The Los Angeles Lakers were forced to rip up their own court just hours before tip-off after a humiliating mistake by a supplier left the surface ‘unplayable.’
In an embarrassing development for the league’s in-season tournament, the Lakers reverted to their traditional hardwood for the NBA Cup clash against the Mavericks.
The decision was made after technicians from the league’s court vendor determined that the specialized surface was unsafe.
According to reports, the painted court failed multiple traction and moisture tests, with officials discovering that the surface coating left behind an ‘oily’ residue.
The supplier’s blunder comes after Lakers superstar Luka Doncic publicly slammed the court following Tuesday’s win over the Clippers.
‘Adjust the courts, please. It’s just slippery. It’s dangerous,’ Doncic pleaded earlier this week. ‘I slipped a lot of times. You could see a lot of players slipped. That’s dangerous, man.’
The Lakers returned to their traditional hardwood for the NBA Cup clash against the Mavericks
Lakers players had complained that the previous surface was ‘oily’ and ‘weird’ to play on
His teammate Rui Hachimura backed up those claims on Friday morning, describing the conditions as ‘bad’ and ‘weird.’
‘It was just like oily, slippery,’ Hachimura said. ‘Everybody was literally on the floor like every second.’
The defective court has now been dismantled and will be shipped back to the vendor for urgent repairs.
Despite the chaotic build-up, the Lakers showed no signs of distraction once the game tipped off, securing a 129-119 victory over the Mavericks.
Austin Reaves was the star of the show on the ‘safe’ hardwood, exploding for a game-high 38 points to go along with 8 rebounds.
Meanwhile, Slovenian superstar Luka Doncic tormented his former team with a double-double, finishing with 35 points and 11 assists while adding 5 rebounds.
Slovenian superstar Luka Doncic tormented his former team with a double-double
Big man Deandre Ayton also proved a handful in the paint, chipping in with 17 points and 8 rebounds as the Lakers improved to 13-4 on the season.
The Mavericks fought hard to stay in the contest, led by P.J. Washington Jr.’s 22 points and 9 rebounds.
Ryan Nembhard added 17 points and 4 assists, but the visitors ultimately couldn’t keep pace with the Lakers’ high-powered offense in the fourth quarter.
The win ensures the Lakers finish NBA Cup Group Play with a perfect record, securing a home quarterfinal tie.
