The Dallas Mavericks are in a thrilling battle at the Western Conference to reach the NBA playoffs. The field is really crowded. The Denver Nuggets with Nikola Jokic, the surprising Sacramento Kings, Kevin Durant and the Phoenix Suns, the Golden State Warriors, possibly the Lakers or the Memphis Grizllies pending on Ja Morant's situation.

Considering this scenario, the Mavericks made a blockbuster trade a few weeks ago to acquire Kyrie Irving from the Brooklyn Nets. However, the star-power tandem with Luka Doncic hasn't been what everyone expected.

Now, the Dallas Mavericks received an update for a recent sanction to Luka Doncic. After a heated game against the Golden State Warriors, Doncic went all-in toward the referees. Check out the punishment announced by the NBA.

Luka Doncic gets huge sanctions after loss with Golden State Warriors

Luka Doncic exploded after the Mavericks lost to the Golden State Warriors in a crucial game of the Western Conference. In the last seconds, Doncic put his fingers together and pointed at a referee in something which was a clear reference to 'money'. He made the sign as a protest, because a foul against Draymond Green wasn't called in the final play.

The officiating crew was also under huge scrutiny after giving a controversial possession to the Warriors with less than two minutes in the third quarter. The decision produced a dunk with no defense at all by the Mavericks. The episode was so embarrassing that Dallas officially protested the game. 

Now, the Dallas Mavericks have lost two games in a row and fell to eighth place in the Western Conference standings. The Lakers, Pelicans, Thunder and Jazz are less than a game away, so the Mavs could easily end out of the playoffs even with their stars. Furthermore, there's a huge sanction for Luka Doncic.

"Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic has been fined $35 000 for directing an inappropriate and unprofessional gesture toward a game official, it was announced today by Joe Dumars, Executive Vice President, Head of Basketball Operations. The incident occurred with :01.7 remaining in the fourth quarter of the Mavericks’ 127-125 loss to the Golden State Warrios on March 22 at American Airlines Center."