Luka Doncic’s Temper Could Cost Lakers at Worst Possible Time

The Los Angeles Lakers grabbed their third straight win after squeezing past the lowly New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday night.

However, it came at a cost with star point guard Luka Doncic being assessed his 14th technical foul on the season, putting him just two shy of receiving an automatic one-game suspension.

Lakers Superstar Luka Doncic on Verge of Suspension

One thing to watch out for in the final 21 regular-season games for the Lakers, starting with the Denver Nuggets on Thursday: Luka Doncic is two technical fouls away from getting hit with a one-game suspension.
— Ryan Ward (@RyanWardLA) March 5, 2026

He picked it up with less than two minutes left in the second quarter after he gestured at an official after making a free throw. It puts him only two behind Phoenix Suns forward Dillon Brooks (16) for the most in the league.

The Lakers have only 21 regular-season games left, putting Doncic on thin ice to avoid receiving a one-game suspension. Any absence could have a significant impact on Los Angeles’ push toward the playoffs.

Brutal Schedule for Lakers in Final 21 Games

Lakers have a brutal stretch in the final 21 games of the regular season: Nuggets (twice), Knicks, Timberwolves, Rockets (twice), Pistons, Cavs, Thunder (twice) & Suns. Other games against teams currently above .500: Heat, Magic & Warriors
— Ryan Ward (@RyanWardLA) March 5, 2026

They are currently in the sixth spot in the Western Conference standings, trailing the Denver Nuggets by a half game for the fifth seed ahead of Thursday’s contest in Denver. The Lakers are also just 1.5 games behind the Houston Rockets for the third seed.

Los Angeles is also just two games ahead of the seventh-seeded Suns to avoid the play-in tournament. All of that only further underlines the importance of Doncic not picking up any additional technical fouls.

"[Luka Dončić] is the complaint department, and it is always open." @richeisen's wife, Suzy Shuster joins @RichEisenShow to talk more about how Luka's complaints on the court could be affecting the Lakers ✍️ pic.twitter.com/ve74rxTcvA
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) March 5, 2026

Los Angeles appears to be finally making some positive headway over the last few games. It has kept them in the thick of moving up in the standings.

Doncic has been the guiding offensive factor all season behind his league-best 32.4 points per game, along with ranking third with 8.6 assists and 7.7 rebounds while shooting 47.3 percent from the field and 35.9 percent from beyond the arc.

The 27-year-old has been heating up from the three-point line since the All-Star break, shooting 44.9 percent in seven games. That stretch includes him knocking down at least four 3-pointers five times, topped by hitting eight from deep in the 125-122 win over the LA Clippers on Feb. 20.

Los Angeles needs much more than Doncic’s production if they hope to keep the ball rolling in the right direction over the last quarter of the regular season. The Lakers demonstrated some much-needed scoring balance against the Pelicans with all five starters scoring in double figures.

LeBron James is also beginning to round into form offensively, notching 20 or more points in each game during the winning streak and five out of the last six contests overall.