Groundhog Day may be over, but Mavericks fans still saw history repeat itself in February with the arrival of annual technical tracker Luka Doncic.
The Mavericks star picked up his 13th technical foul of the season Tuesday night in Cleveland, but Dallas suffered a heartbreaking loss to Cavaliers guard-forward Max Strus on a half-court hive.
Doncic's 13 was the most in the NBA, breaking a tie with Dillon Brooks of the Houston Rockets. He would have had 14 had one against the Utah Jazz in December not been canceled.
Under NBA rules, if a player commits 16 technical fouls during the regular season, he will receive an automatic one-game suspension, plus one game suspension for every two technical fouls after number 16. He is to be punished. Tech counting will resume from the playoffs, and players numbered 7 and above will be suspended for one game.
Doncic and the Mavericks are well aware of his limitations, but he has yet to receive a suspension in the past five seasons and is on the same pace as the past two seasons.
Last year, he narrowly avoided suspension when his 16th technical was rescinded. His 13th technical goal came on February 28, his 24th birthday, so this season he is on pace for the day before he celebrated his 25th birthday.
Last season, in 2021-22, Doncic scored his 13th point on February 27th and tied for 17 hits before the playoffs, but the NBA had two, including one in the penultimate game. was rescinded, avoiding the first suspension of his career.
Doncic has 13 technicals in the 50 games he has played this season, averaging one every 3.85 appearances. Eleven of them came to my home.
Dallas has 24 games left in the regular season.
Doncic's number of technical fouls in 2023-24 season
| no. | date | Opponent | result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | November 1st | vs. Chicago Bulls | win |
| 2. | November 5 | vs. Charlotte Hornets | win |
| 3. | November 28th | vs. Houston Rockets | win |
| Four. | December 11th | at the memphis grizzlies | win |
| Five. | December 12th | vs. Los Angeles Lakers | win |
| 6. | December 14th | vs. Minnesota Timberwolves | loss |
| 7. | January 22nd | vs. Boston Celtics | loss |
| 8. | January 24th | vs. Phoenix Suns | loss |
| 9. | January 27th | vs. Sacramento Kings | win |
| Ten. | February 3rd | vs. Milwaukee Bucks | loss |
| 11. | February 14 | vs. San Antonio Spurs | win |
| 12. | February 22 | vs. Phoenix Suns | win |
| 13. | February 27th | at the cleveland cavaliers | loss |
Note: NBA cancels Doncic's technical foul against the Utah Jazz on December 6th.
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