Luka Doncic at risk of suspension over technical fouls: “I’ll try to get the last one rescinded”
Just a few technicals away from suspension, Luka Doncic will attempt to have the one he received in the win against the Nuggets overturned
Luka Doncic is walking a fine line. The technical foul assessed in Denver – his 13th of the season – brings him dangerously close to the automatic suspension threshold of 16. It’s a real risk, but one that doesn’t seem to be weighing heavily on the Slovenian star, who appears far more focused on winning than on counting technicals.
I’ll try to get it rescinded, because the only thing I said was that I got hit twice on the arm.
Luka Doncic
And yet, the night in Denver told a very different story. Down by 16 points, the Lakers stormed back against the Nuggets with a fourth quarter defined by control and poise, closing out a 115-107 win thanks to their two guiding lights: Doncic and LeBron James. Luka, protests and technical aside, dominated the game on his own terms.
The triple-double of 38 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists – which allowed him to pass Nikola Jokic for most 30+ point triple-doubles – was the clearest possible response to the criticism that has followed him for weeks. Much of it has centered on his often confrontational attitude and at times inattentive defense. But when the offense looks like this, everything else fades into the background.
Doncic set the tone from the opening tip, scoring 16 points in the first quarter alone and dictating the pace against a defense that never truly found an answer. There were historic numbers as well: he is now the third Lakers player, after Magic Johnson and LeBron James, to record at least four 30-point triple-doubles.
Meanwhile, LeBron led in his own way – reading the game, managing the moments, and holding everything together. No theatrics, just the authority of someone who knows exactly when it’s time to push.
With the win, the Lakers improve to 26-16 and open a long road trip in the best possible way, one that will carry them all the way to the trade deadline. The suspension remains a shadow in the background, but as long as Doncic is playing like this, Los Angeles would do well to focus on just one thing: riding the momentum.