PHOENIX
Sacramento Kings coach Doug Christie made a surprise move in Wednesday’s season opener against the Phoenix Suns.
With Keegan Murray and Domantas Sabonis out of the lineup due to injuries, Christie elected to start rookie first-round draft pick Nique Clifford in his NBA debut.
Clifford had two points, a team-high eight rebounds, two assists, two steals and one blocked shot in a 120-116 loss to the Suns at Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix.
“Super surreal,” Clifford said following the game. “You dream of that moment, so it was super cool being out there to start at the beginning of the season. The trust and belief they show in me, the organization, the coaching staff and my teammates, it’s unbelievable. It’s given me a lot of confidence to just go out there and try to give everything I have to the team.”
Clifford became the ninth Kings rookie to start on opening night since starters were first recorded during the 1970-71 season. He joined DeMarcus Cousins, Tyreke Evans, Phil Ford, Bobby Hurley, Justin Jackson, Lionel Simmons, Kenny Smith and Jason Williams.
“It’s special to be part of that,” Clifford said. “There’s not a lot of rookies across the whole NBA who even get to play, so for me to be starting, I don’t take that for granted. It’s a gift from God and a testament to the work I’ve put in.”
Clifford only attempted three shots, but he made his mark on the game with his energy, defense and rebounding.
“He’s been great, always wants to learn, always asking questions, so he’s been great for us,” Kings guard Malik Monk said. “He’s got to be a little bit more aggressive, but we’ll talk to him about it.”
Christie kept his decision a secret until starting lineups were announced 30 minutes before tip-off. He explained his reasoning after the game.
“I just think, first of all, his athleticism, defensive ability, that’s one of the biggest things,” Christie said. “He had eight rebounds, so he affects the game. Tonight, he didn’t score, but eight rebounds is solid from his position.
“He’s going to use his fouls. He’s going to be physical. You can switch him off, pretty much in today’s game, one through four in most cases. He had a fantastic camp, and in this particular instance they weren’t playing two bigs, so we had the ability to play him and switch across the board.”
Clifford is a 6-foot-5 guard who came out of Colorado State as the 24th pick in the 2025 NBA draft. He earned the trust of his coaches and teammates after averaging 14.3 points, 3.5 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.3 steals in four preseason games.
“He’s special,” Kings point guard Dennis Schroder said. “… How he reads the game, always at his own pace, never gets rushed. Really was surprised about his passing ability throughout the preseason.”
Kings guard DeMar DeRozan, a future Hall of Famer who ranks 25th on the NBA’s all-time scoring list, agreed with Schroder’s assessment.
“I really believe he’s going to be a star in this league,” DeRozan said. “He’s very mature and smooth with his skillset.”
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Jason Anderson
The Sacramento Bee
Jason Anderson is The Sacramento Bee’s Kings beat writer. He is a Sacramento native and a graduate of Fresno State, where he studied journalism and college basketball under the late Jerry Tarkanian.
