The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Orlando Magic 105-104 on Saturday, March 21, 2026, at Kia Center in Orlando, Florida. Guard Luke Kennard hit the game-winning shot at the end of the contest.[1]
During the third quarter, Lakers guard Luka Doncic was assessed his 16th technical foul of the season after a verbal exchange with Magic center Goga Bitadze while the players ran down the court.
Doncic addressed the incident after the game. "I'm definitely hoping [it is rescinded]," he told reporters, via ESPN. "Obviously, I let my team down getting that last tech. But honestly, I wasn't trying to. [Bitadze] said at the free throw, he would f--- my whole family. And at some point, this is a basketball court. At some point, I just can't stand it. I got to stand up for myself. But I know I got to do better."
Bitadze offered his perspective to ESPN and the Orlando Sentinel. "I have all the respect for Luka and what he has done," he said. "And I really respect everybody's family. Where I come from, it's really sacred and we really respect each other's families, and I would never directly say that. He just said some inappropriate things in the Serbian language, which, I played in Serbia, I understand. I don't know if he knew I understood what he said. So, I just said it back."
Under NBA rules, a player assessed a 16th technical foul during the regular season faces an automatic one-game suspension without pay. Additional suspensions follow for every two technical fouls thereafter. Doncic hopes to have the foul rescinded through an appeal.[2]
Goga Bitadze, a 25-year-old center from Georgia, plays for the Orlando Magic. He previously played professionally in Serbia.[3]
The Kia Center, home of the Magic since 2010, has a basketball seating capacity of 18,846.[4]
The Lakers stood at 46-25 following the win, in third place in the Western Conference.
Sources
- Orlando Magic official site, "Kia Center," accessed October 2024, https://www.nba.com/magic/kia-center
- NBA Official Rules, "Rule No. 12—Player Conduct and Actions," n.d., https://official.nba.com/rule-no-12-player-conduct-and-actions/
- NBA.com, "Goga Bitadze Player Profile," accessed October 2024, https://www.nba.com/player/1631197/goga-bitadze
- Wikipedia, "Kia Center," accessed October 2024, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kia_Center
