The Clippers opened the 2026-27 season Wednesday night at Intuit Dome with a 121-96 rout of the Sacramento Kings. They never trailed. Darius Garland was the best player on the floor, but the bigger story was depth: a short-handed roster won the bench battle 53-34.
How It Went
This was the first Clippers opener without Kawhi Leonard since 2019, and Bradley Beal, Brandon Ingram, Max Strus, Jordan Miller and Yanic Konan Niederhauser were all out as well. Garland hit three 3-pointers in the first three minutes and LA led 41-29 after one. Sacramento won the second quarter 25-20, but the Clippers took the third 32-16 to put it away. Their largest lead was 28.
The Numbers Behind the Win
Shooting: LA shot 52% from the field (43-82) and 40% from three (14-35). Sacramento shot 42% and 8-28 from deep.
Rebounding: The Clippers won the glass 49-42. Offensive boards were even at 11 apiece, so the edge came on the defensive end, where 38 rebounds held the Kings to one shot.
Turnovers: Roughly even (18 for LA, 17 for Sacramento), but the Clippers got more out of the chaos with 14 steals to 10, a 27-18 edge in fast-break points and a 56-48 advantage in the paint.
Ball movement: 29 assists on 43 baskets.
Efficiency: By our estimate from the box score, LA scored about 118 points per 100 possessions and allowed about 93. The defense won this one.
The one blemish: free throws, at 21-31 (68%).
Player Breakdowns
Darius Garland: 30 points on 11-19 shooting, 4 assists, +15 in 32 minutes. He is clearly the go-to scorer now and got there efficiently. With only 4 assists, the playmaking load is still spread around.
Brook Lopez: 17 points on 7-12 shooting and 11 rebounds off the bench, with a team-best +18 in 27 minutes. He outplayed starter Isaiah Jackson, who was slowed by four fouls. Lopez may end up being the center who closes games.
Keaton Wagler: The rookie posted 15 points (3-6 from three), 5 rebounds and 5 assists with a +14 in 29 minutes. It was a composed debut and the most encouraging sign for the Clippers’ long-term plans.
Also notable: Rui Hachimura went 3-13 in his Clippers debut, while Kris Dunn filled the stat sheet with 7 assists, 3 steals and 2 blocks.
What to Watch Friday at the Lakers
Can the bench do it again against far better guards? Sacramento’s Darius Acuff Jr. shot 5-24 in this one.
Center minutes and fouls. Watch whether Lopez keeps out-playing Jackson, and whether LA cleans up its 24 fouls.
Sources: ESPN box score (https://www.espn.com/nba/boxscore/_/gameId/401909842), ESPN recap (https://www.espn.com/nba/recap/_/gameId/401909842), LA Times (https://www.latimes.com/sports/clippers/story/2026-10-21/los-angeles-clippers-sacramento-kings-nba-opening-game-recap)