"He was hopping on one foot after releasing the shot and hopped right off the platform, grabbing immediately for his left leg. When he hobbled to the locker room, Doncic could barely put any weight on his leg. "It is absolutely a safety hazard," Lakers coach JJ Redick said after Doncic was able to return later in the first quarter."
"The Miami Heat guard's knee injury suffered in 2023 when he slipped off the side of the Cleveland Cavaliers court haunted Doncic while he winced in pain near the Lakers bench. Smith was injured much more severely in 2023 when he was closing out on defense, landed on a stat sheet and slipped over the edge. He suffered a season-ending anterior cruciate ligament sprain in the accident, and the Heat contacted the NBA to express concerns about the floor at the time."
Luka Doncic grabbed his left leg after hopping off the raised edge of the Cleveland Cavaliers' court following a fadeaway three and briefly limped to the locker room. He returned later in the first quarter and finished with 29 points, six assists and five rebounds, but said he did not feel fully healthy. Lakers coach JJ Redick labeled the 10-inch drop between court and arena floor "absolutely a safety hazard" and noted formal complaints often yield no change. The incident recalled Dru Smith's 2023 season-ending ACL sprain after slipping over the court edge, which prompted the Heat to contact the NBA about the floor.
Read at Los Angeles Times
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