Doncic Escapes Suspension as NBA Rescinds 16th Technical Foul Ahead of Pistons Clash

Posted : 23 March 2026

The NBA rescinded Luka Doncic's 16th technical foul of the season on Sunday, sparing the Los Angeles Lakers star an automatic one-game suspension. The decision came after the Lakers filed an appeal following their dramatic 105-104 win over the Orlando Magic on Saturday night.

The incident occurred with 1:19 remaining in the third quarter, when referee Marat Kogut whistled Doncic and Magic center Goga Bitadze for a double technical after the two exchanged words while Doncic was at the free-throw line. The argument appeared to carry on as both players moved up the court. Doncic claimed his emotions boiled over after Bitadze allegedly insulted his family in Serbian. Bitadze denied the accusation, insisting he was only responding to Doncic, who he said had initiated the exchange in Serbian; a language the Georgian big man understands from his time playing in Serbia.

Lakers coach J.J. Redick noted the difficulty officials faced in assessing the exchange. "I'm not sure what happened," Redick said. "I do know that certain things were said in a language the referees couldn't understand in reference to Luka's mom." Crew chief Marc Davis, however, maintained that both players had been warned before the technicals were issued.

The NBA's official announcement confirmed: "The technical fouls on Luka Doncic (LAL) and Goga Bitadze (ORL) issued with 1:19 remaining in the 3rd quarter on March 21 have been rescinded upon league office review." Both players' totals were wiped clean. This marks the third time Doncic has successfully had a 16th technical overturned in his career, having done so twice during his time with the Dallas Mavericks in 2022 and 2023.

Despite the controversy on Saturday, Doncic still delivered on the court. He finished with 33 points and eight assists, though he shot just 2-for-13 in the second half. Across the Lakers' nine-game winning streak, Doncic has averaged 40 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 7.4 assists; a run that included a 60-point explosion against the Miami Heat last week. Los Angeles have won nine straight and 12 of their last 13, their best run of the entire season.

Doncic is now free to face the Eastern Conference-leading Detroit Pistons, who stand at 51-19, on Monday night. One more technical foul, however, will trigger an automatic suspension with no room for appeal.

Doncic Escapes Suspension as NBA Rescinds 16th Technical Foul Ahead of Pistons Clash

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