Luka Doncic
Getty
Lakers' Luka Doncic during a game against the Sacramento Kings in December 2025
On Wednesday night, the Cleveland Cavaliers handed the Los Angeles Lakers a lopsided 129-99 loss, spoiling LeBron James’ return to his hometown.
Yet the game quickly became secondary to a tense moment involving Luka Doncic, who briefly exited the game after an injury scare in the first quarter.
While attempting a three-pointer, Doncic landed awkwardly, twisting his ankle as he hopped backwards near the Cavaliers’ bench area, where the court is slightly elevated.
The incident immediately raised concern, both on the floor and on the Lakers’ sideline.
Lakers Dealt Another Doncic Injury Worry
Doncic limped to the locker room for evaluation but later returned to action, finishing with 29 points, five rebounds, and six assists in 29 minutes.
He shot an efficient 12-of-20 from the field and 3-of-8 from beyond the arc, gutting out the remainder of the night.
Despite completing the game, Doncic admitted postgame that the moment was unsettling and that the ankle issue lingered.
“I kind of got scared, it wasn’t a great feeling,” he told reporters. “Looking back at the video, I think I got a little bit lucky. It hurts more now, but I tried to go.”
In 2023, Miami Heat guard Dru Smith suffered a season-ending ACL injury on the same court after landing awkwardly near the bench area.
“That’s the first thing I thought,” Doncic added, referencing Smith’s injury. “That’s why I got scared. It’s the only court that’s like this, so I guess it’s my fault, so I stopped jumping like that.”
Lakers Raise Safety Concerns Over Cavaliers Court
Lakers head coach JJ Redick did not mince words when asked about the incident, openly criticizing the Cavaliers’ court setup.
“There’s been a number of injuries over the years in this building because of the floor,” Redick said. “It is absolutely a safety hazard, and I don’t know why it’s still like that.
“You can lodge formal complaints, but a lot of times you don’t see any change when you lodge a formal complaint.”
The incident comes at a delicate time for Doncic, whose health has been under increasing scrutiny. The Lakers star has acknowledged playing through groin soreness that has worsened in recent weeks.
Despite leading the NBA in scoring at 33.6 points per game, Doncic also carries the fourth-highest minutes load in the league at 36.3 per night, further amplifying concern around his durability.
The Lakers have already navigated multiple injury interruptions involving Doncic this season, including a left finger sprain, a lower left leg contusion, and a recurring leg issue that resurfaced in December, each forcing him to miss time.
Lakers Monitoring a Fluid Health Situation
Earlier this month, Ashish Mathur of Lakers Daily reported that Doncic had been playing through significant discomfort, citing sources who described “a lot of pain” and lingering issues across multiple areas.
That report suggested his explosiveness and outside shooting had been impacted despite extensive treatment.
Those claims were later challenged by Dan Woike of The Athletic, who reported that sources pushed back on the severity of that portrayal.
Even so, the situation remains fluid. Doncic has clearly been managing groin issues in recent weeks, and now, following Wednesday’s scare, his ankle may be another concern the Lakers will have to monitor closely as the season progresses.