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Luka Dončić faces suspension for 16th technical in loss to Hornets as Mavericks' season hangs in balance

jason owens
Staff writer
·2 min read
55
Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic hands the basketball to an official during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Charlotte Hornets in Charlotte, N.C., Sunday, March 26, 2023. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)
Luka Dončić will be suspended for a game unless the NBA rescinds his technical foul from Sunday. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)

Update: The NBA rescinded Luka Dončić's 16th foul on Monday, making him eligible to play in Monday's game.

Luka Dončić picked up his 16th technical foul of the season during Sunday's game between the Dallas Mavericks and Charlotte Hornets.

Unless the technical is rescinded by the NBA, Dončić will face a one-game suspension with the Mavericks in the midst of a fight for a playoff berth. Charlotte won the game, 110-104.

The technical foul took place in the third quarter with the Hornets leading, 59-52. Dončić missed a fadeaway jumper from the baseline, then protested a non-call, drawing a technical foul call from the nearest official.

NBA players face an automatic one-game suspension after picking up 16 technical fouls during the regular season. The 16th technical also leaves Dončić at risk of future suspensions. Every two technical fouls after a 16th triggers another suspension without pay. Dallas' next game is on Monday against the Indiana Pacers.

Dončić's pending suspension arrives at a critical time for the Mavericks, who are fighting just to make the playoffs. The Mavericks fell to 36-39 with Sunday's loss to remain in 11th place in the West. That standing wouldn't qualify Dallas for the play-in, where teams seeded 7-10 play for the final two playoff berths in each conference.

The Mavericks are reeling since a Feb. 5 trade to acquire Kyrie Irving from the Brooklyn Nets. They've gone 8-13 since the deal and have now dropped four straight with Sunday's loss. Sunday's was the second loss to the Hornets in as many games. Charlotte's playing without its best player, LaMelo Ball, and is in 14th place out of 15 teams in the Eastern Conference.

Irving's played 14 of 19 games since being activated in Dallas, including Sunday's loss to Charlotte. He tallied 18 points, four rebounds and three assists in Sunday's game while Dončić posted 40 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists. Irving also asked security to have a fan ejected from Charlotte's Spectrum Center. It wasn't immediately clear what prompted Irving's request.

Dallas has seven games remaining in the regular season. Sunday's was the first of a five-game Eastern Conference road swing before the Mavericks return to Dallas to close the season at home against the Sacramento Kings, Chicago Bulls and San Antonio Spurs.