Darius Acuff Jr., Domantas Sabonis could unlock next special Kings duo as 'good combination'

Even with the Kings’ 128-120 home-opening loss to the Portland Trail Blazers, rookie Darius Acuff Jr. and star Domantas Sabonis are starting to look like a potentially dynamic pairing, Sacramento reporters noted after Friday night’s action at Golden 1 Center. Acuff finished with a game-high 33 points after previously scoring 19 in Las Vegas Summer League on July 9 versus the Los Angeles Clippers. He emphasized the mindset that the result matters more than personal output, saying “it was good… don’t matter” because “we lost.” His shooting improved from 21% in Game 1 to 38.5% on Friday, and coach Doug Christie pointed to Sabonis’ playmaking plus Acuff’s off- and on-ball creativity. Kings players urged patience as Acuff worked through playmaking responsibilities.