Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Dončić will be back in action Monday night after the NBA rescinded his 16th technical foul of the season, initially handed down during Saturday night’s 105-104 win over the Orlando Magic. The Lakers, who have won nine straight entering Monday’s game against the Detroit Pistons, appealed the technical, which occurred during the third quarter after Dončić and Orlando’s Goga Bitadze got into a verbal altercation following a free-throw attempt.
The argument began at the charity stripe and continued as Dončić and Bitadze trotted toward the other end of the floor, resulting in a play stoppage and whistle. Both players were flagged for a double technical and Dončić stated his emotions boiled over after Bitadze allegedly insulted his family in Serbian.
“I let my team down, but honestly I wasn’t trying to,” Dončić stated after the game. “He stated at the free-throw (line) he would f— my whole family and at some point, I just can’t stand it and I’ve got to stand up for myself. I know my teammates have my back. I let them down today, but hopefully it’ll get rescinded.”
Bitadze had a different account of the interaction, claiming Dončić was first to bring personal cuts into the argument.
“I have all the respect for Luka and what he has done. And I really respect everybody’s family,” Bitadze told the Orlando Sentinel. “Where I come from, it’s really sacred and we really respect each other’s families and I would never directly say that. He just stated some inappropriate things in the Serbian language, which, I played in Serbia. I understand, I don’t know if he knew | understood what he stated. So I just stated it back. And it was nothing towards his family or anybody. His family, I really, truly respect them and that’s pretty much it.
“I’m a fan of his game and don’t want to look like it was directed to his family, or anything. It was just in the heat of the moment. I heard what he stated and I felt like I had to respond the same way. So, from my side, if he feels like I stated something too much or crossed the line, I apologize as a man. I can take [accountability], but I didn’t say anything but what he stated. What he came out and stated, I don’t think that’s the truth. I know that’s not the truth. So, I know what I stated and that was pretty much it in the heat of the moment. So like I stated, some things were stated and I apologize if it crossed the line.”
Lakers coach J.J. Redick stated the taunting between players was indiscernible to officials.
“I’m not sure what happened,” Redick stated. “I do know that there were certain things stated in a language that the referees couldn’t understand in reference to Luka’s mom.”
Crew chief Marc Davis stated both players were punished for “their continual taunting of one another” even after being warned to cut it out, according to the pool report.
The technical fouls against both Dončić and Bitadze were rescinded “upon league office review,” the NBA unveiled Sunday afternoon.
Dončić is playing at an MVP level for the Lakers this season (+1000 to win, per DraftKings) and is averaging more than 40 points per game during his team’s current winning streak, which includes a 60-point explosion against the Miami Heat last week.
