The Sacramento Kings didn’t get the result they wanted, but they did leave their home opener with something to build on.
Portland walked out with a 128-120 win, yet this game looked nothing like the flat opener against the Los Angeles Clippers. The Kings actually gave themselves a chance late, and that alone was a noticeable shift from the gloom surrounding the start of the season. For a team that came in after an 0-5 preseason and an opening-night loss, that counts for something.
The main reason was the three-man engine of Domantas Sabonis, Zach LaVine and Darius Acuff Jr. Sacramento leaned on that group throughout the night, repeatedly running possessions through Sabonis as a screener and hub while Acuff and LaVine used the space to attack the rim or get clean looks from deep. The trio combined for 82 points, 26 rebounds and 15 assists, and it gave the Kings something that looked an awful lot like an actual offensive identity.
Sabonis recorded his first triple-double of the season with 27 points, 19 rebounds and 10 assists while shooting 10-of-13 from the field. LaVine added 22 points on 6-of-15 shooting, including 3-of-9 from three.
Acuff Jr. turned in an eye-popping 33 points, though it came on 10-of-26 shooting. Even so, the production and the shot-making burst were impossible to ignore.
The bigger picture for Sacramento was less about the final score and more about how the offense functioned. The Kings finished with 21 assists, a number that doesn’t leap off the page, but the ball movement was far better than it was against the Clippers.
There was more action, more flow, and more purpose. Running the offense through Sabonis was clearly central to that, and after practice the day before, he had already hinted that would be the direction.
Acuff was the night’s most aggressive scorer. He launched a team-high 26 shots, then caught fire in the second half as Sacramento made its push back into the game. The efficiency still needs work, but the confidence and scoring appetite were on full display.
Malik Monk also made his debut and drew a strong reaction from the crowd, though he looked rusty after missing live action while working back from his ankle injury. Nique Clifford played just 2:04, Daeqwon Plowden logged 20:17, and Keegan Murray did not play in the fourth quarter even with the Kings still within reach late.
That kind of lineup management figures to be part of the story all season. Doug Christie has a roster with plenty of options, and the combinations are wide open behind the top end of the rotation.
Through two games, he appears ready to go with his feel for the moment and ride whatever is working. For this version of the Kings, that might be the smartest way to handle it.
In Other News...
Keegan Murray Is Caught In A Kings Problem That Keeps Growing
Keegan Murrays early-season fit has been complicated by more than just the usual opening-night rust. Between a preseason spent on limited minutes and the lingering effects of returning from injury, Murray has had to find his rhythm while the Kings keep adjusting the pieces around him. The result has been a start that has not looked as clean or settled as Sacramento would like from one of its key young forwards.
The bigger issue is the one the Kings seem to keep running into: a rotation that has not stayed still long enough for anyone to really settle into a role. Murrays spot has felt especially fluid amid those changes, and the uncertainty has shown up in his on-court consistency. For a team trying to build continuity, his situation has become another reminder that Sacramento still has some sorting out to do. [Read more 🡒]
Sabonis Is Doing Something Historic For The Kings Already
Domantas Sabonis has wasted no time putting his imprint on Sacramentos season, piling up rebounds at a pace the league has never seen in the post-merger era. Through the first three games, he has grabbed 52 boards to break Moses Malones old mark of 49, while also setting the tone as the Kings most important offensive connector. Even in an early stretch marked by losses, Sabonis has been doing the kind of work that keeps Sacramento organized and dangerous.
What makes the start even more notable is that the big mans production has not been limited to the glass. He is leading the league in rebounds per game and in assists for the Kings, and he has done it while showing improved shooting percentages from last season. For a team still looking to turn effort into results, Sabonis has already been everything the Kings could ask for, and maybe a little more. [Read more 🡒]
Zach LaVine Just Exposed An Early Kings Problem
After an 0-3 start, the early frustration around Sacramento has already gone beyond missed shots and defensive miscues. Zach LaVines comments pointed to a bigger issue inside the locker room: a team still trying to settle in, with the acclimation process not yet giving the Kings a clear sense of direction from the front office, the coaching staff or the veterans expected to steady things.
The larger concern is whether the pieces Sacramento has invested in are actually being used in a way that matches the plan. There has been a noticeable disconnect between draft capital and in-game decisions, including limited run for recent first-round picks, and LaVines point about veteran leadership only sharpened the conversation. In his view, teams need a voice and a structure to lean on, and right now the Kings are still searching for both. [Read more 🡒]