On a day that was full of Sacramento Kings news, the actual game became somewhat of a footnote on Wednesday afternoon.
Hours following the news that nine-time All-Star guard Russell Westbrook had reached an agreement with the team and forward Keegan Murray had shaken hands on a five-year, $140 million extension, Sacramento looked flat during its penultimate preseason game against the Los Angeles Clippers at Golden 1 Center.
As has been the case during the first two preseason matchups thus far, the Kings struggled to find consistency and fluidity on the offensive end while also struggling to convert from beyond the arc, allowing the Clippers to lead big for the majority of the evening.
Sacramento may have been without three key players in Keegan Murray (hand), Malik Monk (illness), and Russell Westbrook (deal not yet official), but they looked like a team that is still searching for answers across the board–especially on the defensive end.
Los Angeles finished the night shooting 50 percent from the field while holding the Kings to 21 percent from three-point range en route to a 109-91 win over a Sacramento team that has a lot to figure out over the next seven days before games count for real.
Nique Clifford goes up and under đź’Ş pic.twitter.com/Z3a2mL74IU
— Kings on NBCS (@NBCSKings) October 16, 2025
Kings vs. Clippers reaction & takeaways
Although Sacramento got off to a quick start by taking a 16-8 lead in the first quarter, the Clippers caught fire from deep and locked in on the defensive end for the final five minutes of the period, outscoring the Kings 18-2 in the process.
Preseason is for tinkering with lineups and trying new things, but Sacramento struggled to find production with each new lineup that was presented.
The Kings sent out 11 players during the first half, including rookie center Maxime Raynaud and two-way guard Isaiah Stevens, as head coach Doug Christie navigated a roster that was without Keegan Murray (recovering from hand surgery), Malik Monk (illness), and Russell Westbrook (whose signing was not yet official).
A sluggish start on both ends of the floor opened the door for a 29-8 Clippers run that erased the quick start and put Sacramento in an early 20-point hole.
Back-to-back-to-back NBA rebounding champion Domantas Sabonis was a bright spot with 12 rebounds during the first half, but outside of that, there wasn’t much for the Kings to feel good about following 24 minutes of action.
Los Angeles’ defense held Sacramento to 39 percent shooting from the field and three-of-18 (16%) from three-point range to take a 60-40 lead into the break.
Things never turned a corner for the Kings, as Christie emptied his bench near the end of the third quarter amid a 29-point deficit for the Beam Team.
While the end result of Wednesday’s game wasn’t ideal for Sacramento, one bright spot was the play of rookie wing Nique Clifford.
Clifford led all Kings scorers with 19 points on eight-of-13 shooting (two-of-five from deep) to go along with three rebounds over 20 minutes.
It appears that the 24th overall pick from June’s NBA Draft is in line to begin the season in Christie’s main rotation, although we’ll have to wait and see how things look with Monk, Westbrook, and Murray back in the fold. Through three preseason games, Clifford looks like a player with high upside for a Kings team that lacks young talent.
Nique Clifford over three preseason games:
10 PTS | 3 REB | 9 AST | 2 STL
15 PTS | 3 REB | 2 AST | 1 STL
19 PTS | 3 REB | 1 STL | 1 BLK
51% FG | 33% 3PT | 23.1 MINpic.twitter.com/jzIhEb1QmW
— Frankie Cartoscelli (@FCartoscelli3) October 16, 2025
Who’s Starting?
A collective groan could be heard across the 916 earlier this week when the news broke that forward Keegan Murray would miss the next four to six weeks after the former fourth-overall pick underwent successful surgery to repair a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his left thumb.
With Murray sidelined and Sacramento’s roster lacking another forward with the Iowa product’s versatility, the Kings will be searching for an answer at the starting four-spot as they weather his absence.
While head coach Doug Christie relayed this week that he plans on approaching the starting spot on a matchup-based basis, Sacramento rolled out veteran forward Dario Saric in Wednesday’s starting lineup alongside Dennis Schroder, Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, and Domantas Sabonis.
Saric’s 6’10 build and ability to space the floor (36 percent from deep during his eight-year career) make him an ideal fit next to the paint-based Sabonis, but it remains to be seen if Christie will roll with a different starting five come Friday’s preseason finale.
Over 17 minutes of action–the only starter to play under 26 minutes–Saric scored five points on two-of-six shooting (one-of-four from beyond the arc).
Injury Report
Domantas Sabonis departed Wednesday’s game during the second half with a right hamstring injury. No update on Sabonis was provided regarding his status for Friday’s preseason finale.
Keegan Murray will be re-evaluated in 4-6 weeks after having surgery to repair a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his left thumb.
Malik Monk was inactive due to an illness and is considered day-to-day.
Russell Westbrook, who reached an agreement on a one-year deal with the Kings on Wednesday, is expected to officially sign his contract on Thursday.
More Sacramento Kings coverage from Sactown Sports
New Sacramento Kings general manager Scott Perry made his first imprint on the roster during the offseason, but had another move up his sleeve before the beginning of the regular season.
According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, free agent guard Russell Westbrook has agreed to a deal with Sacramento.
Despite not being with a team throughout training camp, he had been linked to the Kings on numerous occasions.
“Westbrook has bonds with Domantas Sabonis, DeMar DeRozan, and Zach LaVine, history with BJ Armstrong on the agency side, and shared respect for Scott Perry and Doug Christie,” according to Charania.
At 36 years old, with 17 years of NBA experience, Westbrook’s resume is well known: MVP, 8-time All-NBA, 9-time All-Star, 2-time Scoring Champion, and 3-time Assist Champion.
Former MVP Russell Westbrook agrees to deal with the Sacramento Kings
When is the next Sacramento Kings game?
Sacramento will conclude its preseason slate of games on Friday night when it hits the road for a matchup with the Los Angeles Lakers at Crypto.com Arena.
Be sure to catch all of the Kings vs. Lakers action right here on Sactown Sports 1140 AM, with pregame coverage beginning at 6:00 PM PT on Game Night before a 7:30 pm PT tip-off from downtown Los Angeles.
Upcoming Sacramento Kings schedule for the 2025-26 season
Preseason
Friday, October 17th @ Los Angeles Lakers – 7 PM PT
Regular Season
Wednesday, October 22nd – @ Phoenix Suns – 7 PM PT
Friday, October 24th – vs. Utah Jazz – 7 PM PT
Sunday, October 26th – vs. Los Angeles Lakers – 6 PM PT
Tuesday, October 28th – @ Oklahoma City Thunder – 5 PM PT
Wednesday, October 29th – @ Chicago Bulls – 5 PM PT
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