DALLAS — Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic will be suspended for Sunday’s regular-season finale unless the NBA office rescinds the technical foul called against him after the first quarter of Friday night’s 128-78 win over the Portland Trail Blazers.
It was officially Doncic’s 16th technical foul of the season, triggering an automatic one-game suspension. Doncic had one other technical this season that was rescinded after a routine review by the league office. Sunday’s game against the San Antonio Spurs could determine whether the Mavs get the third or fourth seed in the Western Conference. Dallas (51-30) is a half-game behind the third-place Golden State Warriors (51-29) and own the tiebreaker. The Warriors have games remaining at San Antonio and New Orleans.
“If you ask me, I think 100% it should be rescinded, because it wasn’t a tech at all,” said Doncic, who was called for 17 technical fouls last season but avoided a suspension because two were rescinded. “No warning, no nothing. I just asked him, ‘How is that not a call?’ Hopefully, it will be [rescinded], so I can play Sunday.”
Doncic was upset that a foul wasn’t called on his half-court heave at the end of the first quarter, when the Mavs had a 36-13 lead over the Blazers. Doncic was undercut from behind by Portland’s Elijah Hughes on the play and pleaded his case to referee Tom Washington while on his back.
After getting up, Doncic walked across the court to talk to crew chief Tony Brothers, although Dallas forward Dorian Finney-Smith attempted to hold him back. Brothers called Doncic for a technical seconds later.
“At the end of the quarter he took a shot and he felt he got fouled,” Brothers said in a postgame pool report. “He started to complain to each of the officials. When I was walking toward the table, he was 15 feet in the backcourt still complaining so he got a technical for continuously complaining.”
Asked if profanity was used, Brothers said, “There was not.”
“I don’t know why I got a tech honestly,” said Doncic, who had 39 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists before sitting out the fourth quarter of the blowout win. “I asked him, ‘How is that not a foul?’ and he just got me a tech. So I don’t really know how I got a tech there.”
The Mavs clinched home-court advantage in the first round with the win. Dallas coach Jason Kidd said he doubts that the league will rescind the technical but downplayed concern about Doncic missing Sunday’s game with the third seed potentially at stake.
“It is what it is. It’s over with,” Kidd said. “We’ll get ready for San Antonio. If he can play, he plays. If he can’t, he moves on to the playoffs. It’s not a big deal.”
Brothers ejected Kidd in Dallas’ road loss to the Washington Wizards on April 1, calling Kidd for two quick technicals.
“Tony, he’s thrown me out as a player and now he’s thrown me out as a coach,” said Kidd, who had not been ejected this season. “What I said to him was, ‘Whose ball is it?’ And he took that personal, unfortunately, and threw me out. It happens.”