Luka's Sideline Prank, Rui's Blank Stare

0:00The Lakers snagged Game 1 over the Rockets, 107 to 98, but the real highlight had zero to do with buckets. Luca Doncic, sideline but courtside, snuck up on Rui Hachimura in the corner during live action and started smacking his head from behind. Rui turned for a quick second, then snapped right back calling for the ball like nothing happened. Rui later had no clue when reporters brought it up. He asked when it went down, and even after they set second half near the bench, it drew a total blank. Turns out, Luca pulls this stuff so often, it barely registers anymore. Rui opened up on what Luca's return means to the squad. He called it amazing, stressing Luca's huge impact on and off the court. The guys always hang with the team, cracking jokes, messing with coaches and players. Everyone missed that energy big time. Luca's been out since April 2nd, with a grade 2 left hamstring strain. He jetted to Madrid for stem cell treatment and got back to LA last week. No running yet and no firm return date, but the Lakers are pushing to stretch this series deep enough for him to suit up.

1:04Even chilling on the sideline and street clothes, Luca's already lifting the vibe, doing what he does best for this crew as they fight to keep the momentum rolling. From your city, powered by AI, this is California News Today. I'm Corey with The Story.