Luka Dominic ejected for hitting Collin Sexton in the groin during Maverick-Cavaliar game
Luka Dominic ejected for hitting Collin Sexton in the groin during Maverick-Cavaliar game
Luka Doncic of Dallas Mavericks was ejected from the team’s 124-107 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday after hitting Collin Sexton below the belt. Doncic, who finished with 15 points, five rebounds and five assists, was assessed a Flagrant 2 foul for the act, which results in an automatic ejection.
Early in the third quarter, Doncic and Sexton were battling for a rebound under the basket. Sexton charged into Doncic to try and dislodge him from his spot, and Doncic responded with a backhanded swing. It wasn’t an overly powerful strike, but the refs are always going to be more stringent with any hits to the head, neck or groin areas.
A wide-eyed Doncic appeared stunned by the decision, and was slow to make his way back to the locker room. This was the second ejection for Doncic this month, as he was also tossed from the Mavericks’ loss to the Kings for picking up two technical fouls.
Those two technical fouls gave Doncic 15 for the season, which leaves him one away from an automatic suspension. Under the current rules, players or coaches are suspended for one game if they receive 16 technicals in the regular season, and every two technicals after that results in another one-game suspension. At the end of the regular season, however, all technicals are wiped out, and players and coaches start with a fresh slate for the playoffs. In the postseason, an automatic suspension arrives after seven technicals.
In the aftermath of that initial ejection, he promised to be on his best behavior with the referees, and said in regards to technicals, “I won’t get another one. Don’t worry.”
Apparently flagrant fouls weren’t part of the deal. Lucky for him, however, flagrants don’t count towards the accumulation of technicals, which means that he won’t face an automatic suspension from this incident. Whether he’ll face any other punishment from the league, however, remains to be seen.