The Dallas Mavericks grabbed a massive away victory against the LA Clippers in Game 2 of this stellar series. However, while just about everyone on the team felt rather hunky dory in the locker room after the game, Luka Doncic may not have felt quite as worry-free after receiving a technical foul in the third quarter. Following a rather impulsive action towards a referee, the Slovenian was hit with a $4000 fine.
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Luka Doncic bucket then gets hit with a tech pic.twitter.com/k9ORj9cD2T
— Oh No He Didn’t (@ohnohedidnt24) April 24, 2024
Of course, the star likely realizes that he could have very easily dodged this financial ailment, which has led many to question why he bothered to go off at the officials in the first place. One reporter decided to ask this very question to Dallas Mavericks head coach, Jason Kidd, who hilariously responded with an interesting little conspiracy theory he had cooked up prior to the post-game press conference.
“I think it’s been a long time since he [Luka Doncic] has got a T [technical foul]. So I think he was just trying to see if he can get a T. We all know he knows how to get a T!”
Jason Kidd: “I think [Luka] was just trying to see if he can get a [tech]. We all know he knows how to get a T”
LOL pic.twitter.com/HBZbb668QM
— Oh No He Didn’t (@ohnohedidnt24) April 24, 2024
It has indeed been a while since Luka Doncic last got a technical foul called on him. Per Sportrac, the player was last reprimanded with a technical foul on February 27th, 2024, and has done a very good job of keeping his calm with officials since. That said, as mentioned previously, his latest outburst will cost him a hefty $4000 as he has a total of 13 Ts this season. As per the league rules, an athlete incurs a loss of $2000 on 1-5 T-fouls, $3000 on 6-10, and $4000 on 11-15 fouls. On account of a 16th foul, it attracts $5000 and a game suspension. However, given Doncic’s $50 million worth, he will likely make that money back soon enough.
As for the other things he did on the court during this contest, the Slovenian recorded an incredible 32 points to go along with 6 rebounds, 9 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block, during the 45 minutes he played tonight [per NBA.com]. While he only shot 42.3% and 35.7% from the field and three respectively, he came up big in clutch moments, empowering his team to take a massive step towards gaining the upper hand on a dominant Clippers side.
If Doncic and his teammates can keep playing at this high a level, they very well could realistically win the 2024 NBA championship. And in that scenario, what’s a $4000 fine, if the Slovenian superstar gets millions to go along with his first ring?
