The Los Angeles Lakers will be without Luka Doncic when they host the Washington Wizards on Monday. He will serve a one-game suspension for picking up his 16th technical foul of the season. Fans knew this was coming after he had the last one rescinded by the league office, and missing the game against the Wizards is the best possible scenario for the purple and gold.
Doncic is white hot right now. He is putting up scoring numbers that only Michael Jordan can match and has led the Lakers to 14 wins in their last 16 games. It would seem like a bad time for him to be forced to the sidelines, but this was bubbling for weeks. Luka has been on his best behavior and is still picking up the occasional technical. He was always going to be suspended at some point, and this is the best possible game.
The Wizards have lost 17 of their last 18 games and are battling the Nets for the second-worst record in the NBA. Washington and Brooklyn both have 17 victories, and neither team wants to get their 18th. Having the second-worst record guarantees a top-six draft choice, and Washington’s pick is top-eight protected. The Wizards have every reason to lose, and this should be Luka’s lone suspension.
The Lakers will miss Luka Doncic, but not that much
The NBA won’t be rescinding this technical, so Luka will miss Monday’s game. He would need two more technical fouls to pick up another one-contest suspension. The NBA gives a one-game ban for every two Ts after 16.
There are only seven contests left after Monday’s game against the Wizards. It is unlikely Luka will get two more technical fouls in that span. The Lakers are 1.5 games ahead of the Nuggets for third in the West and own the tiebreaker. Even if Doncic does get a second technical, LA is primed to finish third and get homecourt in the opening round of the playoffs.
Things get tougher for the purple and gold after Monday night. They face the Cavaliers, Thunder twice, and Mavericks in their next four games. Luka will be amped to return to Dallas, and the Lakers will get stern tests from Cleveland and Oklahoma City. They need Luka to win those games and lock up the third seed.
Austin Reaves and LeBron James must step up on Monday night and ensure a win over the Wizards. Washington wants to lose, but their players will compete. The Lakers can’t afford to play with their food. They dominate the rebuilding teams when Luka plays. Hopefully, that same intensity remains with number 77 suspended.
The Lakers will miss Luka’s scoring, shot creation, and leadership on Monday night. There is no question about that, but this was the best possible game for him to miss. The league office wasn’t going to continue to let Doncic off the hook. He needs to be on his best behavior for the rest of this season and curtail the problem in the future.
The Los Angeles Lakers need Luka Doncic. He has made them a serious title threat again, and things should only improve as the roster around him gets better. Fans should be excited. They will miss Luka during his one-game ban, but the best is yet to come. That alone should have fans smiling.