Dallas Mavericks allstar guard Luka Doncic is set to face a one-game suspension after his 16th technical foul of the season during the Mavericks loss to the Charlotte Hornets on Sunday.
Doncic was whistled for a technical with 7:51 remaining in the third quarter for arguing a no-call after missing a shot on a drive to the basket.
He is expected to serve the suspension on Monday night when the Mavericks play the Indiana Pacers in Indianapolis unless the league office rescinds the technical foul.
According to the Crew chief, Kevin Scott, when he described the incident in a pool report, he claimed Doncic used “a profanity directed at the officials in protest to a no-call that was correctly judged in postgame video review.”
However, Dallas Mavericks head coach, Jason Kidd after the game said the foul should be rescinded because he doesn’t think the technical was warranted.
It is expected for players to automatically get a one-game suspension after their 16th technical foul in a season, and for every two subsequent technical fouls.
This season, Memphis Grizzlies forward Dillon Brooks (twice) and Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green have served suspensions because of their commutated technicals fouls.
Luka’s disciplinary profile comes to scrutiny again after he was fined by the league for rubbing his fingers together, in an apparent reference to money, while staring down a ref during their loss to the Warriors two days ago.
It should also be recalled that the slovenian narrowly avoided suspensions in the last two years, as he ended each of those seasons with 15 technical fouls, a foul short of suspension. He also had a technical foul rescinded before last year’s regular-season finale.
The Mavericks (36-39) playoffs hopes is now in jeopardy with the loss on sunday – their second straight defeat at the hands of the Hornets dampening their qualification hopes.
They currently sit one loss back of the Oklahoma City Thunder for the final play-in spot in the Western Conference.
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