Darius Acuff Jr. gave the Sacramento Kings something to hang onto in a lopsided loss Saturday night, even as Memphis kept rolling.
The Grizzlies stayed unbeaten by beating the Kings 136-105 at FedExForum, moving to 6-0 on the season. Cameron Boozer and GG Jackson II led the way for Memphis, combining for 48 points in the blowout. Sacramento, meanwhile, dropped to 0-6.
Still, Acuff Jr. turned in a performance that stood out on a night when not much went right for the Kings. He finished with a game-high 38 points, and according to a post on X by NBA, the No. 7 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft also tied multiple records along the way.
Darius Acuff Jr. vs. Memphis tonight:
— NBA (@NBA) November 1, 2026
🔥 38 points (game-high)
🔥 9 triples (ties NBA rookie record)
Acuff Jr. (19y, 349d) becomes the youngest player in Kings franchise history to record consecutive 30-PT games... surpassing Oscar Robertson (21y, 357d)! pic.twitter.com/d4XXRF0bEH
Acuff Jr. knocked down nine 3-pointers on 14 attempts, matching the NBA rookie record. He also became the youngest player in Sacramento history to post back-to-back 30-point games, doing it at 19 years and 349 days old. In the process, he passed Oscar Robertson, who had previously held that mark at 21 years and 357 days.
Through six games, Acuff Jr. has been the top scorer in his rookie class at 26.3 points per game. He’s also averaging 6.3 assists and 3.7 rebounds, numbers that show how quickly he’s become a central piece for Sacramento.
The scoring has come with volume, though. Acuff Jr. is taking 24 shots per game and making 9.5 of them, with his efficiency sitting below 40%, a sign there’s still plenty of room for growth as he continues to shoulder a heavy load.
The Kings will try again for their first win Monday on the road against the Dallas Mavericks. Memphis, still unbeaten, returns home Monday to face the New Orleans Pelicans.
In Other News...
Kings 0-6 Start Just Put Sabonis Tension Under A Spotlight
A 0-6 start has a way of magnifying everything around a struggling team, and for the Kings it has pushed the spotlight onto Domantas Sabonis and the questions swirling around how he fits with Darius Acuff Jr. Sacramento has plenty to sort through after a rough opening stretch, but Sabonis has continued to produce at a high level individually, leading the league in rebounding while the team searches for answers.
The Acuff piece is the one drawing the most attention because the guard has shown real scoring potential, even as his style has drawn criticism. Reports have suggested there is tension tied to the pairing, while other sources have pushed back and described the communication between the two as solid, leaving the full picture murkier than the record would suggest. For a Kings team already under pressure, the next step in resolving that dynamic may matter almost as much as the next win. [Read more 🡒]
Kings Face A Real Sabonis Question As Jazz Rumors Grow
Domantas Sabonis has become one of the more intriguing names in the early swirl of Kings-related trade chatter, and the fit being discussed says plenty about why. The Jazz have been floated as a possible destination because they are still searching for a true pick-and-roll force to organize their offense, and Sabonis brings exactly the kind of screen-setting and playmaking that can make young scorers easier to develop around. For Sacramento, it is a reminder that a player so central to the teams structure can also become the center of outside speculation.
The challenge for Utah is simple enough to understand and difficult enough to solve. Even if the Jazz like the basketball fit, the salary cap and contract realities make a deal complicated, which leaves plenty of uncertainty around whether this is a real path or just another rumor gaining traction because the name makes sense on paper. For the Kings, the bigger question is not just whether Sabonis could be moved, but what it would mean if the noise around him keeps building. [Read more 🡒]
Kings Winless Start Just Put More Pressure On One Injury Decision
The early-season pressure around Sacramento is only getting louder as the Kings head into a matchup with Dallas still searching for their first win. Injuries have already complicated the picture, with Zach LaVine listed as questionable, and that uncertainty adds another layer to a team that badly needs to steady itself before the standings start to separate.
Dallas comes in with a stronger start under Dusty May, but the bigger concern for Sacramento is how it handles the health of its own roster while trying to avoid digging a deeper hole. Kyrie Irving is also questionable for the Mavericks, so the game could come down to which side is better equipped to absorb a key absence and still find enough offense to take control. [Read more 🡒]