It turns out that Luka Dončić was right. It wasn’t a technical foul, after all.
Dončić found out on Saturday afternoon that he had averted a suspension for the regular-season finale when the NBA rescinded the technical foul he was called for Friday night in the blowout win over Portland.
It would have been his 16th technical foul of the season, putting him over the threshold for a one-game suspension. The league reviews technical fouls and the process led them to reverse the ruling of referee Tony Brothers, who called the tech at the end of the first quarter in Friday’s 128-78 victory over the Trail Blazers.
Dončić had lobbied after Friday’s game that there was no way that his actions constituted a technical foul. There was no cursing involved and all he did was ask Brothers how the final call of the first quarter wasn’t a personal foul.
In the end, the league agreed with him.
The ruling means the superstar point guard can play in Game 82, which is against the San Antonio Spurs and could decide whether the Mavericks finish with the No. 3 seed or the No. 4 seed in the Western Conference. They must finish with at least the same record as Golden State to be the third seed as they own the tiebreaker against the Warriors.
What’s the difference between third and fourth? Well, in the first round, they are either going to face Utah or Denver, regardless of what seed they have. Both present challenges.
But should they win their first-round series, which would be a first for the franchise since 2011, they would likely face the potent No. 1-seeded Phoenix Suns if they are the fourth seed. At No. 3, they would probably see Memphis, against whom they have won two of three meetings this season.
If you ask Dončić, reaching the No. 3 spot is important. But only to a point.
“If you try to win (championships), you got to beat everybody,” he said Friday. “So we’re just trying to get the third seed and we’ll see.”
The play that drew Luka’s ire was when he felt he was undercut on the final, half-court heave at the end of the first quarter. There was no whistle. Dončić was not animated about the call and was genuinely surprised when Brothers signaled that a technical foul had been issued.
After the game, Luka said: “If you ask me, I think 100 percent it should be rescinded because it wasn’t a tech at all. No warning, nothing. I just asked him: how is that not a call? Hopefully it will be (reversed) so I can play Sunday.”
Of course, there’s always the possibility that players sit out the finale, or play limited minutes if the Mavericks deem that to be to their long-term advantage.
But expect Luka to be in his usual starting spot against the Spurs.
Twitter: @ESefko
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