Luka Doncic expressed his thoughts after the game on Tuesday night. It’s clear he’s not a fan of the Lakers’ specially designed court for their mid-season tournament, and he’s prepared to take on any fines stemming from Jackson Hayes’ defense of him.
Following the Lakers’ 135-118 victory over the Clippers at Crypto.com Arena, Doncic noted that the court, intended for Cup matchups, presented issues.
“It’s just slippery,” he remarked, emphasizing the danger. “I slipped a lot of times. I saw a lot of players slipping. It’s dangerous.”
For this game, the Lakers introduced bright yellow alternate courts as part of an initiative from Adam Silver’s league to boost the tournament’s visibility. Doncic mentioned he was aware of the potential slipping issues during pregame warmups.
Lakers coach JJ Redick suggested that the court’s condition might have been affected by the NHL game that took place the day before, with moisture potentially causing the hardwood to dry improperly.
Despite these concerns, Doncic had an impressive performance, scoring 43 points along with nine rebounds and 13 assists in 38 minutes of play.
He also got involved in a brief altercation with Clippers guard Kris Dunn, as both players jostled for a rebound, resulting in the ball hitting Doncic. Hayes stepped in to break up the confrontation by pushing Dunn, leading to a minor scuffle. While Hayes may face a fine for his actions, Doncic has stated that he’s fine with it.
“I understand,” Doncic said of the situation. “I immediately told him, ‘Thank you for having my back.’ That speaks volumes about him and this team. Everyone has each other’s backs.”
With this win, the Lakers secured first place in Group B of the NBA Cup and are set to play Doncic’s former team, the Dallas Mavericks, on Friday night. The Lakers are aware of Doncic’s concerns about the court and are addressing them before the game.
