Lakers, Luka Doncic injury, JJ Redick
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Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers argues a call with referee Brent Barnaky #36 during the third quarter against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Rocket Arena on January 28, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio.
Fans of the Los Angeles Lakers held their collective breath Wednesday night when Luka Doncic fell backward on the court after attempting a fadeaway three-pointer early in the first quarter against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Doncic would stay on the ground for an extended period, clutching his lower left leg, before leaving for the locker room. He returned nearly six minutes later to finish the quarter, but he was clearly bothered by his ankle.
“I kind of got scared, it wasn’t a great feeling,” Doncic said after the game. “Looking back at the video, I think I got a little bit lucky. It hurts more now, but I tried to go.”
JJ Reddick Calls Court ‘A Safety Hazard’
After the 129-99 loss to the Cavaliers, Lakers head coach JJ Redick squarely blamed the raised court at the Rocket Arena for Doncic’s injury scare.
“It is absolutely a safety hazard,” Redick said of the Rocket Arena’s raised court, whose floor sits a few inches below the playing surface.
While Doncic survived an injury scare, Miami Heat guard Dru Smith wasn’t as fortunate in 2023 when he suffered a torn ACL after a freak injury saw him land awkwardly near the bench area. At the time, the Heat lodged a complaint with the NBA, and players such as LeBron James urged the league to fix the issue.
Redick can’t fathom why the Cavaliers’ court remains unchanged.
“I don’t know why it’s still like that,” Redick said of the Cavs not fixing their court. “A lot of times you don’t see any change when you lodge a formal complaint.”
Luka Doncic Injury Update
When Doncic saw the replay of him slipping on the court, he admittedly thought of Dru Smith’s unfortunate injury in 2023.
“That’s the first thing I thought,” Doncic said, 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.”
Despite Doncic’s return to the game, the Lakers had no shot against the Cavaliers on Wednesday, as they were outscored 72-44 in the second half of a blowout loss. The biggest issue for the Lakers was their defense and 3-point shooting, as Redick’s team shot 9-of-32 from deep (28%) and allowed the Cavaliers to shoot 53% from the floor. Not surprisingly, the Lakers rank 17th in the league 3P% and 25th in defensive rating.
The Lakers (28-18) will conclude their eight-game “Grammy Road Trip” with stops against the Washington Wizards on Friday, the New York Knicks on Sunday and the Brooklyn Nets next Tuesday. The franchise hopes to get star guard Austin Reaves at some point during the road trip, with a strong possibility of a return on Friday.