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[Saba Sports News] Luka Doncic fell victim to a rarely enforced rule over the weekend.
During Sunday’s game against the Phoenix Suns, the Lakers star was whistled for a rare palming violation. In the second quarter, Doncic got Suns center Nick Richards switched onto him and attempted to attack off the dribble. However, as he made his move, referee Nick Buchert called the infraction.
According to the NBA rulebook, a player may not “put any part of his hand under the ball and (1) carry it from one point to another or (2) bring it to a pause and then continue to dribble again.” Doncic appeared to do just that, momentarily stopping his dribble before resuming.
Despite being a clear violation, palming is so common in today’s NBA that it’s almost never called. Even ESPN’s Richard Jefferson, who was on the broadcast, noted that it had been “years” since he last saw one enforced.
Fortunately for Doncic, the call was just a blip in an otherwise dominant performance. He finished with 33 points, 11 rebounds, and eight assists as the Lakers snapped a four-game losing streak with a 107-96 win. He also had some fun along the way, taking playful shots at the Suns and Kevin Durant while mic’d up.