NBA Rescinds Luka Dončić’s Second Technical in Controversial Ejection vs. Thunder
The NBA has officially rescinded the second technical foul given to Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Dončić during Tuesday night’s heated matchup against the Oklahoma City Thunder. The decision, announced less than 24 hours after the game, follows widespread debate surrounding Dončić’s fourth-quarter ejection in the Lakers’ 136-120 loss at Paycom Center.
With 7:40 remaining in the game and the Lakers holding a narrow 108-107 lead, Dončić was hit with his second technical foul by referee J.T. Orr. The call resulted in an automatic ejection and sparked outrage, particularly after Dončić revealed postgame that his comments were aimed at a fan—not at the official.
“I never got a fan ejected,” Dončić said, clarifying that he often engages in back-and-forth banter with hecklers. “But if [the fan is] going to talk, I’m going to talk back, like always. That had nothing to do with the ref. So I didn’t really understand.”
The fan in question, Jeremy Price—who refers to himself as “The Courtside Tattoo Dude”—confirmed that he was indeed jawing with Dončić and claimed that the star’s outburst was directed at him. “I mentioned that he was short on his shot, and he turned around and shouted an expletive at me. J.T. happened to see it and T’d him up,” Price told ESPN. He admitted that Orr may have misinterpreted the situation, leading to the technical and subsequent ejection.
Earlier in the third quarter, Dončić was issued his first technical for allegedly directing profanity toward a game official, according to crew chief Tony Brothers.
The ejection proved to be a turning point. Without Dončić, the Lakers collapsed, and the Thunder closed the game on a dominant 29-12 run. The loss had major implications in the Western Conference, where the Lakers sit in third and the Thunder lead the league with a 65-14 record.
Dončić returned to action Wednesday night, facing his former team, the Dallas Mavericks, for the first time since the blockbuster trade in February. His return added another layer of drama to an already headline-filled week.
