Darius Garland, microphone in hand, waited patiently at midcourt to speak before the Clippers tipped off their 2026-27 NBA season against the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday night at Intuit Dome.
“Clipper Nation, Clipper Nation,” the eighth-year guard said to raucous cheers in Inglewood. “We’ve been working hard all summer, ready to really turn up this year. [We’ll] try to play at the highest level. [I] really appreciate the support from my teammates, coaching staff [and] organization — really appreciate everybody that comes out and … continues to support. We’re gonna be here all year.
“Clipper Nation, let’s go.”
Garland wasted no time giving Clippers fans something to smile about after an offseason of torment and transformation. He started the game shooting five-for-five from the field and three-for-three from deep, scoring 16 points in nine minutes and fueling the Clippers’ 121-96 blowout win over the Kings.
Beginning his first full season in Los Angeles after being acquired from Cleveland in a trade for James Harden in February, Garland led the Clippers with 30 points on 11-for-19 shooting and four assists.
Zach LaVine and Domantas Sabonis, meanwhile, did the heavy lifting for Sacramento, with the shooting guard scoring 28 points and the center facilitating the offense with 14 points, eight assists and 18 rebounds.
Key Kings forward Keegan Murray was scoreless through the first three quarters and was held to just two points. And rookie guard Darius Acuff Jr., whom Sacramento selected No. 7 in the draft out of Arkansas, posted 12 points on an abysmal five-for-24 shooting in his debut.
The Clippers, however, had fun to start the post-Kawhi Leonard era.
Following Garland’s lead, L.A.’s returners, including forward Derrick Jones Jr., guard Kris Dunn and centers Isaiah Jackson and Brook Lopez, were efficient and productive. Jones finished with eight points, five assists, six rebounds and an electric alley-oop slam; Dunn had seven points, seven assists and five rebounds with his usual hard-nosed defense; Jackson had 13 points and five rebounds; and Lopez had 17 points and 11 rebounds.
But Clippers fans were plenty focused on the new guys.
Former Lakers forward Rui Hachimura, who signed a three-year deal with the crosstown rival in the offseason, struggled in his Clippers debut and finished with 10 points on three-for-13 shooting. Guard Gradey Dick, a piece of the offseason trade that sent Leonard back to Toronto, was far more productive with 12 points.
Then there’s the rookie out of Illinois.
Keaton Wagler, the Clippers’ No. 5 pick in the draft, posted 15 points with five assists and five rebounds off the bench. The team’s highest draft pick since Blake Griffin (No. 1 in 2009) was clearly comfortable from the jump and gave his new fan base plenty to be hopeful for.
“He’s already shown that he’s mature,” coach Tyronn Lue said pregame. “I think he doesn’t get rattled, and just being around him for the last few months, whether he’s making shots [or] missing shots [and] not playing well, he’s always the same. He has the confidence to just keep shooting the balls, even when he’s missing.”
Wagler had an assist on his first touch and converted a savvy layup for his first career points.
Fellow rookie Baba Miller, a forward the Clippers drafted with the No. 36 pick, finished with four points and three rebounds.
Lue — whose first starting lineup featured Garland, Dunn, Jones Jr., Hachimura and Jackson — and the Clippers are in unfamiliar territory without a superstar on the roster and with most outsiders expecting the team’s streak of 15 consecutive plus-.500 campaigns to end.
But as Clippers interim president of basketball operations Trent Redden nervously said on media day, the team works well with its back against the wall.
Injury updates
The Clippers said guard Bradley Beal (knee), center Yanic Konan Niederhauser (foot) and forwards Brandon Ingram (heel) and Max Strus (foot) are all making progress in their rehab journeys but won’t travel for the team’s first road game on Sunday against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
