Mavericks’ Luka Doncic called for 16th technical foul vs. Hornets, faces suspension

CHARLOTTE — Luka Doncic is facing the first suspension of his NBA career.

Officials called Doncic for a technical foul Sunday afternoon during the Mavericks’ game against the Charlotte Hornets after Doncic missed a close-range shot attempt and argued for a foul.

That marked Doncic’s 16th technical foul of the regular season, triggering an automatic, unpaid one-game suspension through the NBA’s rules for unsportsmanlike infractions. If the league does not rescind the tech — as it did for one of Doncic’s whistles in December — he will serve the suspension Monday against the Indiana Pacers.

After the game, crew chief Kevin Scott said officials made the right call in assessing a technical foul on Doncic.

“Doncic was assessed a technical foul for his use of profanity directed at the officials in protest to a no-call that was correctly judged in postgame video review.”

NBA rules dictate a player will also face a one-game suspension for every two technical fouls after 16 in the regular season.

Technical foul counts restart in the playoffs, when the league will levy a one-game suspension after seven.

Doncic reached 15 technical fouls in the 2020-21 and 2021-22 regular seasons. He drew his 16th last year in the second-to-last game before the playoffs, but the NBA rescinded it and he did not serve a suspension.

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