Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Doncic has been on his best behavior in recent weeks, trying to avoid picking up his 16th technical foul, which would result in an automatic one-game suspension.
Doncic had gone eight straight games without a technical with the Lakers winning all of them, although he finally got one in Saturday night’s win over the Orlando Magic. Doncic and Magic big man Goga Bitadze were given double technicals after some back-and-forth talking, although the Lakers star explained after the game that he felt Bitadze crossed the line.
“I’m definitely hoping [it will get rescinded],” Doncic said on Spectrum SportsNet. “Obviously I let my team down getting that last tech. But honestly, I wasn’t trying to. He said he would f— my whole family and at some point, this is a basketball court, and some point I can’t stand it. I gotta stand up for myself. But I know I gotta do better. My teammates, I know they have my back, so I let them down today, but hopefully it will get rescinded.”
Doncic is known to talk trash with fans and opponents during games, but he doesn’t ever cross the line by talking about families the way he claims Bitadze did. The two were talking back and forth in Serbian while the Lakers star was at the free throw line, and it continued running back down to the other end of the floor, which led to the double technicals.
In an interview with Dave McMenamin of ESPN, Bitadze refuted Doncic’s claims regarding comments about his family:
“I have all the respect for Luka and what he has done,” Bitadze said. “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 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.”
When asked to clarify what barbs were volleyed between the two, Bitadze said: “He said something about my mother, which, it’s really inappropriate. We don’t say that stuff during the game. … So I just said whatever he told me or [about] my mother [and] said it back.”
Bitadze added: “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.”
As always, there are two sides to every story. Doncic is not easily set off and he was during this exchange, which definitely gives some merit to what he is claiming. Regardless, the Lakers and Magic have already played both of their matchups so won’t see each other again until next season unless they meet in the NBA Finals.
Lakers will appeal Luka Doncic’s 16th technical
If Doncic’s technical foul does not get rescinded then he will be suspended for Monday’s game against the Detroit Pistons, although the Lakers are trying to ensure that doesn’t happen.
“We’ll obviously try to get that rescinded. I’m not sure what happened,” head coach JJRedick said on Spectrum SportsNet. “I do know that there were certain things said in a language the referees couldn’t understand that referenced Luka’s mom… [The refs] didn’t have really good control of that basketball game.”
Doncic has been doing a good job of keeping quiet about the officials and is playing his best basketball as a result, although he now may be forced to miss a game due to suspension.
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