LOS ANGELES -- The Los Angeles Lakers will host the San Antonio Spurs on their standard court in the NBA Cup quarterfinals on Wednesday, rather than their bright yellow alternative Cup court, sources told ESPN.
Players had issues with the slippery surface of the specialized Cup court used for the group stage when the Lakers hosted the LA Clippers on Nov. 25.
Lakers star Luka Doncic was a vocal critic of the court, calling it "dangerous" to play on.
The court, which was provided by the NBA to all 30 teams as a promotional tool for the nascent tournament, was returned to the vendor for repairs and was apparently not ready in time for Wednesday's game.
A league source told ESPN the decision to play the Lakers-Spurs game on L.A.'s standard court was made "out of an abundance of caution."
The Orlando Magic also used their standard home court when hosting the Miami Heat in their 117-108 win in the NBA Cup quarterfinals for the Eastern Conference bracket on Tuesday.
The Lakers hosted their final Cup game of the group stage, a 129-119 win over the Dallas Mavericks on Nov. 28, on their standard court too, following Doncic's concerns.
"I really appreciate the Lakers and the league," Doncic said after the court swap was put in place. "They did us a favor. I was talking about it, so I really appreciate both of them, just changing the court and giving us [a chance to] stay healthy."
While Doncic was not a fan of the court, he did endorse the overall competition.
"I like it a lot," Doncic said of the NBA Cup, now in its third year. "Back in Spain, I used to play in the Copa del Rey [de Baloncesto]. It was in February, but it was the same concept. So I welcome that, and I like the Cup a lot."
The winner of Wednesday's Lakers-Spurs game will advance to the Cup semifinals and play the winner of Wednesday's Oklahoma City Thunder-Phoenix Suns game in Las Vegas on Saturday.
