A casual miscue in Saturday’s Lakers-Magic game spilled over into one of the NBA’s most dramatic on-court brawls this season — and it all hinged on words spoken in a language the referees didn’t understand.
In the third quarter of Saturday’s game in Orlando, Luka Dončić He was driving money when the Magic center Goga Bitadze was called for a reaching foul — his fourth of the game — per a video shared by the NBA on YouTube.
What happened next escalated quickly. Dončić was at the free throw line when two players started chirping at each other. After the first free throw, Dončić went over and spoke to the referee Sean Corbin. But the verbal altercation continued as both players ran onto the field.
Both were ruled out by technical errors.
For Dončić, it was his 16th foul of the season – a limit with dire consequences. According to the NBA rulebook, 16 technical fouls in one season result in a one-game suspension.
Luka Dončić’s Explosive Claim After The Match
After the match, Dončić did not hold back in the post-match press conference, revealing what he said that caused the outburst.
“He said when there is a free throw (line) my whole family will die and at some point, I can’t stand it and I have to stand up for myself,” he continued. “I know my colleagues have turned their backs on me, I have disappointed them today, but I hope it will be cancelled.”
Lakers coach JJ Redick he also commented on the exchange after the game, adding revealing details.
“I’m not sure what happened,” she said. “I know that there were certain things that were said in a language that the referees did not understand when talking about Luka’s mother.”
Goga Bitadze Offers A Different Account
In an interview with Orlando SentinelBitadze backed down — placing the blame squarely on Dončić.
“I have a lot of respect for Luka and what he has done. And I have a lot of respect for everyone’s family,” said Bitadze. “Where I come from is very sacred and we respect our families and I will never say that directly.”
“He just said inappropriate things in Serbian, which I played in Serbia. I understand, I don’t know if he knew | he understood what he was saying. So I just took it back. And there was nothing against his family or anybody. His family, I really respect and that’s okay,” he added.
Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Dončić was ejected following a confusing incident involving a fan and referee on Tuesday, April 8. Dončić, 26, was ejected after receiving his second technical foul in the fourth quarter of the Lakers’ 136-120 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder. The dismissal came after Dončić scored ia […]
The aspect of language is the key to understanding this conflict. Dončić is a Slovenian player who also speaks Serbian. Bitadze is from Georgia but spent time playing in Serbia before moving on to the NBA.
Their fluency in Serbian meant that the trash talk unfolded beyond what officials could monitor in real time.
Refs Account — and Technical Appeal
In the pool report after the game, the Crew Chief Mark Davis he said both players were given technical fouls for “taunting each other constantly.
Davis added that “both have been warned to stop commenting” before continuing to spit on the court.
The big breakthrough came on Sunday. The NBA reversed both technical fouls following complaints, per ESPN.
That means Dončić avoids the automatic one-game suspension that would have accompanied his 16th career. He will be available to play in Monday’s game against the Detroit Pistons.
Luka Dončić and the Dallas Mavericks’ performance in Game 2 against the Oklahoma City Thunder was so impressive it left some people groaning. Dončić, 25, scored 29 points on Thursday, May 9, as the Mavericks tied the Western Conference semifinal series at one game apiece. However, it was a five-time NBA All-Star […]
It’s an important release – but the accounts from Dončić and Bitadze leave a lingering question about what exactly was said, and who started it, in a language only the two of them could fully understand.
