Lakers' Luka Doncic slapped with technical foul minutes into Mavericks game
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Emotions are high in Tuesday night’s matchup between the Los Angeles Lakers (34-21) and Dallas Mavericks (31-27), as Luka Doncic battles his former squad for the first time since one of the biggest and most controversial trades in modern sports history. Naturally, the superstar guard is playing with a noticeable fire inside him, going as far to stare down the Mavs bench after draining a 3-pointer. That fire was a bit too hot for an official, however.
Following a surprising no call on a play in which Doncic clealry got hit on the arm by P.J. Washington while driving to the basket, the 25-year-old voiced his displeasure. The referee responded by handing out a technical foul, eliciting a chorus of boos in Crypto.com Arena. Doncic had his own strong reaction, visibly cursing after incurring the penalty. “Yo, what the f***,” he said, per CJ Fogler.
Luka Doncic was hit with a technical foul 3 minutes into the game for complaining after this no-call.
Did the officials get this right? pic.twitter.com/J9nvnECwSr
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Luka Doncic looks to make a statement vs. Mavericks
Dallas is quite familiar with No. 77’s constant officiating gripes, but he was clearly justified in protesting this specific moment. Nevertheless, he needs to understand how important he is to the Lakers when feeling overcome with frustration. The ref should certainly be held accountable, but Doncic is not going to be able to change his mind.
The exchange likely only motivated the generational talent even further, not that he needed a reason to carry a chip on his shoulder in this game. Luka Doncic spent the first six and a half years of his NBA career with the Mavericks, leading the franchise to the Finals last season. He was one of the favorites to win MVP before the 2024-25 campaign started, but injuries prevented him from ascending into his top gear.
The five-time All-NBA First-Teamer missed a month than a half with a calf strain, so he has not officially shared the court with his former Mavs teammates since Christmas Day. Doncic is trying to show general manager Nico Harrison and the whole organization what they are missing now that he is on the Lakers. He has 12 points, 11 rebounds, seven assists, one steal and one block in the first half at time of print.
The post Lakers’ Luka Doncic slapped with technical foul minutes into Mavericks game appeared first on ClutchPoints.
