Sacramento Kings Rookie Darius Acuff Jr. Struggles in NBA Debut Against Clippers
The 19-year-old point guard scored 12 points on 5-for-24 shooting as the Sacramento Kings fell 121-96 to the Los Angeles Clippers.
Sacramento Kings rookie point guard Darius Acuff Jr. endured a challenging introduction to the professional league during his team's season-opener against the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday night at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California.
The Kings dropped their opening game of the 2026-27 NBA season in a 121-96 loss to the Clippers. Acuff, selected seventh overall in the 2026 NBA Draft, was not shy about taking shots, logging 35 minutes of playing time in his debut performance.
The 19-year-old former Arkansas standout finished the night with 12 points, three rebounds, three assists, and three steals, alongside four turnovers. However, he struggled to find his rhythm from the field, converting just 5 of his 24 shot attempts for 20.8 percent shooting, and missing all seven of his three-point attempts.
The difficulties faced by the young rookie highlighted the steep learning curve often encountered during the transition to the NBA. Despite the shooting woes, Acuff's willingness to aggressively look for his shot demonstrated the assertive mindset expected of a high draft pick.
On the opposing side, the Clippers delivered a dominant statement performance following a turbulent offseason that included parting ways with Kawhi Leonard and managing salary-cap circumvention sanctions. Darius Garland led Los Angeles with 30 points, shooting 11-for-19 from the field while orchestrating the offense effectively.
Garland's stellar opening-night outing marked a strong start for the point guard, who joined the franchise in February. With the victory, Garland also became the fastest point guard in Clippers history to surpass 400 points and 100 assists.
Los Angeles also received substantial contributions from the rest of the roster. Brook Lopez recorded 17 points and 11 rebounds, Isaiah Jackson added 13 points, and Gradey Dick chipped in 12 points. Rookie Keaton Wagler, the fifth overall pick in the 2026 draft, added 15 points and five assists off the bench in 29 minutes.
For Sacramento, Zach LaVine led the scoring effort with 28 points, while Domantas Sabonis contributed 14 points and 18 rebounds. Nonetheless, the Kings struggled significantly on both ends of the floor, as the Clippers shot 52.4 percent overall and capitalized on 14 steals to build a 23-point advantage by the end of the third quarter.