LAS VEGAS – A battle of Los Angeles served as the nightcap of Tuesday’s NBA Summer League slate at UNLV’s Thomas & Mack Center.
In the main event — with plenty of star power courtside — the Lakers remained perfect in Sin City (3-0) with a dominant 99-85 victory over the Clippers.
Paced by their 24th overall pick of this year’s Draft, the Purple-and-Gold danced to the tune of 23 points from rookie guard Cameron Carr. The Lakers boasted five players in double figures. Chris Manon added 17 points and 11 rebounds. Adou Thiero chipped in with 13 points — on 5-6 FG — and AK Okereke posted 11, including three triples.
The Clippers, now 1-2, tried to fight back after falling behind early, but had not much success. They trailed the Lakers by 16 at the half and by 23 going into the fourth quarter.
In the end, the first quarter proved to be decisive. The Lakers found their groove early, going 6-for-11 from beyond the arc in the frame — including two apiece from Manon and Arthur Kaluma. The latter finished with 15 points and shot 3-6 from range.
The Clippers made just one of seven three-point attempts and shot 29 percent from the field in the opening period.
Kobe Sanders provided an offensive spark with 18 points to go along with six rebounds. No. 5 pick of this year’s Draft, Keaton Wagler, posted 16 points, six rebounds, and four assists. Nick Martinelli added a double-double (12 points, 10 rebounds).
Wagler had a game of two halves. He had two points on 1-for-7 from the field at the interval. He went 5-for-8 and poured in 14 points after the break.
Cam Carr Special
The Lakers’ first-rounder out of Baylor stole the show in the win — with his solo 8-0 run in the third quarter, flashing his brilliant offensive potential.
The dynamic 21-year-old kicked things off with a strong and-one finish at the rim. His burst of speed allowed him to leave his defender in the rearview. Carr followed that up with a pretty mid-range jumper from just beyond the free-throw line. It was butter. Nothing but string music as his long 6-foot-5 frame rose over an onlooking Clipper.
The encore was a 28-foot three-pointer — a heat check that confirmed Carr had it going, forcing those watching to rise out of their seats.
It was a small sample of Carr’s talents. A teaser. But over the course of the summer thus far, he has shown Laker faithful enough poise to believe that he will be an immediate contributor on JJ Redick’s roster. Star guard Austin Reaves and new center Walker Kessler were amongst the witnesses on Tuesday.
Around the league
There were highlights aplenty between T&M and the Cox Pavilion on Day 6 of Vegas Summer League.
In the 3 p.m. tip-off, the Brooklyn Nets swept aside the Sacramento Kings 115-83 behind several standout performances from their first- and second-year players.
2025 No. 8 Draft selection Egor Demin led the way with 22 points, four rebounds, eight assists, and four steals. Last year’s No. 22 pick, Drake Powell, added 18 points (4-7 3PT). This year’s No. 6 pick, Mikel Brown Jr., posted 16 points and five dimes.
On the Kings’ side, No. 7 pick out of Arkansas, Darius Acuff Jr., shot 9-for-18 en route to a game-high 26 points. He added five assists. No. 45 pick Emanuel Sharp erupted for six triples (6-11 3PT) as he scored 23 points.
At Cox, Javon Small’s 26 points (5-8 3PT), seven assists, and four rebounds helped the Memphis Grizzlies to a 106-85 win over the Golden State Warriors. Small was the No. 48 pick last year.
2026 No. 3 pick Cameron Boozer posted 12 points, seven rebounds, three assists, and three steals. For the Warriors, No. 11 pick Yaxel Lendeborg was one rebound shy of a double-double (15 points, 9 boards).
With No. 1 pick AJ Dybantsa shut down for the remainder of Summer League, the Washington Wizards fell to the Chicago Bulls 99-87. Undrafted rookie Jaylin Sellers (24) and this year’s No. 4 overall pick, Caleb Wilson (19), combined for 43 points for the Bulls. Wilson added eight rebounds.
In the day’s biggest nailbiter, No. 35 pick Trevon Brazile led the Denver Nuggets to a 106-103 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder. Brazile erupted for 32 points and six rebounds on 11-for-19 shooting (6-12 3PT).