Luka Doncic picked up his 16th technical foul during the Los Angeles Lakers' 105-104 win over the Orlando Magic, following a heated exchange with center Goga Bitadze in the third quarter.
Doncic told reporters he was provoked after Bitadze repeated an explicit remark about his family. "I just can't stand it," he said. "I got to stand up for myself."
Bitadze countered that Doncic first cursed in Serbian - a language he understands from playing in Serbia - and he merely echoed the words. "I would never directly say that," Bitadze insisted. "I truly respect his family."
If the NBA upholds the technical, Doncic will miss one game. The Lakers, now 46-25, remain third in the Western Conference.