Doncic says shots to the face should lead to fouls

LOS ANGELES, USA – Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic, who has been the target of some over-the-top physical defense from opposing teams this season, says NBA officials are not calling the fouls.

Several times this season, Doncic has been left bloodied from stray limbs to the head and their 112-109 loss to the Indiana Pacers on Sunday, March 8, was another example.

“They hit me in the face, and that should be a foul,” the 21-year-old Doncic said after the loss to the Pacers. “They should look at it. I think the rule is when you get hit in the face, they’ve got to look if it’s flagrant or no, right?”

“Like I said, I was hit in the face 3 times.”

His comments echo those of Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle, who spoke out about the physical abuse earlier this season in an attempt to get the officials to protect their franchise player.

“They are beating the sh** out of him,” Carlisle complained.

Doncic, the sixth leading scorer this season, finished with 36 points on Sunday. In the 4th quarter, he was bleeding the mouth from an elbow he took from Pacers’ Victor Oladipo. No foul was called on the Pacers.

“He can’t hit me in the mouth!” Doncic shouted at the official.

“They didn’t care,” Doncic said after the game. “It was clear. Everybody saw.”

Doncic had to have X-rays at halftime after being kneed in the jaw by Pacers guard Edmond Summer following a pump fake. Summer was given a foul on the play.

As Doncic walked through the tunnel towards the locker room after the game he was overheard saying the Mavericks are “playing 5 against 8 (adding the 3 refs) every game now.”

Doncic has also been on the losing end of several run-ins this season with Los Angeles Laker Dwight Howard. In December, Doncic suffered a head injury after getting tangled up with Howard and hitting his head on the floor.

He left the game, but got a rude welcome upon his return in the second half as Lakers center JaVale McGee appeared to poke him in the eye. – Rappler.com