CLEVELAND — The Cavaliers made modifications to the perimeter of the court at Rocket Arena after Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Doncic turned his left ankle while falling from the elevated floor during a 129-99 Cavs win on Jan. 28.
After Doncic’s injury scare, the Cavs played five consecutive road games. When they returned home to face the Washington Wizards on Feb. 11, risers were added along the court’s sidelines and next to three of its four corners. The only corner without a riser on Feb. 11, when Cleveland won 138-113, was the one closest to the Cavs bench.
“In collaboration with the NBA, NBPA, and independent flooring experts, we have made an adjustment to our court layout designed to improve player safety,” a Cavs spokesperson said in a statement. “These temporary protective court extensions will be in place for the remainder of the season.”
After attempting a 3-pointer, Doncic took a spill near the Lakers bench where the floor had dropped and front-row seats had been placed. During a subsequent timeout with 7:46 left in the first quarter, Doncic limped toward LA’s locker room.
Although Doncic returned to the action with 1:32 left in the first quarter and finished with a game-high 29 points in 30 minutes, the Lakers expressed frustration with the setup at Rocket Arena.
“There’s been a number of injuries over the years in this building because of the floor,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said during his postgame news conference. “… It is absolutely a safety hazard, and I don’t know why it’s still like that. I don’t. And you can lodge formal complaints. A lot of times you don’t see any change when you lodge a formal complaint.”
During Doncic’s postgame news conference in Cleveland, he said the “first thing” he thought about when he hurt his ankle was Miami Heat guard Dru Smith suffering a season-ending knee injury when he slipped off the Cavs’ raised floor in 2023.
On Jan. 29, the day after the Lakers visited Cleveland, The Athletic reported the Cavs and NBA would meet to discuss the possibility of restructuring the court as a result of Doncic’s fall.
The Lakers have ruled out Doncic for their game on Feb. 12 against the Dallas Mavericks because of a left hamstring strain. It will be his fourth consecutive missed game.
Nate Ulrich is the sports columnist of the Akron Beacon Journal and a sports features writer. Nate can be reached at nulrich@thebeaconjournal.com. On Twitter: @ByNateUlrich.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Cavaliers adjust court layout after Luka Doncic injury scare
Reporting by Nate Ulrich, Akron Beacon Journal / Akron Beacon Journal
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