When the Los Angeles Lakers hit the hardwood against the Washington Wizards on Monday night, they'll be missing their star guard, Luka Doncic. The NBA handed Doncic a one-game suspension after he picked up his 16th technical foul during the Lakers' 116-99 win over the Brooklyn Nets on Friday.
The incident that led to Doncic's latest technical involved a heated exchange with Nets forward Ziaire Williams in the third quarter. Doncic, not one to shy away from expressing his thoughts, was quick to share his side of the story.
"[Williams] was yelling in my face -- three times," Doncic explained post-game. "I just wanted to get out of there.
It's a double tech, of course. What can I say?
I didn't even talk. I just wanted to get out of there.
And they said I pushed, my push was 'exaggerated,' which [it] was obviously not. And I don't know what else to tell you."
This isn't Doncic's first brush with the 16th technical mark this season. Just last week, he faced a similar situation against the Orlando Magic, but the Lakers successfully appealed to have it rescinded. This time, however, he might not be as fortunate.
Doncic's absence is significant, given his impressive stats this season: 33.7 points, 8.2 assists, 7.8 rebounds, and 1.6 steals per game. Despite this, the Lakers have been on a roll, boasting a seven-game winning streak against the Wizards. With Washington struggling at just 17 wins this season, L.A. is still in a strong position to handle business without their star guard.