In a return game for LeBron James in Cleveland, Lakers fans collectively held their breath as their other superstar, Luka Dončić, went down early in the first quarter after a fadeaway three-point attempt brought him onto uneven ground.
The Cavaliers play on the sole raised court in the NBA, per The Athletic, with the hardwood a few inches above the floor at Rocket Arena. If you look closely while watching a Cavs game, you can see the fans sitting in the front row on the floor with their feet propped up on the hardwood, creating a potential rough landing for players when play spills out of bounds.
Dončić hopped backward on his left foot after launching a three-point shot over Cleveland forward Dean Wade. As he followed his shot with momentum taking him into the crowd, he appeared to roll his ankle once the court ended.
Luka is down after tweaking his ankle on the edge of the hardwood… pic.twitter.com/x7nnh6mzzW
— Lakers All Day Everyday (@LADEig) January 29, 2026
According to The Athletic’s Dan Woike, Dončić stayed on the ground for an extended period of time before limping to the locker room and returning to the bench shortly after. He returned to the game with just over a minute left in the first frame.
Why do the Cavaliers play on a raised court?
Rocket Arena in Cleveland is also home to the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters (an affiliate of the Columbus Blue Jackets). The ice underneath the Cavs’ floor has a separation layer between the court which causes the raise, which also improves sightlines in the arena for basketball, per Cleveland Magazine. However, plenty of NBA franchises share a home arena with NHL counterparts and have seemingly figured out the issue. It’s unknown why Cleveland has yet to follow suit. James was among those who called for the Cavs to do so after a 2023 injury to Heat guard Dru Smith during a game at Rocket Arena.
Thankfully for the Lakers, Dončić’s brief injury wasn’t serious, but we’ll see if the scary moment with the NBA’s scoring leader at the center causes the Cavs to find a better solution.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Luka Dončić’s Ankle Tweak Sparks Concerns About Cavaliers’ Raised Court.
