Lakers Ditch "Unplayable" NBA Cup Court vs. Mavericks

Merlin sees the Lakers ditching the yellow NBA Cup court and reverting to their usual Crypto.com Arena floor for Friday’s Cup game vs. Dallas after league techs called the Cup surface “unplayable” and sent it back for repairs. Rui Hachimura admitted, “That was bad,” saying he felt it was “oily, slippery” and that “everybody was on the floor, falling.” The court had been used in a 135-118 win over the Clippers, and Luka Dončić had already raised safety concerns. Merlin notes this is more than a cosmetic swap: slippery surfaces affect shot rhythm, footing and injury risk, and the league’s quick pullback suggests vendor oversight will come under fire. A return to the normal floor steadies the Lakers but leaves questions about how many other alternate courts are fit for play.