The NBA world was abuzz on Tuesday night following the unexpected ejection of Los Angeles Lakers superstar Luka Doncic during their game against the Oklahoma City Thunder. While Doncic’s tendency to vocally express his displeasure with officiating is well-documented, the circumstances surrounding his second technical foul and subsequent dismissal sparked considerable debate.
Doncic’s first technical foul was assessed for directing comments towards an official, a behavior not uncommon for the passionate guard. However, the second technical proved far more contentious. After scoring a basket late in the fourth quarter, Doncic appeared to direct a remark towards a fan seated courtside.
NBA rescinds Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Doncic’s second technical foul vs. Thunder
A nearby official misinterpreted the comment as being directed at him, leading to the immediate ejection of the Lakers’ star player.
However, the league office reviewed the incident, and according to a report from ESPN’s Dave McMenamin on Wednesday, the NBA has decided to rescind the second technical foul that led to Doncic’s ejection.
“The NBA has notified the Lakers that it has rescinded the second technical foul on Luka Doncic from Tuesday’s game against the Oklahoma City Thunder, league sources told ESPN,” McMenamin reported on X, formerly Twitter.
Despite the league’s acknowledgment that the second technical was unwarranted, the reversal cannot fully undo the impact of the decision. At the moment of Doncic’s ejection, the Lakers held a narrow 108-107 lead with approximately seven minutes remaining in a crucial game against the top-seeded Thunder.
Without their primary offensive engine, the Lakers struggled to maintain their competitiveness, and Oklahoma City ultimately pulled away for a 136-120 victory. The controversial ejection undeniably altered the trajectory of a pivotal late-season matchup.