Darius Acuff Jr. didn’t try to dress it up after another rough night for the Sacramento Kings.
After a 107-100 loss to the Orlando Magic on Tuesday at Golden 1 Center, the rookie point guard was blunt about where things stand for a team that has stumbled to 1-10. That mark ties the worst 11-game start in franchise history, and Sacramento’s latest defeat came with another strong individual performance from Acuff that still wasn’t enough to change the result.
The 18-year-old carried the Kings offensively, finishing with 29 points, six assists and four rebounds in 40 minutes. He also had help from veteran guard Zach LaVine, but Sacramento couldn’t put together the stops it needed late as Orlando handled the key possessions down the stretch.
Acuff, though, wasn’t interested in talking up his own numbers. After the game, beat reporter Frankie Cartoscelli posted on X that the rookie was visibly frustrated while speaking with the media, and Acuff made his feelings clear.
“1-10 just don't sound right,” Acuff said. “There's nobody to blame but ourselves… We're trying; we're talking as a team. When the clock hits zero and we're losing, that's the most frustrating part.”
The rookie’s workload has been enormous this season. Acuff has become the first NBA rookie since 1983 to attempt at least 20 shots in each of his first 10 career games, a sign of how much Sacramento has leaned on him early. But the production hasn’t translated into wins, and the Kings remain winless at home at 0-6.
For now, the numbers keep piling up for Acuff, but the losses keep piling up for Sacramento. And until the Kings clean up their late-game execution, the frustration around the team is only going to grow.
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The lineup shuffle was part of the backdrop, too, with Sean Sweeney going to his sixth different starting five of the season and putting Anthony Black in the opening group while Jase Richardson returned to the bench. Sacramento made it uncomfortable late behind Darius Acuff Jr.'s 29 points and Zach LaVine's 31, but the Kings still dropped their fourth in a row and sixth straight at home, leaving Orlando with a much-needed result and a few things to build on. [Read more 🡒]
Wendell Carter Jr. Is Back At The Center Of A Magic Debate
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The latest buzz comes from the Warriors side of the league, where interior depth has become a talking point as Kristaps Porzingis has stepped away for health reasons. One analyst floated a framework that would send Porzingis and draft capital to Orlando for Carter, a move that would give Golden State a different kind of frontcourt fit while putting the Magic in position to weigh whether Carters current role is the right long-term one. [Read more 🡒]