Lakers' Luka Dončić gets rookie Cameron Carr the ball from his first NBA basket in Atlanta

Cameron Carr's first NBA basket came on a pass from Luka Dončić. After the final buzzer, Dončić made sure the rookie also got the ball to keep. While players were shaking hands after the Lakers' 124-114 win over the Atlanta Hawks on Monday, Dončić went looking for a referee to get the game ball for Carr, the New York Post reported.

The basket came late in the first quarter. According to EssentiallySports, a Lakers steal turned into a fast break, and Dončić pushed the ball ahead to Carr, who finished with a two-handed dunk. Carr got seven minutes because Austin Reaves sat out the second night of a back-to-back. Reaves had scored 43 in Sunday's win at Detroit. Asked about the ball afterward, Dončić told the Post that a player always wants to remember his first bucket, and that it was "kind of important for me to grab it."

The moment meant more because of how Carr's season started. The Lakers drafted him 24th overall, but a right oblique strain in the preseason kept him out of the opening stretch. He worked his way back with the Coachella Valley Lakers in the G League, EssentiallySports reported. His debut against Toronto was about a minute of garbage time, and the reserves gave up an 11-2 run that sent JJ Redick's starters back into the game. Carr's mother, Tanya, a former Minnesota Timberwolves dancer who is married to former NBA player Chris Carr, shared the clip of Dončić on social media with a proud note.

Dončić also had a big night as a player. He finished with 32 points, 10 assists, eight rebounds, five steals and two blocks. The Post noted it was his fifth career game with at least 30 points, five rebounds, five assists and five steals. Only 10 players in NBA history have done that more than once. The win moved Los Angeles to 10-2, the best record in the league and the franchise's best start since the 2019-20 title season.

What it means for Milwaukee

The Lakers play next on Wednesday at the Milwaukee Bucks. That ends a three-game road swing that has gone through Detroit and Atlanta. It's the first game for Los Angeles since the back-to-back, and Reaves sat Monday only for rest. Neither source said whether Carr will hold his minutes once the rotation is back at full strength. EssentiallySports pointed out how crowded the Lakers' depth chart already is.

The numbers show why that's a high bar. The Lakers have won six straight since the 112-95 loss at Golden State. In that run they've averaged about 125.7 points and allowed about 115.5. Over all 12 games they score about 122.1 a night and give up 114.4, a margin of nearly eight points. They've been equally good at home and on the road, 5-1 in each. Their only losses came against the Warriors on the road and the Trail Blazers at home. They've also scored at least 116 in each of the last six games, including both wins on this trip.

Milwaukee gives a rested Lakers team the chance to finish the trip 3-0. The night in Atlanta showed that the team's best player is paying attention to its youngest ones. More on the season is on our Lakers team page.