Darius Garland opened his first full season with the Clippers by scoring 30 points in a 121-96 win over the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday at Intuit Dome. The Los Angeles Clippers never trailed. Brook Lopez added 17 points and 11 rebounds off the bench, and No. 5 pick Keaton Wagler had 15 points, five rebounds and five assists in his NBA debut, also as a reserve. It was the Clippers’ first season opener without Kawhi Leonard since 2019, per AP.
Our Clippers opening night preview set up the game. Here is how it went.
Darius Garland Sets the Tone
Garland made his first five shots, including three threes, and had 16 points in the first nine minutes, per the Los Angeles Times. He finished 11-of-19 from the field, 3-of-8 from three and 5-of-8 at the line, with four assists and a plus-15 in 32 minutes, per ESPN’s box score. The Clippers led 41-29 after one quarter.
“Shots [were] falling,” Garland said. “The first trey ball went in, and after that, the rim just looked bigger and bigger.”
Tyronn Lue liked how he adjusted after halftime. “Darius, I thought, came out and set the tone early, scoring the ball offensively,” Lue said, per the Times. “And [in] the second half, just getting everybody else involved, getting guys shots… He did a good job of really orchestrating that second half.”
“He’s our leader,” Lopez said. “Our best player. Everything starts with him.”
Before tip-off, Garland spoke to the crowd: “Clipper Nation… We’ve been working hard all summer, ready to really turn up this year.” He came to Los Angeles from the Cleveland Cavaliers in February in the trade that sent James Harden to Cleveland, per the Times.
The NBA’s official highlights:
Kris Dunn Starts, Keaton Wagler Comes Off the Bench
Lue’s starters were Garland, Kris Dunn, Derrick Jones Jr., Rui Hachimura and Isaiah Jackson, per the Times and ESPN. That answers the shooting guard question we wrote about on Tuesday. Yahoo Sports had projected Wagler to start, but Lue went with the veteran. Dunn had seven points, seven assists, five rebounds, three steals and two blocks.
Wagler made the most of his bench role. He shot 4-of-8, 3-of-6 from three and 4-of-4 at the line, and had only one turnover in 29 minutes. He had an assist on his first touch and then a layup for his first NBA points, per the Times.
“It was definitely chills,” Wagler said. “From the intros, to the first bucket, to the end of the game. The fans were into it. It was live in there.”
The Times reports he is the youngest NBA player since LeBron James to have 15 points on 50% shooting with at least five assists and five rebounds. He also joined Ernie DiGregorio (1973) as the only Clippers rookies with at least 15 points and five assists in a season opener. “He’s been working his butt off, literally,” Garland said.
The Bench Wins Easily
The Clippers’ reserves outscored Sacramento’s 53-34, per AP.
- Brook Lopez: 17 points on 7-of-12 shooting and 11 rebounds in 27 minutes, plus-18.
- Gradey Dick: 12 points on 3-of-4 shooting and 5-of-6 free throws in his Clippers debut. He came over in the trade that sent Leonard to Toronto.
- Kobe Sanders: played 19 minutes in his first action after missing the preseason, with two points, three assists and three steals.
- Baba Miller: four points and three rebounds in nine minutes.
Jackson scored 13 points on 6-of-8 shooting in just 15 minutes, and he was called for four fouls. He did not attempt a three despite promising to shoot more of them.
Rui Hachimura’s Rough Debut
Rui Hachimura, who signed a three-year deal after leaving the Lakers, shot 3-of-13 for 10 points, with eight rebounds. The Times notes that his next game is against his old team on Friday.
The Kings’ Side
- Zach LaVine: 28 points on 10-of-19 shooting.
- Domantas Sabonis: 14 points on 5-of-5 shooting, 18 rebounds and eight assists.
- Darius Acuff Jr.: started his debut and scored 12 points on 5-of-24 shooting (0-of-7 from three) in 35 minutes.
- Keegan Murray: two points on 1-of-8 shooting.
Sacramento shot 42% and made only 16 of 28 free throws. The Kings never led. The win was the Clippers’ eighth in their last nine games against Sacramento going back to the start of the 2024-25 season, per the Field Level Media recap carried by GMA News. Doug Christie’s young team is trying to recover from a 22-60 season. Malik Monk, listed day-to-day with ankle soreness before the game, did not play. Achiuwa added 15 points on 5-of-8 shooting off the bench. NBA.com lists Malik Monk, Dylan Cardwell, Maxime Raynaud and Ben Simmons as inactive.
By the Numbers
- Clippers: 52% shooting (43-of-82) and 40% from three (14-of-35)
- Rebounds 49-42 Clippers, steals 14-10, fast-break points 27-18
- Largest lead: 28. Zero lead changes.
- Third quarter: 32-16 Clippers, which turned a 61-54 halftime lead into a 93-70 cushion
- Attendance: 17,927 (ESPN)
“That Win Was for Mr. Ballmer”
Lue started his postgame news conference by thanking Steve Ballmer, who is suspended for a year after the NBA’s salary-cap investigation, per the Times. “That win was for Mr. Ballmer,” Lue said. “Just want to thank you for everything. We’re still fighting for him.”
Injury Update
The Times reports that Bradley Beal (knee), Yanic Konan Niederhauser (foot), Brandon Ingram and Max Strus (foot) are making progress but will not travel for Sunday’s game at Oklahoma City.
Source Notes
- Ingram’s injury: the Times and NBA.com list a heel injury, while ESPN’s injury page and WhyNBA have referred to Achilles surgery. This is still unresolved.
- Our projection: Tuesday’s lineup feature and Wednesday’s preview presented Wagler as a likely starter, citing Yahoo Sports and clearly labeled as a projection. Dunn started instead.
What’s Next
The Clippers face the Lakers on Friday at Crypto.com Arena and play at the Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday, per ESPN’s schedule.
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