Before the opening tip, Darius Garland walked to center court, microphone in hand, and told the crowd it was time to go. Nine minutes into the game he had 16 points. The Clippers went on to rout Sacramento 121-96 without Kawhi Leonard, their owner or five injured players, and Garland finished with 30. The box score is the easy part of this Darius Garland Clippers story. The better part starts with a toe.
Darius Garland Clippers Opener: 16 Points in Nine Minutes
Garland opened 5-of-5 from the field and 3-of-3 from three, scoring 16 points in nine minutes. He finished 11-of-19 with three threes, five free throws and four assists in 32 minutes, and the Clippers outscored the Kings by 15 with him on the floor. They never trailed and led 41-29 after one quarter. Brook Lopez added 17 points and 11 rebounds off the bench, and rookie Keaton Wagler, the No. 5 pick, the same slot Garland went in 2019, had 15 points, five rebounds and five assists. Coach Tyronn Lue said Garland set the tone early and did a good job “orchestrating” the second half. In fairness, Sacramento helped. Rookie Darius Acuff Jr. shot 5-of-24 in his debut, and Keegan Murray was scoreless for three quarters. But the Clippers did it without Bradley Beal, Brandon Ingram and three other players, and the bench outscored the Kings’ reserves 53-34.
The Real Story Is a Toe
Here’s what I’d put above the scoring line. Garland’s toe problems began in March 2025 and cost him playoff games in Cleveland. He had reconstructive surgery on his left big toe that June, missed the first seven games last season, and at one point played with a steel plate in his shoe that wouldn’t let him bend the toe. He sprained the other big toe in January, then had another procedure on torn ligaments in the left one on June 9. Now he says the toe is 100 percent. My read: a guard’s first step starts at the foot. A 5-of-5 start at full speed is at least consistent with a player who can push off again, though one night proves nothing about a season.
The Man Cleveland Traded Is Now the Face of the Clippers
The Cavaliers dealt Garland for James Harden in February and went on to reach the Eastern Conference finals. Garland has said he feels overlooked, putting it bluntly: “Everybody felt I was out of the league, basically.” In 19 games for Los Angeles last season he averaged 19.9 points and 6.4 assists, and he’s now the highest-paid Clipper at $42 million. He has also acknowledged this is his first time as the main leader of a team, with the ball in his hands nearly all the time. So he hosted a video-game tournament for his teammates and took Wagler to a Rams game. Before the season, he told fans to be patient. Then he gave them 16 points in nine minutes. Heavy noted before tip-off that Lue was handing him the keys to the offense, and he took them.
A Franchise Fined $30 Million and Missing Its Owner
The backdrop is surreal. The NBA found the Clippers violated salary-cap rules involving Leonard, fined the team $30 million, stripped five first-round picks and suspended owner Steve Ballmer for a year, and Leonard was sent to Toronto last month for Ingram, Gradey Dick and picks. Ballmer’s courtside seat sat empty Wednesday, though Garland said he was “here in spirit,” and Lue still opened his postgame news conference with a shout-out to him. Most outsiders expect the Clippers’ streak of 15 straight winning seasons to end. Garland has said he isn’t worried about this year, only the next five.
One win over a Sacramento team that shot 8-of-28 from three doesn’t change the Clippers’ outlook. But if Garland’s toe holds up, he’s the best reason they might keep that streak alive.
Darius Garland Clippers Opener Hid a Story Bigger Than 30 Points