It might have been a forgettable night on the court for the Los Angeles Lakers, but before tip-off against the Atlanta Hawks, the team gave fans something to smile about. In a lighthearted moment during warmups at State Farm Arena, Luka Doncic and Rui Hachimura turned a casual pregame half-court contest into an impromptu duel, one that quickly went viral after the Lakers posted the clip to their official Instagram account.
Luka Doncic vs. Rui Hachimura in a halfcourt shot contest.
Rui gave him a pretty good fightpic.twitter.com/RHox2y7yqc
— MrBuckBuck (@MrBuckBuckNBA) November 8, 2025
It started innocently enough. The players were taking turns launching shots from midcourt when Austin Reaves stepped up first. His form looked perfect, and for a second it seemed the ball was headed straight for the net. But before it could drop, Doncic, standing under the basket, mischievously threw another ball midair that knocked Reaves’ attempt off its path. The rest of the team erupted in laughter while Reaves turned to protest with a grin, gesturing toward Luka.
Next up was Rui Hachimura, who wasted no time in getting the crowd’s attention. He calmly set his feet, let it fly, and drained it clean. The sideline buzzed as teammates roared, and even Doncic clapped and nodded in mock approval. It set the stage for the inevitable: Luka versus Rui, superstar versus sharpshooter.
After a few more misses from the group, Doncic stepped up for his turn. With that familiar, effortless shooting motion that’s become his trademark, Luka let the ball soar from half-court and swished it. The gym erupted again. The duel was officially on.
Rui went first in the sudden-death round and, incredibly, hit his shot again, turning to Luka with a grin that said, ‘Your Move’. Pressure didn’t faze Doncic in the slightest. He responded immediately by draining his own half-court bomb, looking every bit the calm assassin that he is in crunch-time moments.
The final round decided it. Hachimura’s third attempt rimmed out, drawing a chorus of playful “oohs” from teammates. Doncic, with that familiar smirk, picked up the ball, dribbled once, and launched. Swish. Luka walked away, hands in the air, as the locker room burst into cheers. The contest ended with Doncic as the unofficial half-court champion, though Hachimura’s impressive streak earned him just as much praise.
And it wasn’t far from the truth. Once the game tipped off, the fun disappeared. The Lakers were outplayed from start to finish in a 122–102 loss to the Hawks, snapping their five-game winning streak. Doncic still managed a strong individual performance, 22 points, 11 assists, and five rebounds, but his supporting cast faltered. The team’s defense crumbled, turnovers piled up, and the Hawks capitalized on every mistake.
Head coach JJ Redick didn’t hide his frustration afterward, calling the team’s effort “disappointing” and admitting he knew from ‘the first two minutes’ that the energy wasn’t there. Deandre Ayton echoed the sentiment, saying the Lakers ‘underestimated’ the Hawks and paid the price.
Still, in a season where expectations are sky-high and scrutiny never sleeps, the pregame moment between Luka and Rui offered a glimpse of levity. It showed a team that, for all its struggles, still enjoys being around each other, still laughs, still competes, even when the stakes are nothing more than bragging rights and social media glory.
The chemistry between Doncic and Hachimura, in particular, has been one of the Lakers’ bright spots since Luka’s arrival. Hachimura’s improved shooting and off-ball movement have made him a reliable partner next to the Slovenian superstar. While both struggled to make a major impact against Atlanta, their camaraderie remains a promising sign for a team looking to find consistency.
As the Lakers prepare for their next game against the Charlotte Hornets, they’ll hope to channel some of that pregame confidence back into real competition. Because while half-court shots make for great clips, the Lakers know they’ll need full-court effort to keep pace in a loaded Western Conference.
For now, though, that viral clip is the perfect reminder: even on a bad night, Luka Doncic’s touch and his sense of humor never miss.
