In the Sacramento Kings' opening triumph of the 2026 NBA Summer League, second-year guardant Nique Clifford sealed the 79-76 win implicit the Brooklyn Nets with a go-ahead 3-pointer.
Clifford, who had struggled from the tract starring up to that shot, talked astir staying locked successful down the stretch.
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"I enactment ready... Clifford told media aft the crippled winner. "He [Darius Acuff Jr.] trusted successful me, passed it to me, and I made a play."
Clifford added that helium thought Acuff, the game's starring scorer (25 pts), would astir apt beryllium isolated, looking for his ain shot, but ended up uncovering Clifford connected the helping instead.
Entering his 2nd preseason playing successful the summertime league, Clifford is 1 of the leaders of the Kings' squad, having gained invaluable playing acquisition during his rookie campaign.
As the No. 24 wide prime successful past year's draft, Clifford averaged 8.6 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game, appearing successful 75 games for the Kings.
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Heading into his 2nd NBA season, Clifford told media helium is focused connected helping nutrient a amended marque of hoops for Sacramento's fans.
"We person the champion instrumentality basal successful the full NBA. They merit a large showing each clip we measurement retired connected the floor," Clifford said. "For america to beryllium the young guys that tin hopefully catapult that and commencement that wave, we decidedly instrumentality a batch of pridefulness successful that."
Due to the mounting magnitude of injuries to cardinal contributors connected Sacramento's roster, Clifford became much progressive aft the All-Star break, showing existent maturation arsenic a defender.
In Clifford's archetypal 15 games pursuing the hiatus, helium recorded 2 oregon much steals successful 9 of them, including a six-steal show against the Memphis Grizzlies on Feb. 23.
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Clifford filled up the stat expanse with 12 points, six rebounds and 5 assists, portion adding his career-high six takeaways.
The erstwhile Colorado State standout's awesome stat enactment made him conscionable the 4th Sacramento Kings rookie successful the Sacramento epoch (1985-present) to grounds 10-5-5-5 successful a azygous crippled and the archetypal since DeMarcus Cousins successful 2011, according to SacTown Sports.
Clifford's upside arsenic a 3-and-D helping is tangible, and his continued team-based comments amusement the civilization that caput manager Doug Christie is trying to instrumentality connected his team.
Alongside Maxime Raynaud, Acuff, and different blooming Sacramento talents, Clifford volition assistance catalyze the Kings' rebuild.
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