Luka Doncic Calls Out Officials Over Unfair Treatment as Austin Reaves Saves Him From Further Disciplinary Actions

The Los Angeles Lakers didn't sweat much in Monday night's 138-117 victory over the Miami Heat. Their star, though, was close to an early exit, and it might have happened if not for Austin Reaves.

Luka Doncic was another monstrous night. He finished the game with 42 points, 13 assists, and seven rebounds, for his fourth 40-point game of the season. But he also spent some part of the game arguing with the officials.

With 1:12 left in the second quarter, Doncic was hit with a technical foul after reacting to a call by clapping. Klay Thompson made the technical free throw. Doncic was still fuming a few possessions later and kept making his case to a referee while Pelle Larsson stepped to the line for two free throws.

“I clapped. That’s a technical? Come on, now. If it was anybody else, you know it’s not a technical!” he could be heard saying.

However, the tension just kept building and resurfaced during the third quarter.

After taking a hit to the mouth, Doncic drilled a step-back three to put the Lakers up 88-72 with 10:42 left in the quarter. He then started walking toward a referee to show him the blood in his mouth. With one technical already on his record, a second would have meant an automatic ejection.

That is when Reaves stepped in. He came in Doncic's path and kept him from getting too close to the official. It was a smart intervention and kept Doncic on the floor.

The Lakers had a comfortable lead at that point, but losing Doncic against a team led by Giannis Antetokounmpo would have been risky. Giannis finished with 30 points, 12 rebounds, and seven assists, and he was full of praise for Doncic after the game, calling him “one of the best scorers to ever play this game, if not the best.”

Reaves had a big night of his own, finishing with 27 points as the Lakers improved to 6-2.

This was also Doncic's second technical of the season.He picked up his first late in the third quarter of the October 30 loss to Golden State. Each of a player’s first five technicals carries a $2,000 fine, and suspensions don’t kick in until a player reaches 16, so there’s no danger of that yet. The bigger risk on Monday was a second technical in the same game.

Doncic has also earned a reputation for arguing with the referees and foul-talks, and he believes that sometimes works against him.

Asked about the call after the game, he didn’t say much. He rolled his eyes, shrugged, signaled that he had only clapped, and walked out of the press conference.