The 2026-27 NBA season is finally here! And even with the Sacramento Kings falling big to the Los Angeles Clippers, 121-96, it was an entertaining game for the most part in Los Angeles.
The Kings held close to the Clippers through the first half, but Los Angeles used a third-quarter run to pull away from Sacramento and never looked back. Unfortunately for the Kings, it was a similar trend we saw last year. They fell behind early, and at some point in the game, the opponent had a quick-hit run to pull away, and from there it was over. Some nights it was early on; some nights it was in the second half like tonight. Let’s just hope it’s not a season-long trend again this year.
Even with the loss, there were some solid takeaways and some uncomfortable questions for Sacramento in their season debut.
Slow Start For Acuff
Well, Darius Acuff Jr. certainly isn’t shy! He took a game-high 24 field goal attempts, but made just five, good for a 20.8% clip. The good news is that even with the low efficiency, something that has, and will continue to, plague Acuff, the rookie guard was getting to his spots and getting solid looks.
Shooting 20% on high volume isn’t a viable solution going forward, but tonight was the first clue that this is indeed Acuff’s team. No matter what else happens this season, Acuff getting the chance to get experience and improve is what’s best for him and the Kings going forward, and if tonight was any indication, he’s going to take advantage of that opportunity.
He may never reach the efficiency that will sustain winning this season, but Acuff is too good, and was getting too good of looks, to shoot this poorly every night. It will likely be an up-and-down season where some nights he can’t miss, with some nights going like this.
LaVine and Sabonis Do Their Thing
While Acuff struggled in his debut, Domantas Sabonis and Zach LaVine went out and did their thing.
Sabonis finished with 14 points on a perfect 5-of-5 from the field, grabbed 18 boards, and dished out 8 assists. LaVine had a team-high 28 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists on 10-of-19 (52.6%) from the field and 3-of-8 (37.5%) from three.
It’s the stat lines of old for both veterans, who are returning to the court with a lot to prove, not only to the Kings, but to the league. It’s a game where, if Acuff was hitting more of his shots, the Kings really could have been right in this one, given how well LaVine and Sabonis played.
Should We Be Worried?
We’ve officially hit the point where we have to ask ourselves. Should we be worried about Keegan Murray?
After a quiet preseason, the fifth-year wing had another quiet game tonight, finishing with two points on 1-of-8 (12.5%) shooting from the field. He missed all four of his three-point attempts and didn’t get to the line, and he chipped in four rebounds and no assists. It’s a make-or-break year for Murray, and tonight wasn’t a great start. The Kings desperately need more three-point production, and if Keegan isn’t able to work his way back to a capable three-point shooter, their offense may not be able to keep up from beyond the arc.
To answer the question, it is too soon to be worried about Murray. He’s always been a streaky shooter and is coming off injuries, which should buy him a little bit of leeway. But with tonight being the first game of Murray’s five-year, $140 million deal, expectations are going to be extremely high for him going forward.
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