Sacramento Kings rookie Darius Acuff Jr. dazzled in his preseason debut, giving a beleaguered fan base a glimpse of the future and reason for hope despite a lopsided loss.
Luka Doncic scored 21 points in 16 minutes to lead the Los Angeles Lakers to a 127-103 victory over the Kings in the preseason opener for both teams Monday at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento.
The Kings shot just 17.4% from 3-point range, committed 27 turnovers and trailed by as many as 33 points, but Acuff had the building buzzing while going toe-to-toe with Doncic in the first half. The 19-year-old point guard hit six of his first nine shots in a highly efficient first half before finishing with 19 points on 8-of-17 shooting in 27 minutes.
“It felt good,” Acuff said. “I haven’t played a real game in a while. It felt good to get out there and play against somebody else. Not the outcome we wanted, but it was good to play against somebody else.”
Sacramento Kings guard Darius Acuff Jr. maneuvers between Los Angeles Lakers guard Quentin Grimes (5) and forward Sandro Mamukelashvili (54) during the NBA preseason game Monday, Oct. 5, 2026, at Golden 1 Center. JOSÉ LUIS VILLEGAS jvillegas@sacbee.com
Fans were also eager to see three-time All-Star Ben Simmons make his preseason debut for Sacramento, but after six intense days of training camp the Kings chose to sit Simmons, Keegan Murray and Malik Monk.
“This has been an incredible camp,” Kings coach Doug Christie said. “Guys have played really hard, but we’re going to look at different combinations.”
Acuff started along with Zach LaVine, De’Andre Hunter, Precious Achiuwa and Domantas Sabonis. Acuff was the only starter to log more than 15 minutes.
Second-year guard Nique Clifford turned in an impressive performance off the bench. He scored a game-high 23 points on 8-of-13 shooting with nine rebounds and two assists.
Maxime Raynaud and Daeqwon Plowden scored 12 points apiece for Sacramento. LaVine scored nine points on 4-of-6 shooting in 15 minutes. Sabonis had four points, three rebounds and three assists while committing five turnovers in 10 minutes.
Acuff was the engine in Sacramento’s offense. He scored at all three levels, showing off his shot-making and shot-creation abilities with an impressive array of moves.
There was a stretch in the third quarter when Acuff was guarded by Quentin Grimes, who is widely regarded as a strong point-of-attack defender. Acuff went left and went right, getting by Grimes rather easily.
“I know I’m going to face a tough defender every night, so that’s why I stay in the gym,” Acuff said. “It’s just the little things, just reading the game, making sure the floor is spaced out, making sure everybody is where they need to be so if I get a chance to do something, and when I don’t, I just learn from it. It helps me every day to learn from seeing different defenders on me.”
Christie agreed.
“He’s composed,” Christie said. “He just don’t feel no pressure. He plays his game. He takes his time. He’s still learning the league, but what he’s bringing into the league and what he’s bringing into this organization is composure.”
Looking sharp
Christie said Acuff’s elite offensive skillset is getting ever stronger because he is often guarded by rookie second-round draft pick Emanuel Sharpe in practice.
“Iron sharpens iron,” Christie said. “They’re very good for each other in a lot of different ways, so that’s a bonus.”
Sharp is highly regarded as a 3-and-D prospect. He went 2 of 11 from the field and 1 of 8 from 3-point range, but he was credited with frustrating Doncic, who went 5 of 12 from the field and 3 of 9 from beyond the arc.
“Emanuel is special,” Christie said. “He’s going to earn everything he gets. He’s going to earn it. I think he will become one of those fan favorites. Love everything about him. Love his physicality. He shoots the ball when he’s open. Really excited to see him get out and play that way. That’s what I expected, but it’s really good to see it out on the floor.”
Honoring the G-Man
The Kings held a brief ceremony before Monday’s game to unveil the newly named Gary “G-Man” Gerould Media Center.
Gerould is entering his 42nd season as the radio voice of the Kings. He has manned the position since the Kings relocated from Kansas City in 1985, endearing himself to generations of fans in Sacramento while becoming one of the most beloved figures in franchise history.
Gary “G-Man” Gerould, the legendary radio play-by-play voice of the Sacramento Kings since 1985, is embraced by Los Angeles Lakers television play-by-play announcer Bill Macdonald after being recognized for his work with the permanent naming of the Golden 1 Center press workspace as the Gary ‘G-Man’ Gerould Media Center on Monday, Oct. 5, 2026. JOSÉ LUIS VILLEGAS jvillegas@sacbee.com
“Well deserved, first and foremost,” Christie said following the dedication ceremony. “Incredible. What a career and still going. Forty-two years. G-Man has dedicated his life to Sacramento. That’s huge, man. We love him.”
Gary “G-Man” Gerould, the legendary radio play-by-play voice of the Sacramento Kings since 1985, was recognized for his work with the permanent naming of the Golden 1 Center press workspace as the Gary ‘G-Man’ Gerould Media Center on Monday, Oct. 5, 2026. JOSÉ LUIS VILLEGAS jvillegas@sacbee.com Up next
The Kings will face the Lakers again when they visit Crypto.com Arena on Thursday in Los Angeles.
The Kings will play a total of five preseason games. They will visit the Golden State Warriors on Saturday at Chase Center in San Francisco, play host to the Portland Trail Blazers on Oct. 13 and travel to face the San Antonio Spurs on Oct. 16.
This story was originally published October 6, 2026 at 8:48 AM.
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Jason Anderson has been the Sacramento Kings beat writer for The Sacramento Bee since 2018. He is a Sacramento native who is proud to provide coverage that is as passionate and dedicated as the loyal Kings fan base.