What We Learned As Kings Can't Stop Luka Dončić's 40-piece In Loss To Lakers

What we learned as Kings can't stop Luka Dončić's 40-piece in loss to Lakers originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

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SACRAMENTO — The struggling Kings are still looking for their first winning streak of the young 2026-27 NBA season. 

Sacramento fell 116-103 to the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday on the first night of a seven-game home stand following their first win of the year Monday against the Dallas Mavericks. 

Six-time All-NBA guard Luka Dončić continued to play at an MVP level, finishing with with his third straight 40-point game, while Kings rookie Darius Acuff Jr. had another strong night with 22 points and 11 assists, but failed to score in the fourth quarter. 

It was L.A.’s fourth straight win improving their record to 7-2, tying them for the most wins in the Western Conference. 

Sacramento, meanwhile, fell to 1-7 and is tied for the worst record in the NBA.

Acuff Finding Balance Between Scoring, Facilitating

The Kings rookie point guard came into Wednesday’s contest having tied Shaquille O’Neal for the most points (158) through the first six games of a rookie season since the NBA-ABA merger in 1976. His 23.6 field goal attempts per game were the most in the NBA while his 26.1 points per game ranked ninth, and the highest among rookies.

But Acuff’s shooting efficiency has been part of an ongoing national discussion. Before Wednesday the No. 7 overall pick of the 2026 NBA Draft was making just 40.6 percent from the field during Sacramento’s 1-6 start. 

There have been questions about Acuff’s efficiency and if he’s getting his teammates involved enough in the early going. It has been a topic surrounding Acuff ever since Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green brought it up with him during a preseason game earlier this month.

“I don’t particularly worry about him in that regard,” Kings coach Doug Christie said. “Being a point guard in the NBA, especially a young guard, the biggest thing is learning when to shoot and when to pass.”

The Lakers threw a slew of different defenders against Acuff, including lengthy wings Matisse Thybulle, Ziaire Williams and former King Jake LaRavia. Acuff finished the night making just 8 of 24 shots. He played a season-high 42 minutes. 

“We talk through it, we show him video,” Christie said. “We make sure that he understands. He’s not a selfish player at all. He’s trying to win the game. 

“But we’re going to live through him experimenting and trying to figure that out on the fly. … and as I watch him continue to be a leader, I’m more and more impressed with how he goes about his business.”

Dončić Continues Scoring Spree

Dončić came to Sacramento having scored 42 and 45 in his previous two games, bumping his season average to an NBA-best 38.3 points per night. He continued his torrid scoring pace against the Kings’ 28th-ranked defense, scoring 23 points in the first half while making 4 of 8 from 3-point range. 

He added 12 in the third quarter while the Lakers started to pull away. He exited late in the fourth quarter shortly after reaching his 40th point. 

Dončić shot 11 of 23 and made 6 of 13 from deep in total. He added 9 assists and 7 rebounds with 6 turnovers.

The Kings tried doubling Dončić and playing a zone defense, which L.A. countered with multiple passes to find open shooters from deep. The Lakers came into the game ranked second in the NBA shooting 39.7 percent from 3 — and made just 12 of 37 (32 percent). They missed a slew of open looks.

Dončić got a fan ejected sitting near the Lakers bench late in the third quarter. The fan said something to Dončić, who then motioned to the referee Chelisa Painter, who called over security to escort the fan out of the arena. 

Cardwell Makes Mark in Return

The Kings were missing Dylan Cardwell’s size, activity and rim protection while he sat out the first seven games of the season with a calf strain. He made his debut on Wednesday and picked up where he left off after his promising rookie year. 

Cardwell screamed and gestured to fans inside Golden 1 Center during his 13 minutes on the floor, adding 4 points and 6 rebounds. He got into a verbal spat with Lakers reserve guard Collin Sexton in the first half, who brings a similar boisterous energy to the court. 

Cardwell figures to be a key component to the rotation behind Domantas Sabonis while fellow second-year pro Maxime Raynaud works back from a right patellar subluxation suffered in the preseason. The Kings on Oct. 26 said Raynaud would be reevaluated in two weeks. 

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