Mavs' Luka Doncic Avoids Suspension After NBA Rescinds Technical Foul

Dallas Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic got his 16th technical foul get rescinded, he will be available to play against the Indiana Pacers on Monday.

INDIANAPOLIS — As the Dallas Mavericks geared up to take on the Indiana Pacers on Monday, they were prepared to do so with the mindset that they'd be without Luka Doncic, who received his 16th technical foul of the season during Sunday's loss to the Charlotte Hornets. The NBA announced on Monday that it has been rescinded.

"You're never gonna replace him. It's gonna take a group. Next man up mentality with Timmy [Tim Hardaway Jr.], and you look at [Jaden] Hardy, and Josh [Green] participating, playing more minutes," Kidd said after Sunday's game. "[Justin] Holiday playing more minutes. Hopefully, it's rescinded, I didn't think it was warranted, but we'll see what happens..."

After Sunday's game, the official's pool report explained that Doncic used profanity “use of profanity directed at the officials” as the cause for the tech. Doncic finished the game with 40 points, 12 rebounds, and eight assists, along with a pair of steals and blocks.

Irving, who has led the Mavs to a 3-1 record in games played without Doncic in the lineup, would have been leaned upon to shoulder the load as the top option when the Mavs take on the Pacers had Doncic been unavailable. Irving always preferred to have his fellow superstar available to play, but was ready for the challenge, regardless.

"Yeah, that's another challenge. ... Obviously, I would love to have Luka out there," Irving said after Sunday's game. "I don't think that tech was warranted, sort to say. I hope I don't get fined for saying that. I just don't think it was warranted in the flow of the game."

"Hopefully, [the tech] will be rescinded," Irving explained. "But either way, we have to be ready to play [against the Pacers]." 

After finishing with an inefficient 18 points in each of the Mavs' two losses to the Hornets, it will be vital for Irving to bounce back to his typical superstar impact. He is no longer on the injury report, but he's still managing a foot injury that has kept him in and out of the lineup in recent weeks. 

"It's definitely making or missing shots, but like I said, kind of like a week ago, just trying my best to manage this [foot injury] and there's a lot of desperation basketball that needs to be played down the stretch, especially where we are in the season and also in the standings," Irving said of his recent play. 

"I would love to just be one hundred percent healthy and just being able to just play and flow in the game," Irving explained "But, I'm out there, so there's no excuses. I just got to strap up my bootstraps and beat everything that I can for my teammates and coaching staff." 

"I don't want to get too cliche here, but just gotta keep on moving forward and keep on progressing," Irving said. "Chop wood, carry water — same thing."

I asked Kyrie Irving about his recent play as he manages his foot injury. He finished below the 20-point threshold in consecutive games against the Hornets.

"It's definitely making or missing shots, but like I said, kind of like a week ago, just trying my best to manage this… pic.twitter.com/0BurDzWztq

— Grant Afseth (@GrantAfseth) March 26, 2023

Despite losing consecutive games to the Hornets, the Mavs rank 11th in the Western Conference and are one game out from the final play-in spot. Their outlook has been greatly diminished due to recent failures, but coming up short on Monday would further the devastation for a team that sought to contend for a title with a win-now trade.

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