The NBA has nullified Luka Doncic’s 16th technical foul, thereby clearing him to participate in the Los Angeles Lakers’ upcoming road matchup against the Detroit Pistons on Monday night.
This technical foul was assessed during Saturday night’s triumph over the Orlando Magic, pushing him past the season’s threshold that typically triggers an automatic one-game suspension. He and Magic center Goga Bitadze were each hit with a double technical late in the third quarter following a verbal exchange while Doncic was at the free throw line, although both players offered contrasting explanations regarding the incident.
Following the game, Doncic expressed his desire for the foul to be overturned, and the Lakers promptly filed an appeal with the league office shortly after the final whistle.
This isn’t the first instance for Doncic; he accumulated 16 technical fouls in two separate seasons earlier in his career with the Dallas Mavericks, only to have the 16th call overturned on both occasions.
Despite incurring the technical foul and struggling with his shot in the second half (2-for-13 overall, 0-for-7 from beyond the arc), Doncic still amassed 33 points and eight assists, helping the Lakers extend their impressive winning streak to nine games.
ESPN’s Dave McMenamin also contributed to this report.