LOS ANGELES — Luka Doncic is facing a one-game suspension after receiving his 16th technical foul of the season during the Los Angeles Lakers’ 116-99 win over the Brooklyn Nets on Friday night.
Doncic was issued a double technical foul alongside Ziaire Williams in the third quarter after an on-court altercation. Williams had been celebrating an offensive foul called against Doncic and encroached on his personal space. When Doncic pushed Williams’ arm, Williams retaliated with a backhand swipe to Doncic’s face.
“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. (The referee) said my push was exaggerated, which (it) was obviously not. I don’t know what else to say.”
Officials reviewed the incident before assigning technical fouls to both players.
Doncic, who has been a leading MVP candidate, scored 41 points in the victory. He currently averages 33.7 points per game, tops the NBA, and is also third in assists at 8.2 per game. He ranks second in 3-pointers made and has recorded 15 40-point games this season.
He has been named Western Conference Player of the Week for the past two weeks and has scored at least 30 points in 12 straight games, including a 60-point performance in Miami and a 51-point effort against Chicago.
NBA rules mandate a one-game suspension after a 16th technical foul, meaning Doncic could miss Monday’s game against the Washington Wizards unless the technical foul is successfully appealed — a prospect Lakers coach JJ Redick said they will pursue.
Doncic previously had a technical rescinded last week following a verbal altercation with Goga Bitadze, though the league did not publicly explain the reversal.
