Luka Doncic Leads Lakers' Surge Amid Personal Drama

Despite technical fouls and custody battles, the superstar's MVP-caliber play has the Lakers on a nine-game win streak.

Mar. 22, 2026 at 5:09am

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Luka Doncic has led the Los Angeles Lakers to nine straight wins, averaging 40.9 points per game over that stretch, despite off-court drama with his ex-fiancee over custody of their two daughters. Doncic has also racked up 16 technical fouls this season, leading to a potential suspension, but his on-court dominance has put him firmly in the MVP conversation alongside Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Victor Wembanyama.

Why it matters

Doncic's ability to perform at an elite level while dealing with personal turmoil highlights his superstar status and the Lakers' resurgence as a title contender. The three-way MVP race between Doncic, Gilgeous-Alexander, and Wembanyama has rejuvenated interest in the NBA after a lackluster regular season.

The details

In the Lakers' 105-104 win over the Orlando Magic, Doncic scored 33 points and got into a heated exchange with Magic player Goga Bitadze, leading to Doncic's 16th technical foul of the season. Doncic said Bitadze made inappropriate comments about his family, which Bitadze denied. Despite the off-court drama, Doncic has been unstoppable on the court, scoring 60 points in a recent game against the Miami Heat.

  • Doncic picked up his 16th technical foul on Saturday, March 18, 2026.
  • The Lakers have won 9 straight games as of March 22, 2026.

The players

Luka Doncic

A 24-year-old Slovenian superstar playing for the Los Angeles Lakers, who is in the midst of an MVP-caliber season while dealing with personal issues off the court.

Goga Bitadze

A player for the Orlando Magic who exchanged words with Doncic during a recent game.

LeBron James

A veteran NBA player and Doncic's teammate on the Los Angeles Lakers.

JJ Redick

The head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers who has praised Doncic's play and leadership this season.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

A star player for the Oklahoma City Thunder who is also in the MVP conversation.

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What they’re saying

“He's playing as well as anyone in basketball. He's really elevated his play at a really important time for our team. He's elevated the play of his teammates. I think there's a trust level we all have — coaches, teammates — with him closing games for us. He's been fantastic, and I think he's one of the best and should be in the MVP conversation. Hopefully, people start talking about it because he's having as good a season as anyone.”

— JJ Redick, Head Coach, Los Angeles Lakers

“I have all the respect for Luka and what he has done. 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. And it was nothing towards his family or anybody. His family, I really, truly respect them, and that's pretty much it.”

— Goga Bitadze, Player, Orlando Magic

What’s next

The judge in Doncic's custody case will decide on Tuesday whether or not to allow him out on bail.

The takeaway

Doncic's ability to maintain his MVP-caliber play in the face of personal turmoil highlights his superstar status and the Lakers' potential to make a deep playoff run. However, his on-court behavior and off-court issues raise questions about his maturity and leadership that will need to be addressed if the Lakers hope to win a championship.