The Los Angeles Lakers beat the Miami Heat, 93-91, on Sunday night in the California Classic during a game that went into a double overtime and went to sudden death down the wire before a tip-in from Anton Watson sealed the win for L.A. This was their first win in the Summer League this season.
Cameron Carr, the Lakers’ first-round pick from the 2026 NBA Draft, led all scorers from the front, and it was his miss that led to Watson’s tip-in. He ended the game with 26 points, eight rebounds, and one assist while shooting 7-16 from the field (43.75 FG%) and 4-9 (44.4 3P%) from behind the three-point line.
ANTON WATSON SUMMER LEAGUE GAME WINNER. 🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/Wvgo3Cz0Ep
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) July 5, 2026
Carr thoroughly impressed the Lakers’ fans with this performance, as they flooded social media with a lot of good things to say about the 21-year-old guard. But other fans also criticized his shooting efficiency tonight.
“Cam Carr might actually be the next big thing in LA.”
“Lakers got a steal.”
“He will outperform a lot of guys drafted before him, even if in a limited role.”
“They needed a player like this last season. Bring LeBron and Rui back, let’s run it back.”
“Lucky Carr fell to #24, and lucky we needed a Mikal Bridges-esque long wing who can shoot the lights out. Carr’s BBIQ is v savvy too! Lakers got a legit NBA player who fits well with Luka”
“If such shooting keeps up, he’ll need a GPS to find the rim.”
While a few critics were focused on the shortcomings, most fans were ecstatic to see a promising performance from a player of Carr’s caliber. Chris Manon, who is Carr’s teammate on the Lakers, spoke very highly of Carr at the postgame press conference.
“That kid can ball for sure. It’s apparent he can score the ball. He’s super long, so he can shoot over guys. It’s definitely a good weapon to have out there. If I get in the paint, I’m always trying to find him, look out for him, because I know he’ll let it fly,” said Manon on Carr.Â
This means that Carr has scored 45 points in his first two Summer League games (19 points vs. the Warriors in his debut) in the Lakers’ jersey while shooting 45.0% from three-point range (9-20 from beyond the arc). The Lakers fans are fired up and can’t wait to see Carr’s impact on the floor with the senior roster in the regular season.
The Lakers’ next game is scheduled for tomorrow night (July 6) against the Spurs. All eyes on the Lakers are now on Carr as he looks to make a strong first impression on the franchise, even if it’s not a regular season or postseason game.
