Amid a blowout loss against the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Los Angeles Lakers nearly lost their superstar sharpshooter, Luka Doncic, to a lower-body injury.
As the game played out, Doncic had an awkward landing after letting a shot off from deep. He was clearly in discomfort after the release and went down on the court as he needed a moment to recover.
The Lakers watched Doncic go back to the locker room as the game played out. In that situation, the team was likely holding its breath as they just needed Doncic to be alright. Fortunately, he was. Doncic returned to the game for the Lakers.
After the action, the star guard said he was "a little bit lucky."
Doncic finished the game with 29 points on 12-20 shooting from the field. He also had six assists and five rebounds in 30 minutes of action during the Lakers' 129-99 loss.
While the setback doesn't seem severe, the Lakers will have to see how Doncic's body reacts on Thursday.
As for JJ Redick, he knew exactly who to blame after the game.
JJ Redick Places Blame on the Cavs' Court
"I did not see it-I haven't watched the play yet-I know that he rolled his ankle falling off the floor," Redick told reporters. "There's been a number of injuries over the years in this building because of the floor."
The floor in Cleveland is just one of many issues Redick has called out during his postgame press conference this season. On several occasions this season, Redick has been vocal about his team's execution, lack of defense, and has raised concerns with the inconsistencies from officials. The Cleveland floor is the latest.
But Redick isn't the first to make that callout. Back in 2023, the Miami Heat reportedly contacted the league with a complaint over the floor. Miami guard Dru Smith suffered a torn ACL on the court years ago.
Around that time, LeBron James and the pre-Redick Lakers raised concerns as well.
"The league should look at it," James told The Athletic in 2023. "They should address it."
Fortunately for Doncic and the Lakers, they don't seem to be dealing with a situation that's similar to the Heat's years back, but Redick bringing attention to it should get the conversation going once again.
Newsweek