For the second time in as many weeks, Luka Doncic’s availability for the Lakers is in the hands of the NBA’s league office. The Los Angeles Lakers’ cornerstone Luka Doncic has been staring at a one-game ban as he has been playing with 15 technical fouls since last week, after the NBA overturned his punishment.

But on Friday night, he picked up his 16th technical foul against the Brooklyn Nets, and now he is again at the mercy of the NBA’s decision, as the Lakers have lodged another appeal. Things could easily go south for the Slovenian if the appeal fails.

Doncic finished with 41 points as he guided the Purple and Gold to a 116-99 win over the Brooklyn Nets. However, his performance will now take a backseat as he is staring at a one-game ban. The incident happened with Nets forward Ziaire Williams as both were whistled and handed double techs by the referee for jostling with 5:12 remaining on the clock in the third quarter. The incident was reviewed, and it was clearly visible that Doncic had pushed Williams before he came up with a shove, leading to double technicals.

“He [yelled] in my face three times,” Doncic said postgame. “I just wanted to get out of there. It’s a double tech, of course. What can I say? I didn’t even talk. I just wanted to get out of there. And they said I pushed. My push was exaggerated, which was obviously not. And I don’t know what else to tell you.”

The Slovenian escaped a one-game ban last week when the NBA rescinded his punishment following an appeal from the Lakers. Back then, he picked up his 16th technical foul in an altercation with Orlando Magic star Goga Bitadze, which was eventually overturned. But now he faces such a consequence once again. Interestingly, during his tenure with the Dallas Mavericks, he was staring at a one-game ban twice, and both times his 16th technical foul was overturned by the NBA.

However, if the decision is upheld, the 27-year-old star will have to pay a $317,000 fine while also serving a one-game ban. However, with the Lakers playing the underwhelming Washington Wizards on Monday, there shouldn’t be much of a problem for JJ Redick’s team even without their most lethal weapon.

In the wake of his facing a suspension, Doncic continued his exceptional form and dropped a 41-point performance, but despite that, he has fallen on the MVP ladder, which surprised his Lakers teammate.

Lakers star Austin Reaves calls out the NBA’s MVP ladder following Luka Doncic’s drop

Luka Doncic scored 30 or more points in 12 consecutive games as he finished with 41 points on Friday against the Brooklyn Nets. Despite such exceptional performances this month, the 27-year-old has seen his standing in the MVP race fall, which was absolutely bizarre for his teammate and backcourt partner, Austin Reaves.

What others couldn’t say out loud, the Lakers’ shooting guard said as he called out the MVP voters. “He continues to drop in the MVP race, which is insane to me,” Reaves told the media after their win over the Nets. “I guess it doesn’t really matter, maybe he’s gotta score 60, I don’t know.”

Doncic has actually dropped from No. 2 to No. 4 in the MVP ladder despite his exceptional form in the last 12 or so games. He has been a crucial member of this Lakers roster, guiding them to a 12-2 record in the last 14 games in March.

The star guard was ranked second only behind Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who held the top spot in the MVP ladder when it was released on March 20. However, he has fallen two spots in a single week despite averaging 42.0 points while leading the Lakers to a 3-1 record in the said week. Following his outing against the Nets, he asked the NBA MVP voters what more he needed to do in sheer frustration. “The better I play, the more I go down in ratings,” Doncic said in Spanish. “So I don’t know what more I can do,” added the Lakers star.

While the debate over his MVP credentials continues, the more immediate concern is his pending suspension, which could impact the Lakers’ seeding as they fight for a playoff position.