Mavericks' Luka Doncic explains flagrant foul: 'That kind of stuff happens a lot'

Luka Doncic admitted last week that he's been "complaining way too much" to the referees this season looking for calls, and it's resulted in 15 technical fouls.

He and the Dallas Mavericks had some complaints about a flagrant foul Sunday that got him ejected from their 124-97 victory against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Doncic was assessed a flagrant foul 2 and ejected early in the third quarter after he struck Collin Sexton below the belt while the two were fighting for position on a rebound. Officials ruled Doncic made "an aggressive strike to the groin area" when he swung his right arm towards Sexton and hit him in the midsection.

Doncic insisted there was nothing malicious about his intent on the play.

"After I saw the video, I knew I hit him, but it wasn't nothing on purpose," Doncic said. "I think that kind of stuff happens a lot in games, but I don't know. That's my explanation. It obviously wasn't on purpose. It was just two guys fighting for a rebound, I guess."

Sexton said he didn't believe Doncic's play was intentional either and called it "just a basketball play."

"We're both competitors. It was just one of those things. Just a boxout play," Sexton said. "Usually, whenever someone is hand-checking, then you punch down or swing down. It was just in the groin, but it's all good."

The play occurred at the 10:05 mark of the third quarter with the Mavericks up 68-57. Cavaliers guard Isaac Okoro attempted a 3-pointer while Doncic and Sexton were under the basket jockeying for position. The ball went out of bounds after the shot, and officials initiated a video review.

A lengthy review ensued, and Doncic said he thought it was to see if his foul happened before or after the shot clock expired.

"That's what I thought they were looking at," Doncic said. "I was really surprised when they called a flagrant 2."

Sexton hit the two free throws after the foul to pull the Cavaliers within 68-59, but the Mavericks responded after Doncic's ejection. Dallas went on a 30-15 run to take control of the game on the way to a 27-point blowout.

Tim Hardaway Jr. scored 25 points, including 13 during the Mavericks' run after Doncic's ejection. Josh Richardson had 20 points. Jalen Brunson shouldered more of the point guard duties and finished with 13 points and seven assists. Doncic had 15 points, five rebounds and five assists before being tossed.

"The Luka play, I'm not really going to comment on it because I didn't see it closely enough," said Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle. "It's unfortunate, but it sparked out guys and we did a good job finishing the game off."

Here are four more things to know Monday in the NBA:

Lakers get needed win

Anthony Davis kept alive the Los Angles Lakers' hopes of avoiding the play-in tournament with a huge performance Sunday in a marquee win. Davis had 42 points and 12 rebounds to lead the Lakers to a 123-110 victory over the Phoenix Suns. Los Angeles remains seventh in the Western Conference and a game behind the Portland Trail Blazers for the final guaranteed playoff seed. With four games left, the schedule is set up favorably for the Lakers to climb back into sixth: three games against sub-.500 teams, while Portland closes with Utah, Phoenix and Denver.

"I feel good. I'm getting my legs back, I'm getting my rhythm back," said Davis, who played his 10th game since returning from a two-month injury absence. "Getting my steps back on both ends of the floor, so I feel good. I'm getting better each game, getting my wind back each game. We're headed in the right direction."

Heat rise, Celtics stumble

Jimmy Butler and the Miami Heat got a key win of their own Sunday, while also dealing the Boston Celtics a crucial blow. Butler had 26 points and 11 rebounds as the Heat held off the Celtics 130-124 to strengthen their hold on sixth place in the Eastern Conference. Miami has won five of six and moved two games ahead of Boston with four to play. The teams meet again Tuesday in a huge rematch, and the result could determine where they ultimately finish in the regular season standings. The Heat can clinch the head-to-head tiebreaker with a win and all but ensure the Celtics will be in the play-in.

"When we're not completely engaged for whatever reason, we're just not good," said Celtics coach Brad Stevens. "When we're completely engaged, we're a good basketball team. When we're not, we're not even close to being able to compete with anybody, let alone a team like Miami that's really playing well right now."

Westbrook triple-double watch

Russell Westbrook gets his first chance to become the NBA's new triple-double king Monday when the Washington Wizards take on the Atlanta Hawks. Westbrook matched Hall of Famer Oscar Robertson's career record over the weekend with his 181st triple-double. With leading scorer Bradley Beal ruled out with a strained hamstring, Westbrook will shoulder the load for Washington, which has won 15 of 19 to surge into ninth place in the Eastern Conference.

Westbrook has 35 triple-doubles on the season. He had 26 points, six rebounds and four assists in the Wizards' first meeting with the Hawks on Jan. 29, but he's been on a real tear in the last two months with 25 triple-doubles in his last 32 games. Westbrook enters Monday's matchup averaging 22.0 points, 11.6 rebounds and a league-leading 11.5 assists per game.

Game of the night: Jazz at Warriors

The Utah Jazz haven't missed a beat without injured leading scorer Donovan Mitchell, and they can take another step towards clinching the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference on Monday. The Jazz are 8-4 since Mitchell sprained his right ankle and enter the day with a two-game lead on the Phoenix Suns with four left. Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors currently occupy eighth place in the West and can clinch a spot in the play-in tournament with a win Monday. Curry has been one of the hottest players in the league, averaging 37.5 points per game since April 1.

Follow Matt Eppers on Twitter @meppers_.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Mavericks' Luka Doncic explains ejection, flagrant foul in Cavs win