Lakers seek to overturn Luka Doncic’s 16th technical foul.
ORLANDO — The Los Angeles Lakers have formally requested the NBA to overturn Luka Doncic’s technical foul from L.A.’s 105-104 victory on Saturday, according to a team source who spoke to ESPN. Doncic and Orlando Magic center Goga Bitadze provided contrasting narratives regarding the circumstances that led to the technical being issued.
This marked Doncic’s 16th technical foul of the season. If the appeal is unsuccessful, he will face a one-game suspension during the Lakers’ matchup against the Detroit Pistons on Monday due to reaching the 16-tech threshold.
Referee Marat Kogut issued a double technical to Doncic and Bitadze with 1:19 left in the third quarter after the two exchanged remarks while Doncic was at the free throw line.
“I’m definitely hoping [it is rescinded],” Doncic stated following the game. “Clearly, I let my team down by receiving that last tech. But honestly, I wasn’t trying to. [Bitadze] said at the free throw line that he would f— my whole family. At some point, this is a basketball court. I just can’t tolerate it. I need to stand up for myself. But I understand I need to improve.”
“My teammates, I know they support me, so I let them down today. But hopefully, it gets rescinded.”
In a phone interview with ESPN and the Orlando Sentinel, Bitadze claimed that Doncic initially cursed at him in Serbian, and Bitadze merely echoed the same curse back.
“I have immense respect for Luka and his achievements,” Bitadze remarked. “I truly respect everyone’s family. In my culture, family is sacred, and we honor each other’s families; I would never directly say that. He just said some inappropriate things in Serbian, which I understand from my time playing in Serbia.”
“I don’t know if he realized I understood what he was saying. So, I just responded in kind. It was not directed at his family or anyone else. I genuinely respect his family.”
When asked to elaborate on the exchanges between them, Bitadze noted: “He mentioned something about my mother, which is really inappropriate. We don’t discuss such matters during the game. … So I just repeated whatever he said regarding my mother.”
Bitadze added: “It was simply in the heat of the moment. I heard what he said, and I felt compelled to respond similarly. So, from my perspective, if he believes I overstepped or crossed a line, I apologize as a man. I can accept responsibility, but I only echoed what he said.”
In the Lakers’ appeal, a team source informed ESPN that L.A. requested the league to review the incident that occurred late in the third quarter and indicated that the officials should have issued a warning prior to the technical fouls.
Crew chief Marc Davis, in a pool report conducted after the game, clarified the reasoning behind the technical fouls and stated that a warning had been issued.
“Doncic and Bitadze were both given technical fouls for their ongoing taunting of each other,” Davis explained. “They were both cautioned to stop their remarks directed at one another between the two free throws. After the free throw and as the ball moved into the frontcourt, they were both correctly assessed technical fouls for their unsportsmanlike comments directed towards one another.”
Doncic has reached 16 technical fouls in two separate seasons during his tenure with the Dallas Mavericks earlier in his career, only to have the 16th technical rescinded on both occasions.
Despite receiving the technical and shooting 2-for-13 in the second half (0-for-7 from three-point range), Doncic concluded the game with 33 points and eight assists, while the Lakers extended their winning streak to nine consecutive games.
