Luka Doncic has been the heart and soul of the Los Angeles Lakers this season, leading the franchise and the NBA in points scored per game. However, the team’s fans might have had a mini-heart attack after the point guard suffered a fall in the first quarter while shooting a 3-pointer and then limped to the locker room.
The Lakers suffered a blowout loss to the Cavaliers, 99-129, after their dismal defensive performance. One more issue that was raised after the game was the uneven build of the Rocket Arena, the only NBA court with a raised hardwood floor. In the incident, the six-time NBA All-Star hopped back a few steps after shooting a 3-pointer and landed on the raised platform near the benches.
Fortunately for the Lakers loyalists, Doncic was back from the locker room after a few hiccups. However, the game was already too far away when the guard found his rhythm. After the loss, he was asked about the whole incident, as he felt lucky to avoid a brutal injury. He said:
“got a little bit lucky”
The 2019 Rookie of the Year immediately thought of a similar incident that happened with the Miami Heat guard Dru Smith in 2023, as he suffered a season-ending third-degree ACL injury after he landed on the raised part of the Rocket Arena.
The incident certainly might be scary for Doncic, who has had an MVP-esque season, averaging 33.6 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 8.7 assists. The Lakers’ head coach, JJ Redick, also opened up about the dangerous court conditions in Cleveland after the game.
“Absolutely a safety hazard,” JJ Redick speaks out on Rocket Arena after Luka Doncic’s incident
When every fan skipped a beat seeing Luka Doncic limping to the court, head coach JJ Redick might be the most scared one in the arena. Bench issues have haunted the team since the first game of the season, as the Lakers are ranked among the bottom five in bench points.
Amid these issues, Doncic’s injury might have spelled doom for the team, and Redick let his worries be known in the post-game press conference. Highlighting the need to fix the court, he said:
“It is absolutely a safet hazard”
The NBA is already a physical league, where season-ending injuries are common, as recently happened with the Warriors’ Jimmy Butler. In addition, if a player suffers such grave injuries due to infrastructural loopholes, any team or fans would be disappointed.
The Rocket Arena authorities must work on it as soon as possible to avoid such incidents in the future. Meanwhile, the Lakers need to find their chemistry back as they have slipped to fifth in the standings after a tumultuous run since Austin Reaves was sidelined with injury. He was expected to be back in Cleveland, but seemed to have decided to take a few more games.
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