For the second time this season, Luka Dončić was assessed his 16th technical foul. The last time, the Los Angeles Lakers got the call rescinded, but it doesn’t look like he’ll have much of a case this time.
Arguably the best player in the NBA over the month of March, if not longer, he has helped the Los Angeles Lakers retake the No. 3 seed in a dangerous Western Conference. But now his status for their next game, against the Washington Wizards, is in serious jeopardy.
How Luka Dončić’s Potential Suspension Impacts the Lakers
On the season, Dončić is leading the league, averaging an absurd 33.6 points per game to go along with 7.8 rebounds and 8.3 assists while shooting 47.4% from the field. Over the last month, though, he’s taken it to another level.
With Dončić averaging nearly 40 points per game through a 12-game sample, Los Angeles has gone 11-1 in that stretch to take a lead over the Denver Nuggets in the race for the No. 3 seed in the West.
However, with eight games remaining on the schedule, the team will have to put its best foot forward to maintain its spot. Unfortunately, a huge caveat now hangs over its head in the form of the Slovenian superstar’s technical foul total.
A consistent trash talker who regularly complains about foul calls, or the lack thereof, with the referees, Dončić stays near the top of the league in total technical fouls for a season. This year, he was already up to 15 before a tech earlier in the week.
That call was rescinded, but he wasn’t as lucky against the Brooklyn Nets. An altercation with Ziaire Williams quickly escalated as both players pushed each other before Williams responded with a backhanded shot to the five-time All-NBA selection’s face.
Regularly cool-headed Luka Dončić picks up his 16th technical of the season… again. pic.twitter.com/Hrlpttj878
— MrBuckBuck (@MrBuckBuckNBA) March 28, 2026
After the exchange, Dončić walked away with his 16th technical of the season, automatically triggering a suspension for his next game. This time around, with both parties acting as aggressors, it seems unlikely that the foul gets rescinded.
That would make the league leader in scoring ineligible to play when the Lakers take on the Wizards on Monday. Thankfully, as a team that has fully embraced the tank and sits at 17-56 for the third-worst record in the Eastern Conference, Washington shouldn’t pose much of a threat.
However, in the season, L.A. has gone just 6-6 without its superstar in the lineup. As a result, it would be tough for the Lakers to chalk it up as an easy victory.
