More history for Acuff, but Kings fall to 1-9 on the season

The Sacramento Kings had an opportunity to make a statement Sunday night. Instead, they suffered another frustrating loss.

Sacramento fell 114-108 to the Miami Heat at Golden 1 Center, dropping to 1-9 on the season and matching the worst 10-game start in franchise history.

There were some encouraging moments. Darius Acuff Jr. continued his remarkable rookie season, Emanuel Sharp provided a spark off the bench, and the Kings put together a strong fourth-quarter run that briefly made things interesting.

But the same issues continue to hold Sacramento back. Turnovers and three-point defense have become recurring problems, and the Kings couldn’t overcome either one against Miami.

The Sacramento Kings’ 1-9 start is tied for their worst 10-game start in franchise history.

They are 0-5 at home. https://t.co/dFvnCclWef

— Frankie Cartoscelli (@FCartoscelli3) November 9, 2026

Another game, more history for Acuff

At this point, it’s becoming difficult to find new ways to describe what Darius Acuff Jr. is doing.

The rookie finished Sunday’s game with 32 points, 10 assists (five turnovers) and five rebounds in 39 minutes. He shot 11-of-21 (52%) from the field and three-of-seven (43%) from three-point land, recording his fourth 30-point performance of the season.

Acuff has now scored at least 20 points in six consecutive games. He’s just the fifth Kings rookie in the Sacramento era to accomplish that feat, joining Tyreke Evans, who put together a seven-game streak during the 2009-10 season.

The 30-point performances are even more impressive. Acuff is the seventh player in NBA history to record at least four 30-point games through his first 10 career games.

He joins a group that includes Wilt Chamberlain, Terry Dischinger, George Mikan, Walt Bellamy, Elvin Hayes and Bernard King.

Acuff takes Bam to school 😤 https://t.co/HIlQayKdlS

— Kings on NBCS (@NBCSKings) November 9, 2026

His playmaking continues to develop alongside the scoring. Acuff now has multiple games with at least 25 points and 10 assists, joining Kenny Smith and Tyreke Evans as the only Kings rookies in the Sacramento era to accomplish that.

He’s also recorded three 20-point, 10-assist double-doubles this season. Only Smith and Evans have had more among Sacramento-era Kings rookies, with four apiece.

The Kings are struggling, but Acuff is giving this franchise a legitimate reason to be excited about the future, and proving at at age 19, he already has the makings of a league-leading scorer.

Turnovers & 3PT defense cost Sacramento

The Sacramento Kings are finding different ways to lose basketball games, but two problems keep showing up:

Turnovers and three-point defense.

Miami finished the night shooting 18-of-43 (42%) from three-point land, continuing a troubling trend for Sacramento. The Heat entered the game allowing opponents to shoot 40.4% from three, ranking 29th in the NBA. The Kings entered the night ranked 24th.

Instead of taking advantage of a defense that has struggled to contain opposing shooters, Sacramento allowed Miami to find its rhythm from beyond the arc.

The turnovers were just as damaging.

BIGGGG STOP https://t.co/xLGZGYPP2r

— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) November 9, 2026

The Kings committed 18 turnovers, which Miami converted into 23 points. Sacramento had given the Heat too many easy opportunities throughout the game, and those mistakes became especially costly down the stretch.

The Kings have shown they can score enough to compete with teams. But it’s difficult to win consistently when they’re giving opponents extra possessions and allowing them to shoot this efficiently from three.

Those problems aren’t going away.

Better effort, same result

Sacramento looked like it might have a chance to steal this one after opening the fourth quarter with a 9-0 run.

The Kings forced three Miami turnovers during that stretch, got out in transition and finally found some defensive energy. Emanuel Sharp was right in the middle of it, bringing life to the second unit with his shooting and hustle.

Sharp has quietly made the most of his opportunities. He’s now shooting 14-of-31 (45%) from three-point land this season, and his energy has been noticeable. He knocked down shots, attacked loose balls and gave Sacramento a much-needed spark.

Leaky Black has also been solid. He finished with six points and two-of-four (50%) shooting from three, continuing to make a case for a larger role–potentially even a standard contract now that Nique Clifford is out of the picture (more on that later).

Unfortunately, the Kings couldn’t sustain that energy.

Davion’s athleticism on this one 😳 https://t.co/Rk3lQcmY8F

— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) November 9, 2026

Miami answered Sacramento’s run, and Giannis Antetokounmpo took over down the stretch. The Heat capitalized on defensive lapses and transition opportunities while the Kings ran out of gas.

Sacramento entered the fourth quarter trailing and once again couldn’t get over the hump. The Kings are now 0-9 this season when trailing entering the final quarter.

The fight was encouraging. The inability to finish reminded everyone how far this team still has to go.

Farewell, Nique

Sacramento announced Sunday that they are trading Nique Clifford to the Oklahoma City Thunder for Utah’s 2028 second-round pick and Minnesota’s 2030 second-round pick, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.

The move comes after Clifford played just 50 minutes across Sacramento’s first nine games, despite making a significant contribution last season while Keegan Murray and Zach LaVine were injured.

Clifford, the 24th pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, was viewed as a building block for the next era of Sacramento Kings basketball. Now, he will have a chance to blossom into the Thunder’s next success story, potentially setting Sacramento up for another head-scratching move if he figures things out with the Western Conference powerhouse.

The Kings now have two open roster spots and more financial flexibility, but it remains to be seen what general manager Scott Perry will do with those openings.

Stats & Notes

• Giannis Antetokounmpo led Miami with 29 points, 14 rebounds and three assists. He made 14-of-23 (61%) shots from the field.
• Klay Thompson finished with 23 points, knocking down seven-of-13 (54%) from three-point land. He did much of his damage in the third quarter, helping Miami answer Sacramento’s comeback attempt.
• Former Kings guard Davion Mitchell had a strong performance against his former team, finishing with 17 points and 11 assists.
• Keegan Murray returned after missing seven games with left ankle capsulitis. He came off the bench and finished with 10 points in 22 minutes.
• Malik Monk finished with nine points and three assists in 21 minutes.
• Sacramento shot 11-of-37 (30%) from three-point land.

Sacramento Kings Injury Updates

Domantas Sabonis (left knee soreness) missed his first game of the season. Sabonis is considered day-to-day.

Maxime Raynaud (right patellar subluxation) will be re-evaluated next week.

Ben Simmons underwent successful surgery to address a torn right Achilles tendon and will miss the entire 2026-27 season.

More Sacramento Kings content from Sactown Sports

• Kings trade Nique Clifford to OKC for two second-round picks
• Amick: Kings prefer stability around Doug Christie for now
• Is Darius Acuff Jr. the next Allen Iverson?
• Deveney: Sabonis isn’t trying to sabotage Acuff or the Kings

Sacramento Kings 2026-27 Regular Season Schedule

• Tuesday, November 10th vs. Orlando Magic (7:00 P.M. PT)
• Friday, November 13th vs. Portland Trail Blazers (7:00 P.M. PT)
• Sunday, November 15th vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (6:00 P.M. PT)
• Wednesday, November 17th vs. Phoenix Suns (7:00 P.M. PT)
• Friday, November 13th @ Los Angeles Lakers (7:00 P.M. PT)

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