Luka Doncic is set to face one game suspension after after being called for his 16th technical foul of the season.
Doncic was whistled for a technical with 7:51 remaining in the third quarter for arguing a no-call after missing a shot on a drive to the basket.
Doncic will serve the suspension Monday night, when the Mavs play the Indiana Pacers on the road.
Crew chief Kevin Scott stated that in a pool report after the game that Doncic used “a profanity directed at the officials in protest to a no-call that was correctly judged in postgame video review.”
Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd said he didn’t think the technical was warranted and that it should be rescinded.
Doncic was not made available for interviews after the game.
Players automatically get a one-game suspension after 16 technical fouls each season, and for every two technicals thereafter.
Doncic narrowly avoided a suspension the prior two years, finishing each of those seasons with 15 technical fouls. He had a technical rescinded before last year’s regular-season finale.
Sunday’s technical foul comes two days after Doncic was fined by the league for rubbing his fingers together, in an apparent reference to money, while staring down a ref during last week’s loss to the Warriors.
With the loss Sunday, the second straight defeat at the hands of the Hornets, Dallas fell to 36-39.
“It’s unfortunate that we let these two games go, and we have to figure out a way to stop the bleeding,” said Kidd, adding that he wasn’t pleased with the team’s defensive effort.
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