Darius Acuff Jr., Domantas Sabonis could unlock next special Kings duo

Darius Acuff Jr. is showing the same competitive tone that went viral after his NBA Summer League debut in Las Vegas, and it continues to shape how the Kings view his early season. After scoring 19 points in a Summer League win against the Los Angeles Clippers on July 9, Acuff later said following Sacramento’s home opener loss to the Portland Trail Blazers at Golden 1 Center that, even with a game-high 33 points, “it was good, but don’t matter. We lost.” Sacramento fell to 0-2 after the 128-120 defeat. Coach Doug Christie praised Acuff’s focus on winning, while Zach LaVine said the team isn’t worried about scoring as Acuff improved from 21% in Game 1 to 38.5%. Sabonis has also held conversations with the rookie about improving playmaking and getting the offense moving.