CLEVELAND — Lakers guard Luka Doncic was injured in the first quarter of the game against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday after slipping on a fadeaway three.
Doncic was hoping backwards on one leg after he took the shot with 7:58 remaining in the first quarter and slipped off the edge of the court. He immediately grabbed at his lower left leg and was unable to stand up. The Lakers called a timeout and trainers helped Doncic to his feet. He hobbled toward the Lakers locker room, putting almost no weight on his left leg.
He returned to the game with 1:32 left in the first quarter. Doncic had four points on one-of-six shooting from the field, missing all three of his shots from deep, early in the second quarter. He finished the first half with 15 points, making five of his next six shots, including a three-pointer. He has five assists and three rebounds. The Lakers trail the Cavaliers 57-55.
Cleveland’s home court is raised above the arena floor to accommodate for an ice hockey rink underneath. It’s the only arena in the NBA with the unique setup. Miami Heat guard Dru Smith suffered a severe anterior cruciate ligament sprain from slipping off the court in 2023.
Doncic, the NBA’s leading scorer, is averaging 33.8 points for the Lakers, who are in the midst of an eight-game trip. They are just getting healthy as guard Austin Reaves is expected to return from a calf injury by the end of the trip that stretches to Feb. 3.
This story originally appeared on LA Times
