Luka Doncic of the Dallas Mavericks may face a one-game ban after being tagged for his 16th technical foul of the season during Sunday’s away defeat to the Charlotte Hornets. This scenario has caused alarm among Mavericks supporters and NBA observers, as Doncic’s presence on the floor is critical to the team’s success.
Doncic was called for a technical foul with 7:51 left in the third quarter after appealing a no-call on a drive to the hoop. Doncic uttered “an obscenity addressed at the referees in anger of a no-call that was appropriately evaluated in a postgame video review,” according to crew chief Kevin Scott. As a result, unless the league office reverses the technical, Doncic will serve the ban against the Indiana Pacers on Monday night.
But, Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd disagrees with the ruling and feels the technical charge should be reversed. During a postgame interview, Kidd voiced his dissatisfaction with technology and expressed optimism that it would be changed.
The Mavericks are concerned about Doncic’s ban since his contributions to the club are critical to their success. Doncic is one of the NBA’s brightest lights, having already established himself as one of the league’s top players, with scoring, passing, and rebounding abilities on a full show every game. If Doncic is punished, the Mavericks would undoubtedly miss his abilities, especially since the club is presently contending for a berth in the NBA playoffs.
Doncic has been a key player for the Mavericks over the last three seasons, and his potential has been clear throughout. He was chosen to the All-NBA First Team last year after being an All-Star in his first three NBA seasons. Doncic has also been instrumental in helping the Mavericks to the playoffs for the past two seasons.
Doncic narrowly missed a ban the previous two seasons, completing each with 15 technical fouls. He had a technical revoked before the regular-season finale last year. Yet, given the current circumstances, he will surely need to be more cautious in the future to prevent more bans.
After the defeat to the Hornets on Sunday, the Mavericks dropped to 36-39, one loss behind the Oklahoma City Thunder for the last Western Conference play-in place. The team’s defensive effort has been a concern for Coach Kidd, and he hopes that the team can figure out a way to stop the bleeding and put together a strong defensive effort.
Dallas fell to 7-13 since the point guard was acquired in a trade, thanks to Kyrie Irving’s 18 points. Irving expressed frustration with the team’s recent losses, stating that “losing in basketball is very frustrating, especially when we have as talented a group as we do.”
The Associated Press contributed to this item.