Dallas Mavericks’ Luka Dončić is facing a one-game suspension after being called for his 16th technical foul of the season during Sunday’s loss to the Charlotte Hornets. Dončić was called 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.
Players automatically get a one-game suspension after 16 technical fouls each season, and for every two technicals thereafter. Dončić will serve the suspension Monday night when the Mavs face the Indiana Pacers on the road, unless the league office rescinds the technical. Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd said he didn’t think the technical was warranted and that it should be rescinded. Dončić narrowly avoided a suspension the prior two years, finishing each of those seasons with 15 technical fouls. He had a technical rescinded before last year’s regular-season finale.
After the game, crew chief Kevin Scott said that Dončić used “a profanity directed at the officials in protest to a no-call that was correctly judged in postgame video review.” Sunday’s technical foul comes two days after Dončić was fined by the league for rubbing his fingers together (in an apparent reference to money) while staring down a ref during last week’s loss to the Warriors.
Dallas fell to 36-39 after the loss Sunday – their second straight defeat against the Hornets. Kidd said: “It’s unfortunate that we let these two games go, and we have to figure out a way to stop the bleeding.”
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