Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Doncic receives a one-game suspension without pay from the NBA after accumulating his 16th technical foul of the season. The penalty stems from an incident during the Lakers’ 116-99 win over the Brooklyn Nets on Friday night.
Incident Leads to Double Technical Foul
In the third quarter, Nets player Ziaire Williams celebrated a foul call against Doncic by yelling directly in his face multiple times. Doncic pushed Williams’ arm in response, prompting Williams to swipe back across his face. Officials reviewed the play and issued technical fouls to both players.
Doncic, the league’s leading scorer, tallied 41 points in the victory but will miss Monday’s home game against the Washington Wizards to serve the suspension. NBA rules mandate a one-game ban for the 16th technical foul, with additional games for every two more.
‘He was yelling in my face three times,’ Doncic said post-game. ‘I just wanted to get out of there. It’s a double tech, of course. What can I say? I didn’t even talk. I just wanted to get out of there. (The referee) said my push was exaggerated, which (it) was obviously not. I don’t know what else to say.’
Doncic previously had a technical foul rescinded from a game against Orlando, involving a verbal exchange with Goga Bitadze. Officials did not specify the reason, though Bitadze denied any insults.
Custody Battle Intensifies
The suspension arrives amid Doncic’s ongoing separation from ex-fiancée Anamaria Goltes, centered on custody and support for their daughters, Gabriela, 2, and Olivia, 3 months old.
Doncic files a motion to dismiss Goltes’ child support petition submitted in Los Angeles, arguing it lacks jurisdiction since neither Goltes nor the children reside in California. He notes a prior family law action filed in Slovenia, their home country, and claims Goltes filed in California to access higher support amounts.
A spokesperson for Doncic states: ‘Luka has always provided for anything his daughters could need or want and will continue to do so. He will always fight to be with his daughters and give them the best life possible. Luka is seeking dismissal of this case simply because Slovenia, not California, is the appropriate forum for adjudication of this dispute.’
Earlier this month, Doncic announces the end of their engagement, months after Olivia’s birth. ‘I love my daughters more than anything and I’ve been doing everything I can for them to be with me in the US during the season,’ Doncic tells reporters. ‘But that hasn’t been possible, so I recently made the tough decision to end my engagement. Everything I do is for my daughters’ happiness and I will always fight to be with them and give them the best life I can.’
Goltes had filed her petition, seeking child support and attorney fees, before the engagement ended publicly. The couple met as children in Croatia and share the same friend group since age 12. Goltes recalls: ‘We met when we were 12 years old at the seaside in Croatia. Fun fact: We still have the same group of friends we had at that time. You keep the real ones, am I right?’
Doncic proposed to Goltes in July 2023 near Bled Castle in Slovenia and called Gabriela’s birth ‘the happiest day of my life.’ He missed several Lakers games this season during her deliveries.
