Carr

The son of former NBA dunk contest runner-up Chris Carr, Lakers rookie Cameron Carr envisioned his first NBA points coming on a lob. When asked before the draft in April, the first-round pick knew that if not on a sky-high alley-oop his first bucket would at least be something athletic.

He now gives himself half-credit for calling his shot.

The 21-year-old Lakers guard scored his first NBA points on a fastbreak dunk Monday in Atlanta, making the most of his opportunities during the Lakers’ hot start.

Carr had two points and three rebounds in seven minutes and 19 seconds in the Lakers’ win over the Atlanta Hawks in the first significant playing time of his professional career. The Lakers, who finish a three-game, four-day road trip in Milwaukee on Wednesday, have the top record in the NBA at 10-2 with a six-game winning streak.

Carr helped extend the Lakers’ streak by bolstering a shorthanded lineup against the Hawks. The Lakers needed the rookie Monday when they were without Austin Reaves (illness) and Quentin Grimes (right finger sprain).

Three weeks into his NBA career, Carr, the 24th overall pick the Lakers traded up to acquire from the New York Knicks, said he is still nervous any time he subs into a game. Getting the first of what he hopes will be many NBA points helped settle his nerves.

“Over time it’s only going to grow, it’s only going to get better,” Carr said. “I’m only going to get more and more confident, so every time I get a chance to step out there, just show what I can do and of course show my talents through God’s work.”

The 6-foot-5 guard is a skilled scorer and an athletic marvel. He couldn’t even touch the rim when, one summer, he begged his father, who was the runner-up in the 1997 dunk contest to Kobe Bryant, to teach him to dunk. He just needed one summer to master it. Carr set a single-season sophomore scoring record at Baylor last season and his 642 points rank fifth in program history regardless of class. An efficient shooter (37.4% from three in his final college season), Carr also led Baylor with 45 blocked shots.

Now in the NBA, defense is still where Carr can improve most, Lakers coach JJ Redick said. Although Carr is a talented offensive player, it is still difficult for young players to find their rhythm with limited playing time, Redick said. The Lakers staff has encouraged Carr to take advantage of stay-ready games against coaches and make the most of G League opportunities to get more reps. Carr had 13 points and four rebounds during the Coachella Valley Lakers’ season opener on Friday.

“Just being patient, man,” Carr said of his approach to the beginning of the season, “just putting my head down, working every day, knowing that I can be the best person I can be. And when my time, my name is called, just be ready.”

Carr subbed into Monday’s game with 3:35 remaining in the first quarter. The Lakers, trailing by two, soon flipped the game with 13 unanswered points to end the quarter. A steal by Luka Doncic with 1:44 remaining fueled the streak and the star point guard threw an outlet pass to Carr in transition, who collected the ball for an emphatic two-handed dunk.

Doncic dished out another assist after the game when he rushed to secure the game ball for Carr. The superstar said he wanted the rookie to remember his first NBA bucket.

“That’s big time,” Carr said Wednesday of Doncic’s kind gesture. “Especially coming from him, that says a lot about who he is as a person and how he views this team.”

Redick handed the game ball to Carr in the locker room after the win as teammates cheered. Carr broke the team huddle on the word “together.” He plans to have everyone sign the ball before keeping it in a trophy case.

“There’s no price on it,” Carr said. “It’s forever.”

Lakers sign two-way center

The Lakers swapped out two-way centers Tuesday, waiving Lawson Lovering and signing Carson Cooper, the team announced. Both previously played in the Memphis Grizzlies organization and Cooper made one NBA appearance for the Grizzlies after signing a two-way deal with the team.

Cooper didn’t become a regular starter in college until his senior season, when he started all 35 games for Michigan State. The four-year Spartan averaged 11.1 points on 58.4% shooting with 7.1 rebounds, 1.5 assists and one block in his final season.

Lovering, who signed a two-way deal with the Lakers on Oct. 28, appeared in Lakers blowouts against Miami and Sacramento with a rebound and a block.

Third-year guard Bronny James and rookie guard Cameron Carr have been assigned to G League Coachella Valley, the Lakers announced Thursday.

James, who is the third year of a four-year contract worth $7.9 million ($4.4 million guaranteed), played only 12 minutes this season across five games, scoring four points on two-of-three shooting while missing his only three-pointer.

Carr, who was the 24th overall draft pick this summer, has played only four minutes in three games, missing the only shot he took.

James has played in 74 games during his young career, including 42 last season when he averaged 2.9 points and 1.2 assists in 8.9 minutes.

The Lakers moved their G League affiliate to Coachella Valley, where they will open the season Friday at Acrisure Arena in Palm Desert against Salt Lake City.

Josh Hoover had a four-yard touchdown run in overtime and No. 6 Indiana then kept Michigan out of the end zone in a 13-6 win on Saturday in Ann Arbor.

The defending national champion Hoosiers (7-1, 4-1 Big Ten) avoided losing two in a row for the first time in three years with coach Curt Cignetti — and won at the Big House for the first time since 1967.

The Wolverines (4-3, 1-3) started quarterback Tommy Carr and sat Bryce Underwood, but the freshman didn’t fare as well as he did last week coming off the bench in a win over Penn State.

Carr lost a fumble on an ill-advised pitch in the first quarter and had a pass intercepted in the second half. He took sacks in the second and third quarters that led to missed field goals, including a 32-yard kick after advancing to the Indiana one-yard line.

Michigan reached the Hoosiers three in the final minute of regulation when Carr was sacked for a fourth time, leading to a 26-yard field goal as time expired.

at Cincinnati 37, No. 8 Texas Tech 24: Cole Tabb had a career-high 173 rushing yards and a touchdown while JC French IV threw for a career-high four touchdown passes in the Bearcats’ stunning upset.

It was the Bearcats first win over a top-10 team at home since Nov. 18, 2006, when they defeated No. 7 Rutgers 30-11. Cincinnati won at ninth-ranked Notre Dame in 2021.

The Red Raiders (6-1, 3-1) failed go 7-0 for the first time since 2013 and were plagued by mistakes all afternoon.

at No. 1 Miami 52, Pittsburgh 23: Malachi Toney had a school-record 16 catches and Dariah Mensah threw for 387 yards and four touchdowns in the Hurricanes’ first game as the nation’s top-ranked team in nearly 24 years.

Toney finished with 194 receiving yards and three touchdown catches, while Javian Mallory rushed for two scores and Mark Fletcher Jr. moved into the No. 2 spot on Miami’s all-time list with the 33rd rushing TD of his career.

Miami native Blue Hicks had five catches for 149 yards and a touchdown for Pitt (5-3, 2-3), which dropped its third consecutive game.

No. 10 Louisiana State 38, at Auburn 17: Sam Leavitt accounted for four touchdowns, including two throws to speedster Jackson Harris, and the visitors ended an eight-game, road-losing streak in Southeastern Conference play.

Leavitt completed 32 of 45 passes for a career-high 387 yards, ran for 54 more and played turnover-free football for the second consecutive week.

LSU (6-2, 4-2 SEC) scored on five of six possessions in the first half to take a commanding 31-10 lead into halftime. Harris caught nine passes for 178 yards, scoring on a 10-yard strike and turning a 12-yard crossing route into a 70-yard sprint.

Auburn (4-3, 2-3) seemed to have a letdown a week after stunning then-No. 1 Georgia on the road.

at No. 23 Southern Methodist 59, California 20: Kevin Jennings threw three touchdowns to break the Mustangs’ career record while Kendrick Raphael ran for 104 yards while accounting for three scores, two on fourth-down plays, in the rout.

SMU (6-1, 4-1 ACC) trailed at halftime before scoring touchdowns on their first six drives after the break, when it gained 306 of its 492 total yards. Jennings, already SMU’s career leader for passing yards (9,766) and completions (781), surpassed the 72 scoring passes by Tanner Mordecai from 2021-22.

Freshman running back Christian Rhodes had touchdown runs of five and three yards in SMU’s scoring surge in the second half, while Cal (3-5, 2-3) opened with three consecutive three-and-outs.

at No. 24 Northwestern 42, Rutgers 14: Aidan Chiles threw three touchdowns for the third time this season and rushed for two others to lead the Wildcats to a fourth straight victory.

Caleb Komolafe rushed for 150 yards and a TD, including a 56-yard dash. Griffin Wilde, who finished with 133 receiving yards, Alex Honig and Drew Wagner caught passes for scores as Northwestern (6-1, 3-1 Big Ten) raced to a 28-3 lead late in the first half.

Antwan Raymond rushed for 150 yards on 18 carries and the lone Rutgers (2-5, 1-3 Big Ten) touchdown, a 46-yard run late in the third. The score was set up by the first interception thrown this season by Chiles, who finished with 219 passing yards and 83 rushing.