NBA Takes Action After Concerning Luka Doncic News

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Paolo Songco | Last updated Jan 30, 2026 6:01 AM ET

Luka Doncic and the Los Angeles Lakers suffered a deflating 129-99 blowout loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday. LeBron James’ emotional homecoming to his former stomping ground resulted in an embarrassing defeat for L.A.

Doncic did all he could for the Lakers. The six-time All-Star registered 29 points on 12-of-20 shooting, to go along with five rebounds, six assists and three triples. It was far from enough to carry L.A. to victory. The Lakers dropped to 28-18 after another disappointing loss.

Doncic was also involved in a concerning moment during the game. He left the contest in the first quarter after tweaking his ankle. Doncic was able to return, but he is now questionable for the Lakers’ next game.

Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77)© Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Doncic headed to the locker room early in the game after injuring his ankle. The 26-year-old fell off the side of the court, requiring immediate medical attention.

Doncic’s injury raised significant concerns about the Cavaliers’ home arena. In particular, Rocket Arena’s court, which is raised 10 inches above the hockey rink, drew a lot of attention. The court's unusual design grabbed even more headlines after news broke that Doncic is questionable to play on Friday against the Washington Wizards due to a sore left ankle.

Joe Vardon of The Athletic reported on Thursday that the NBA has taken action after the Doncic incident. The league will reportedly meet with Cavs officials “to discuss changes to the unique, arguably dangerous court design inside Rocket Arena.”

Luka Doncic injures his ankle on this play.

Should the NBA be playing on raised courts?? pic.twitter.com/YCULow61YD
— Zero Gravity (@zgsportsmedia) January 29, 2026

A spokesperson from the NBA acknowledged that this is a long-standing issue.

“While improvements have been made to the arena floor over the years to address this issue, the NBA and the Cavaliers are revisiting the situation given the incident last night,” a league spokesperson said.

The Lakers cannot afford to lose Doncic right now. He has been their best player all season long, averaging an NBA-best 33.6 points on 47.4% shooting, 7.7 rebounds, 8.7 assists, 1.5 steals and 3.5 triples per game.

The 28-18 Lakers are in the midst of a tight race in the Western Conference. They are currently fifth in the Western Conference. However, the Phoenix Suns and the Minnesota Timberwolves, both 29-19, are breathing down their neck.

L.A. will need to stack wins if it wants to separate itself from the pack, and losing Doncic would be a significant blow for this objective.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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