Kings Open Season With Road Loss Against LA Clippers

The Sacramento Kings opened the 2026-27 regular season with a loss, as in the preseason. 

The Kings fell to the Los Angeles Clippers 121-96 on the road on Wednesday, Oct. 21 in Inglewood. 

The Clippers made seven more baskets than the Kings including six more from the three-point line. The Clippers were 14-of-35 from three and 52 percent from the field while Sacramento shot 8-of-28 from three and 36-of-85 from the field. 

“Got to be able to keep people in front of you,” Kings head coach Doug Christie said. “Shooting the three ball, they were knocking down those shots at a high clip. But it comes from the pride of the defensive intensity of keeping the ball in front of you.”

Zach LaVine led the Kings with 28 points on 10-of-19 shooting including 3-of-8 from the arch. Kings rookie Darius Acuff Jr. scored 12 points on 5-of-24 shooting including 0-of-7 from the three-point line in his NBA debut.

LaVine told reporters that the Kings need to generate more three-point shooting opportunities to keep with today’s NBA competition. 

“The right people got to shoot them but I mean, certain people aren’t off-the-dribble shooters,” LaVine said. “So you have to help them get shots.”

Domantas Sabonis scored 14 points and grabbed 18 rebounds for the double-double. He was a perfect 5-for-5 from the field and 4-of-4 from the free-throw line. Precious Achiuwa added 15 points off the bench for the Kings. 

Kings shot 16-of-28 from the free-throw line while the Clippers made 21-of-31 from the charity stripe. 

Darius Garland scored 30 points to lead the Clippers in their first season opener without Kawhi Leonard since 2019. Brook Lopez added 17 points and 11 rebounds off the bench. Rookie guard Keaton Wagler had 15 points, five rebounds, and five assists. Rui Hachimura crossed over from the Lakers and had 10 points and eight rebounds in his debut. 

The Clippers never trailed and their bench outscored the Kings' reserves 53-34. After trailing the Clippers 41-29 in the first quarter, the Kings outscored LA 25-20 in the second quarter to go into halftime down 61-54. A 32-16 third quarter permanently put the game in blowout status for Sacramento. 

“Sometimes we’re just letting our offense affect our defense and it just can’t happen,” Christie said. “We got to continue to trust the process.”

The Clippers went from one of the oldest teams in the NBA last year to a much younger group after trading James Harden and Leonard while letting Chris Paul go. The Clippers were also without Bradley Beal (right knee injury management), Brandon Ingram (right heel surgery), and Max Strus (right plantar fascia partial tear).

The Kings host the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday, while the Clippers face off with the rival Lakers.