The Los Angeles Lakers opened their 2026 Summer League schedule with a tough 104-72 loss to the Golden State Warriors on Friday night in the California Classic at Chase Center.
While the final score was lopsided, rookie first-round pick Cameron Carr provided one of the few positives for the Lakers, showing confidence and shot-making ability in his unofficial NBA debut.
Carr finished with a team-high 19 points on five of 11 shooting from 3. He shot 7-for-15 from the field in a lopsided affair, impressing in his first action in purple and gold.
Cameron Carr was FEELIN' IT in his California Classic debut 👌
— NBA (@NBA) July 4, 2026
The 24th overall pick dropped 19 PTS to go along with 5 3PM! 🌴 pic.twitter.com/1qwPOMkZAg
Carr wasted little time making an impact, knocking down a pair of 3-pointers in the opening quarter and looking comfortable offensively from the start. His perimeter shooting helped keep the Lakers within striking distance early, but Golden State's offense quickly took control behind an outstanding shooting performance with 16 3s on the night.
The Warriors closed the first quarter with a 28-23 advantage before breaking the game open in the second. First-round pick Yaxel Lendeborg caught fire from beyond the arc, while Will Richard also found his rhythm from deep.
The Lakers also struggled offensively outside of Carr, shooting just 38.2% (26-of-68) total from the floor. The team lacked a true playmaker to organize the offense, resulting in stagnant possessions, rushed shots and limited ball movement throughout the night.
Chris Mañon provided a late spark before halftime by converting a floater at the buzzer, but the Lakers still entered the break trailing 57-33 after allowing the Warriors to shoot at a high percentage from the field and beyond the arc.
The second half offered little improvement. Golden State continued to move the ball effectively and knock down open shots, while the Lakers had difficulty creating quality scoring opportunities. Adou Thiero tried to attack the basket aggressively but struggled to finish consistently against the Warriors' defense.
L.A. briefly showed some life with a 9-0 run early in the fourth quarter, but Golden State's lead was too large to overcome as they quickly regained control and cruised to the victory.
Thiero finished with nine points, four rebounds, two assists and two steals, but shot just 3-for-10 from the field in an uneven Summer League debut.
Although the Lakers opened Summer League with a disappointing loss, Carr's scoring performance stood out as an encouraging sign.
The Lakers will face the Miami Heat next on July 5 as they still remain in San Francisco for the Cali Classic.