Luka Doncic is officially in the clear. The NBA has rescinded what would’ve been his 16th technical foul, meaning no suspension, keeping him available for the Los Angeles Lakers’ next game.
This came after a heated third-quarter exchange with Goga Bitadze in LA’s win over the Orlando Magic, where both players were handed double technicals.
Luka claims that the Magic big man said some pretty damning stuff about his family, however Bitadze claims that Doncic started it, with insults about his mother.
Doncic said after the game that he hoped the foul would be rescinded.
The Lakers immediately appealed, and after review, the league overturned Doncic’s tech, erasing it from his record and leaving him at 15 for the season. That’s huge.
A 16th technical triggers an automatic one-game suspension, which would have sidelined him against the Detroit Pistons right in the middle of a playoff push.
Instead, the Lakers get to keep their superstar on the floor while maintaining the momentum of a team that is riding a strong win streak and climbing the Western Conference standings.
This isn’t unfamiliar ground for Luka. He’s had multiple technicals rescinded in the past and has developed a reputation for skating the edge of suspension without actually crossing it.
But the margin is thin. One more technical, and the league’s patience runs out.
For the Lakers, the timing couldn’t be better. With playoff positioning on the line, keeping Doncic in the lineup preserves their championship hopes and allows them to continue building chemistry. From a team perspective, it’s a massive win off the court, giving LA a chance to focus on basketball rather than administrative distractions.
The Lakers have won nine straight games and 12 in their last 13 – by far their best streak all season.
This comes off the back of Doncic averaging 40 PPG, 8.4 RPG, 7.4 APG over those last nine games.