What NBA Rescinding Luka Dončić’s Technical Foul vs. Magic Means for Him, Lakers

It turns out, Luka Dončić won’t be getting suspended after all.

On Sunday, the NBA rescinded the technical fouls it handed out to Dončić and Magic big man Goga Bitadze during the Lakers’ 105–104 victory on Saturday. The two were hit with a double technical foul after exchanging words in the third quarter, with each claiming postgame that the other had said something that crossed the line. After a review, the league wiped the slate clean.

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That’s a huge decision by the NBA, as the rescinded technical would have been Dončić’s 16th on the season. He was due to serve a one-game suspension for accumulating 16 technicals, but instead, he’ll be allowed to keep playing. That’s great news for the Lakers, who have now won nine in a row and 12 of their last 13.

Dončić set an NBA record during L.A.’s streak by becoming the first player in NBA history to top 30 points in nine consecutive games while winning them all. Over that stretch, the 27-year-old is averaging 40.0 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 7.4 assists per game. He dropped 60 against the Heat on March 19 and 51 against the Bulls on March 12. He also had a 30-11-13 triple-double in an overtime win against the Nuggets on March 14, and a 31-11-11 triple double in a 120-106 victory over the Timberwolves on March 10.

A trip to Detroit awaits the Lakers on Monday, and they could use their brightest star in the lineup. L.A. has gone clear of the Rockets for the third seed in the Western Conference, and sits 10 games behind the Thunder for the top seed. Dončić & Co. are 2 1/2 games up on Houston and three ahead of the Nuggets and Timberwolves in the conference’s crowded second-tier.

The Lakers have the NBA’s 10th-easiest schedule remaining, but will have to face the Pistons, Cavaliers, and Oklahoma City twice. Those will be excellent measuring stick games after JJ Redick’s squad appears to have found a rhythm late in the season. The Lakers look like legit title contenders right now.

Luka Dončić stats during the 2025–26 season

Dončić is playing as well as anyone in the NBA right now, and keeping him in the lineup is huge for the Lakers. As of Sunday, he’s leading the league in scoring (33.4 points per game) and third in assists (8.4), while chipping in 7.9 rebounds per game. The six-time All-Star is hitting 47.6% of his shots from the field and 36.7% from three-point range. He’s also fifth in the NBA in PER (28.1), behind Nikola Jokić (32.7), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (31.4), Kawhi Leonard (28.3) and Victor Wembanyama (28.3).

While Gilgeous-Alexander is still the overwhelming favorite to land his second MVP award in a row, Dončić has closed the gap significantly. It is entirely possible he’s earned some first-place votes and that by staying on the court over the next few weeks, he could make the race interesting.

This is Dončić’s first full season with the Lakers, and he has lived up to every bit of the hype. He is showing that the franchise’s decision to pivot away from LeBron James was a smart one, and is now firmly in the MVP conversation after lagging behind the top contenders all season. Having his 16th tech rescinded will only help him chase down the trophy.

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