DALLAS — Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic is one technical foul shy this season of hitting the threshold for an automatic one-game suspension following his ejection from Dallas’ 111-99 loss to the Sacramento Kings on Sunday.
Doncic received his 14th technical foul of the season in the second quarter and his 15th with 31 seconds remaining.
“I won’t get another one,” Doncic said. “Don’t worry.”
Doncic, who had 30 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists and 6 turnovers in the loss, said he thought the NBA should rescind both of the technical fouls called against him Sunday. The league office rescinded a technical foul called against Doncic for yelling “and-1” at an official after he scored during an April 2 win over the New York Knicks.
“It’s something we’ve been making him aware of,” Dallas coach Rick Carlisle said regarding Doncic’s nearing an automatic suspension.
Carlisle was also ejected from the game. He received two technical fouls, which were called within moments of Doncic’s.
“Look, I set a poor example tonight by getting two myself,” Carlisle said. “That’s on me. I apologized to the team after the game for it, too. It’s not the right example.
“I’ve got four technicals this year; they’re all from the same guy [referee CJ Washington]. I’m not sure exactly what that says, but there’s a saying, ‘Reasonable men have the right to disagree.’ I’ll stick with that.”
Doncic’s first technical foul Sunday was called after he disagreed with an offensive foul call crew chief Rodney Mott made against him with 10:23 remaining in the second quarter.
“The first technical foul was called after a correct call offensive foul, and in transition, he runs past me and he screams, ‘Hell no!’ as he shakes his fists,” Mott told a pool reporter. “Which is a disrespectful response to a referee. That’s unsportsmanlike.”
Doncic acknowledged that’s what he said to Mott. “He told me I cannot tell him, ‘Hell no,'” Doncic said. “Maybe I can tell it to others, but to him, no. That’s why I got a tech.”
Doncic’s second ejection occurred during a timeout with 31.8 seconds remaining after Kings guard Delon Wright’s layup stretched Sacramento’s lead to 13 points. Doncic tossed the ball toward the opposite basket, a violation of the rules, although players often take an extra shot after the whistle without incident.
“If you get a tech for that, that’s …” Doncic said, pausing and shaking his head. “I don’t know.”
Mott, who also called that technical foul, said Doncic threw the ball “due to frustrations of a call” and “in an overt manner.” Mott said a delay of game warning would not have been appropriate because Doncic committed an unsportsmanlike act.
“We had a timeout and he takes the ball and he doesn’t throw it to the nearest official, he throws the ball the length of the court, which makes it an unsportsmanlike act,” Mott said. “The rule clearly states that you have to hand the ball to the nearest official.”
Carlisle was called for his second technical seconds earlier for addressing an official “in a disrespectful manner using vulgarity,” Mott said.
Carlisle said he was upset that referees ignored what he considered “clearly a travel” by Wright. “There was no call,” Carlisle said. “That kind of was the last straw for me, but we’ve got to move on.”
