Luka Doncic's Technical Foul Rescinded by NBA After Bitadze Exchange, No Suspension for Lakers Star

The NBA announced Sunday that Luka Dončić's technical foul during Saturday's  105-104 win over the Orlando Magic has been rescinded.

The Lakers appealed the NBA to overturn the technical, which was called on both Dončić and Orlando's Goga Bitadze after they exchanged words while the former was at the free-throw line.

Had the technical stood it would have been Dončić's 16th of the season, leading to a one-game suspension.

Dončić said the exchange came after Bitadze took the trash talk too far.

"Obviously, I let my team down getting that last tech," he told reporters after the contest. "But honestly, I wasn't trying to. [Bitadze] said at the free throw, he would f--k my whole family. And at some point, this is a basketball court. At some point, I just can't stand it. I got to stand up for myself. But I know I got to do better. My teammates, I know they have my back, so I let them down today. But hopefully, it gets rescinded."

Bitadze offered a different version of events.

"I have all the respect for Luka and what he has done," he told reporters. "And I really respect everybody's family. Where I come from, it's really sacred and we really respect each other's families, and I would never directly say that. He just said some inappropriate things in the Serbian language, which, I played in Serbia, I understand. I don't know if he knew I understood what he said. So, I just said it back. And it was nothing towards his family or anybody. His family, I really, truly respect them."

Bitadze added that Dončić said something about his mother in particular and repeated those words back to him.

Crew chief Marc Davis said in the pool report after the game that double technicals were assessed for continual taunting between the two players, and that both players had been warned.

Despite that drama, the Lakers (46-25) won their ninth straight game and has ascended to the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference. If they can hold that position they would be assured home-court advantage for at least the first round of the playoffs and currently would be facing the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The Lakers will face the Detroit Pistons on Monday.