The Cleveland Cavaliers and the NBA will meet to discuss potential changes to Rocket Arena’s court design following Luka Doncic’s near-injury Wednesday night, The Athletic’s Joe Vardon reported. The raised court, unique in the league, creates a gap between the playing surface and the ice below, posing a risk to players.
Doncic, who scored 29 points for the Lakers, tweaked his left ankle after landing awkwardly on the court and missed six minutes in the first quarter. The incident prompted the league and Cavs to reconsider safety measures, despite previous improvements to the arena floor.
Cleveland’s court sits on wood blocks above the ice, with floor seats positioned on rubber covering the rink. Options under consideration include reducing block height, adding ramps from the court to the ice, reinforcing floor-seat cup holders, or widening the court entirely.
The raised design has allowed the arena to maintain ice for hockey games, but it introduces a potential hazard during NBA play. The Cavaliers are weighing modifications that balance player safety with maintaining ice integrity.
On the court, the Cavaliers dominated the Lakers 129-99 in LeBron James’ return to Cleveland. Donovan Mitchell led with 25 points, Jaylon Tyson scored 20, De’Andre Hunter added 19, and Jarrett Allen contributed 17 points and nine rebounds.
Cleveland surged in the third quarter after a 57-57 halftime tie, outscoring Los Angeles by 20 points, including an 8-0 contribution from Mitchell and seven from Tyson during a 25-8 run. The win extended Cleveland’s season-best streak to five games.
LeBron, held to 11 points, had his worst loss in Cleveland as a visiting player and fell short in his last two trips. Meanwhile, the Lakers slipped to 3-2 on a seven-game road trip.
Both teams will play Friday night road games, with Cleveland visiting Phoenix and Los Angeles heading to Washington. Discussions on court modifications are expected to continue in the coming days.
