncic and the Lakers weren’t so lucky the second time around.
On Friday night, the Lakers beat the visiting Brooklyn Nets 116-99, but Doncic lost his composure in the third quarter.
Doncic got into it with Nets forward Ziaire Williams. After exchanging some words, Williams was walking away when Doncic lightly pushed him in the back. Williams reflexively hit Doncic in the chest and neck area. The refs called a double technical on Doncic and Williams.
On Saturday, NBA Communications announced that Doncic’s 16th technical foul stands, and he will be suspended.
The official release reads as follows:
“Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic has been suspeneded one game without pay for receiving his 16th technical foul of the 2025-26 season, it was announced today by James Jones, Executive Vice Presidentm Head of Basketball Operations.
Under NBA rules, a player or coach is automatically suspended without pay for one game once he receives his 16th technical foul during a regular season game. For every two additional technical fouls received during that regular season, the player or coach will be automatically suspended without pay for an additional game.
Doncic received his most recent technical foul with 5:12 remaining in the third quarter of the Lakers’ 116-99 win over the Brooklyn Nets on March 27 at Crypto.com Arena. Doncic will serve his suspension March 30 when the Lakers host the Washington Wizards.”
According to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin, Doncic will forfeit approximately $264,000.
Doncic was asked about his 16th technical foul in his postgame presser on Friday night.
“He was yelling in my face three times,” Doncic said. “I just wanted to get out of there. It’s a double tech, of course. What can I say? I didn’t even talk. I just wanted to get out of there. They said I push — my push was exaggerated, which [it] was obviously not. I don’t know what else to tell you, man.”
The Lakers (48-26) should fare well against the Washington Wizards (17-56) without Doncic, but even if the Lakers drop the game, it likely won’t affect their playoff positioning. It would take unforeseen chaos to push the Lakers out of the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference before the playoffs begin on April 18.
It’s an unfortunate end to a historic March for Doncic. The 2018 No. 3 overall pick averaged 40 points during the Lakers’ recent six-game road trip, which had only been done before by Michael Jordan in 1986.
Overall, this season, Doncic is averaging 33.7 points — well on his way to winning the NBA scoring title — 8.2 assists, 7.8 rebounds, and 1.6 steals across 62 games.