Lakers guard demands action after Luka Doncic's dangerous fall off Cleveland's elevated court.
The Los Angeles Lakers suffered a tough 129-99 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday night, but the biggest story coming out of Rocket Arena had nothing to do with the final score.
Lakers guard Gabe Vincent spoke out after the game about the safety concerns surrounding Cleveland's raised court, which led to a scary injury for Luka Doncic in the first quarter.
"It's tough to see another player get hurt on this court, with the fall, with the drop off, so hopefully something can get fixed with that, but we're fortunate that [Doncic] is OK," Vincent said.
Doncic's Scary Fall
The incident happened early in the first quarter when Doncic launched a three-point attempt from the left wing and hopped backward on one leg during his follow-through.
He ended up taking one step too many and fell off the edge of Cleveland's elevated court, which sits roughly 10 inches above the arena floor.
The six-time All-Star immediately grabbed at his left leg and had to be helped to the locker room for evaluation, bringing back memories of Dru Smith's serious injury on the same court back in 2023.
Smith, who was playing for the Miami Heat at the time, suffered a season-ending ACL sprain when he landed awkwardly after falling off the raised surface while contesting a shot.
The Heat contacted the NBA about their concerns after that incident, but no major changes were made.
Lakers head coach JJ Redick did not hold back when asked about the situation, calling the Cavaliers' floor an "absolute safety hazard" and questioning why the league has not addressed the issue.
Why the Lakers Lost
Doncic was able to return to the game with just over a minute left in the first quarter after being cleared by trainers, finishing with 29 points on 12-of-20 shooting along with six assists and five rebounds in 30 minutes.
However, his brief absence and the distraction from the injury affected the Lakers' rhythm as Cleveland dominated from start to finish during another challenging stretch for Los Angeles.
The loss dropped the Lakers to 28-18 on the season while the Cavaliers improved to 29-20 despite playing without Evan Mobley and Darius Garland due to injuries.
LeBron James returned to Cleveland and put up 24 points, five rebounds, and three assists, but it was not enough to overcome the Cavaliers' balanced attack.
Vincent contributed off the bench for the Lakers but the team could not find any offensive consistency after falling behind early.
A Call for League Action
The Cavaliers are the only team in the NBA that plays on an elevated court, and the unique setup at Rocket Arena has been a point of concern for visiting teams for years.
Many other NBA franchises share their arenas with hockey teams and have figured out ways to avoid this kind of dangerous drop-off, which makes Cleveland's situation puzzling to players and coaches around the league.
Doncic admitted after the game that he "got a little bit lucky" and that looking back at the video made him realize how serious the fall could have been.
With Doncic leading the league in scoring at 33.8 points per game this season, the NBA may finally be forced to take a closer look now that one of its biggest stars was nearly seriously injured.
Vincent's postgame comments echoed what many around the league have been saying for years, and the hope is that something will finally change before another player gets hurt.