The Lakers beat the Magic 105–104 on Saturday to capture their ninth straight victory. While Luke Kennard had his very first official Lakers moment by hitting the game-winning three pointer, Luka Dončić again led the team in scoring with 33 points.
Despite the win, it was kind of a rough night for Dončić, who struggled from the field, making just 12-of-30 shots and 3-of-13 three-point attempts. He also picked up his 16th technical foul of the season which means he'll be suspended for Los Angeles’s next game unless the NBA overturns the call.
This Dončić tech was a real slow burn. Late in the third quarter he went to the line for free throws after he was fouled by Orlando's Goga Bitadze. When Luka missed the first, Bitadze appeared to say something to catch his attention. While waiting to take his second shot, Luka could be seen smiling and nodding before walking off the line to talk to an official where he then appeared to point in Bitadze's direction.
After a brief conversation, he went back to the line and drained his second free throw. He then backpedaled up the court, looking at Bitadze the whole way while saying something. And then there was a whistle.
After the game Dončić accused Bitadze of making a vulgar statement about his family, which Bitadze has denied. The Georgian center said he was responding in kind to Dončić’s own trash talk.
"He said something about my mother, which is really inappropriate. We don't say that stuff. ... So I just said whatever he told me about my mother and said it back. That was pretty much it." https://t.co/zsLfXbSKH1
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) March 22, 2026
Even if Dončić isn't suspended for this technical, he could pick up another at any point between now and the end of the regular season before the league’s counter is reset in the playoffs.
Why a Luka Dončić suspension won't hurt the Lakers
Dončić has played in 17 straight games and not missed one since before the All-Star break. He's leading the NBA in scoring, is third in assists, 22nd in rebounding and eighth in steals. There's a reason he should be considered the top MVP candidate right now.
The Lakers have won 12 of their last 13 games, but they are not going to catch the Spurs for the No. 2 seed. More importantly, they're 6 1/2 games up on the Suns who are the No. 7 seed. They are currently three games up on the Rockets, Nuggets and Timberwolves for the No. 3 seed. While favorable matchups and home court advantage are always nice, the most important thing is that there's now no way they fall out of the top six with just 11 games to go in the season.
So it turns out between where they are in the standings and where they are in their schedule, this is actually the perfect time for Luka to take a night off. Their next game is Monday against the Cade Cunningham-less Pistons. Then they play three of the worst teams in the league with the Pacers on Wednesday, Nets at home on Friday and then have two nights off before they host the Wizards.
They close out March with a home game against the Cavaliers and play the Thunder twice early in April but they also get the Mavericks, Warriors, Suns and Jazz in the final week of the season.
They're in a great position to win enough games to hold onto home court in the first round while they start to get some people rest. Austin Reaves also hasn't missed game since before the All-Star break and LeBron James has now played six straight without any issues.
In today's NBA, Dončić is due for a night off. It's unfortunate for fans in Detroit who are going to miss their one chance to see Luka in person, but the timing couldn't be better for the Lakers whenever it comes in the next few weeks.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Luka Dončić Picks Up 16th Technical Foul, But His Suspension is Perfect Timing for Lakers.
