Heading into their matchup with the Washington Wizards on Friday night, one of the biggest questions facing the Los Angeles Lakers is the status of star guard Luka Doncic.
Doncic suffered a leg injury during L.A.’s loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers earlier this week when he fell off of Cleveland’s elevated court after a 3-point attempt.
Luka Doncic listed as 'questionable' for game vs. Wizards
Doncic eventually returned to the game against the Cavaliers and finished with 29 points, 6 assists and 5 rebounds.
However, there was some concern that there could be lingering effects from the fall. The star guard is currently listed as “questionable” on the official injury report for the matchup against the Wizards. His final status will be determined prior to tipoff.
On the season, Doncic has played in 38 games for the Lakers and posted averages of 33.6 points, 8.7 assists, 7.7 rebounds and 1.5 steals per performance.
After the game against the Cavaliers, Lakers head coach J.J. Redick called Cleveland’s raised court a “safety hazard,” and he’s not the first NBA coach to express a similar sentiment.
Back in 2023, Heat coach Eric Spoelstra called for a change to the court after Heat guard Dru Smith suffered a season-ending knee injury after falling off the court.
"Maybe this is something that can be addressed with the league moving forward," Spoelstra said at the time. "I doubt anything will change with the floor. It is a hazard in our mind and probably in a lot of other teams' minds, too."
Change could be on the way involving the court following Doncic’s injury as the Cavaliers and the NBA are set to meet to discuss changes or improvement to the court.
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