Lakers refuse to play on NBA Cup special floor against the Mavericks

3 months ago - Sportingbase

If you have been an avid reader of The Sporting Base over the years, you know my feelings about the NBA Cup. It is simply silly, and the NBA would be better off to get rid of the entire midseason tournament.

Now the special court that has been created for the tournament appears to be “dangerous” according to Lakers star Luka Doncic. The native of Ljubljana, Slovenia first voiced his concerns after the Lakers beast the Los Angeles Clippers 135-118 on Tuesday. Doncic also called the court very “slippery” according to the Canadian Press on Friday. Meanwhile, Lakers power forward Rui Hachimura of Toyama, Japan called the court “bad,” and “oily.”

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On Friday, the Lakers were expected to play another game of the NBA Cup against the Dallas Mavericks at Crypto.com Arena. However, tonight they will not be playing on the special court. The Lakers will play the Mavericks on the regular court instead, and be part of the NBA Cup.

Doncic and Hachimura deserve praise for speaking out against the court from a safety perspective. Now, it would be terrific if the NBA goes one step further and eliminates the tournament altogether.

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The Lakers are red hot at the moment. They are winners of five straight games. During the streak, they have also beaten the Utah Jazz twice (140-126 and 108-106) in back-to-back games last week. They have also beaten the New Orleans Pelicans 118-104, and the Milwaukee Bucks 119-95.

Los Angeles is tied with the Denver Nuggets for second place in the Western Conference at 13 wins and four losses. They are only behind the Oklahoma City Thunder, who are 18 wins and one loss.