DETROIT — The Los Angeles Lakers will have star guard Luka Dončić available Monday against the first-place Detroit Pistons after NBA officials rescinded his technical foul from Saturday.
Dončić was called for his 16th technical foul this season in the third quarter of the Lakers’ eventual last-second win over Orlando after he and Magic reserve center Goga Bitadze had a verbal altercation while Dončić was at the free-throw line.
The two players were called for technical fouls, which the NBA rescinded Sunday.
“Both Dončić and Bitadze were both assessed technical fouls for their continual taunting of one another,” crew chief Marc Davis told a pool reporter after the game. “They were both warned to cease their comments directed towards one another between the two free throws. After the free throw and as the ball entered the frontcourt, they were both correctly assessed technical fouls for their unsportsmanlike comments directed towards one another.”
After the game, Dončić accused Bitadze of making disparaging comments about his family.
“Obviously, I let my team down getting that last tech. But honestly, I wasn’t trying to. He said at the free throw that he would f— my whole family,” Dončić said Saturday. “And at some point, this is a basketball court, and at some point, I can’t stand … I’ve got to stand up for myself. But I know I’ve got to do better. My teammates, I know they have my back. So, I let them down today. But hopefully, it’ll get rescinded.”
Bitadze said Dončić’s version of events was inaccurate.
“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 told reporters. “He just said some inappropriate things in the Serbian language, which, I played in Serbia. I understand. I don’t know if he knew I 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.”
The league’s last two minute report revealed the Lakers benefited from two defensive 5-second violations that went uncalled on Deandre Ayton. It also said Ayton, who split on a pair of free throws with the Lakers down 3 with 5.5 seconds left, wasn’t fouled on the play.
While the Lakers will have Dončić on Monday, the team listed starting guard Marcus Smart (right ankle soreness) and key reserve Rui Hachimura (right calf soreness) as questionable against the Pistons. Maxi Kleber, who has missed 10 of the Lakers’ last 11 games with a back injury, has been upgraded to questionable.
The Lakers have won nine straight games.
With the techs rescinded, Dončić will also have an opportunity to continue his recent hot stretch. On the season, he’s averaging a league-leading 33.4 points per game, putting him on pace to become the first Laker to notch a scoring title since Kobe Bryant led the league in scoring across the 2006-07 and 2005-06 seasons. During the Lakers’ nine-game win streak, Dončić is averaging 40.0 points while shooting 49.0 percent overall and 40.3 percent on 3s. Last Thursday against the Miami Heat, he became the first Laker with a 60-point game since Bryant did so in his final NBA game on April 13, 2016.