Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Dončić triggered an automatic one-game suspension after received his 16th technical foul of the season during Saturday night’s 105-104 win over the Orlando Magic. The Lakers, who have won nine straight entering Monday’s game against the Detroit Pistons, have appealed the technical, which occurred during the third quarter after Dončić and Orlando’s Goga Bitadze got into a verbal altercation following a free-throw attempt.
The argument began at the charity stripe and continued as Dončić and Bitadze trotted toward the other end of the floor, resulting in a play stoppage and whistle. Both players were flagged for a double technical and Dončić said his emotions boiled over after Bitadze allegedly insulted his family in Serbian.
“I let my team down, but honestly I wasn’t trying to,” Dončić said after the game. “He said at the free-throw (line) he would f— my whole family and at some point, I just can’t stand it and I’ve got to stand up for myself. I know my teammates have my back. I let them down today, but hopefully it’ll get rescinded.”
Bitadze had a different account of the interaction, claiming Dončić was first to bring personal cuts into the argument.
“I have all the respect for Luka and what he has done. And I really respect everybody’s family,” Bitadze told the Orlando Sentinel. “Where I come from, it’s really sacred and we really respect each other’s families and I would never directly say that. He just said some inappropriate things in the Serbian language, which, I played in Serbia. I understand, I don’t know if he knew | 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. So, I know what I said and that was pretty much it in the heat of the moment. So like I said, some things were said and I apologize if it crossed the line.”
Lakers coach J.J. Redick said the taunting between players was indiscernible to officials.
“I’m not sure what happened,” Redick said. “I do know that there were certain things said in a language that the referees couldn’t understand in reference to Luka’s mom.”
Crew chief Marc Davis said both players were punished for “their continual taunting of one another” even after being warned to cut it out, according to the pool report.
If the NBA does not rescind Dončić’s technical on appeal, he’ll have to pay a $5,000 fine and faces additional one-game suspensions for every two technical fouls assessed the rest of the regular season.
Dončić is playing at an MVP level for the Lakers this season (+1000 to win, per DraftKings) and is averaging more than 40 points per game during his team’s current winning streak, which includes a 60-point explosion against the Miami Heat last week.
