After burying a clutch go-ahead triple, the sophomore forward discusses his growth as a defensive anchor and his commitment to sparking a winning culture for Sacramento’s fans.
In the Sacramento Kings' opening victory of the 2026 NBA Summer League, second-year forward Nique Clifford sealed the 79-76 win over the Brooklyn Nets with a go-ahead 3-pointer.
Clifford, who had struggled from the field leading up to that shot, talked about staying locked in down the stretch.
"I stay ready... Clifford told media after the game winner. "He [Darius Acuff Jr.] trusted in me, passed it to me, and I made a play."
Clifford added that he thought Acuff, the game's leading scorer (25 pts), would probably be isolated, looking for his own shot, but ended up finding Clifford on the wing instead.
Entering his second preseason playing in the summer league, Clifford is one of the leaders of the Kings' squad, having gained invaluable playing experience during his rookie campaign.
As the No. 24 overall pick in last year's draft, Clifford averaged 8.6 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game, appearing in 75 games for the Kings.
Heading into his second NBA season, Clifford told media he is focused on helping produce a better brand of basketball for Sacramento's fans.
"We have the best fan base in the whole NBA. They deserve a great showing every time we step out on the floor," Clifford said. "For us to be the young guys that can hopefully catapult that and start that wave, we definitely take a lot of pride in that."
Due to the mounting amount of injuries to key contributors on Sacramento's roster, Clifford became more involved after the All-Star break, showing real growth as a defender.
In Clifford's first 15 games following the hiatus, he recorded two or more steals in nine of them, including a six-steal performance against the Memphis Grizzlies on Feb. 23.
Clifford filled up the stat sheet with 12 points, six rebounds and five assists, while adding his career-high six takeaways.
The former Colorado State standout's impressive stat line made him just the fourth Sacramento Kings rookie in the Sacramento era (1985-present) to record 10-5-5-5 in a single game and the first since DeMarcus Cousins in 2011, according to SacTown Sports.
Clifford's upside as a 3-and-D wing is tangible, and his continued team-based comments show the culture that head coach Doug Christie is trying to implement on his team.
Alongside Maxime Raynaud, Acuff, and other blooming Sacramento talents, Clifford will help catalyze the Kings' rebuild.
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