Mar 22, 2026
3 min read
The NBA overturned the technical fouls given to Luka Doncic and Gog Bitadze during the Lakers' win over the Orlando Magic.
Luka Doncic avoided a suspension after overturning his 16th technical foul
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- The NBA overturned Luka Doncic's 16th technical foul, allowing the Lakers guard to avoid a one-game suspension before Monday's game against Detroit.
- Doncic's spectacular scoring -- he averaged 40 points per game during a nine-game winning streak -- helped the Lakers go from sixth to third in the Western Conference.
DETROIT - He's the hottest player in the NBA. Not even technical NBA rules can slow Luka Doncic down.
The NBA overturned Doncic's 16th technical foul, the league announced Sunday, allowing Doncic to avoid a mandatory one-game suspension that would have kept him out of Monday's game against the Eastern Conference-leading Detroit Pistons.
Doncic and the Lakers appealed the call after receiving a technical for fouling Orlando Magic forward Goga Bitadze in Saturday's win over the Lakers.Bitadze was also suspended for a technical foul after European players argued as Doncic shot a free throw.Doncic said Bitadze made offensive comments about Dončić's Serbian family, while Bitadze said he first heard inappropriate comments from Doncic and was only repeating what he heard from Lakers guards.
Lakers star Luka Donic hopes he will be suspended by the NBA after he said a pointed comment by Orlando's Guga Bitados led to his 16th technical foul.
Often criticized for arguing with officials, Doncic went on to pick up 15 technical fouls this season, second in the NBA behind Phoenix's Dillon Brooks.Doncic also faces his 16th technical foul in 2023, avoiding a one-game suspension.
Doncic's historic scoring streak extended the Lakers' nine-game winning streak, their best since the 2019-20 NBA championship season.Doncic, the NBA's leading scorer, averaged 40 points per game and shot 40.3 percent from three-point range during the streak. It was his first 60-point game since his last game in 2016. He became the seventh Lakers player to score 60 points, joining the legendary Bryant, Elgin Baylor, Wilt Chamberlain, George Mikan, Jerry O'Neal and Shaquille.
The winning streak moved the Lakers from sixth to third in the West.They went through the toughest stretch of their schedule, with seven wins over contending playoff teams.
Lakers star LeBron James played in his 1,612th NBA regular-season game against the Magic on Saturday when Luke Kennard hit a last-second 3-pointer for the win.
The Pistons, who are seeking the top seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs for the first time since 2007, are without their own star player, with guard Cade Cunningham sidelined for at least two weeks with a collapsed lung.Without him, Detroit is 2-0 with wins over Washington and Golden State.
Note: Rui Hachimura (right calf strain), Maxi Kleber (lumbar strain) and Marcus Smart (right ankle strain) may be questionable for Monday's game.
