​Nique Clifford reset his feet after faking out Egor Dëmin and connected on the game-winning three as the Golden 1 Center erupted with roar after roar. Clifford’s clutch shot helped the Sacramento Kings top the Brooklyn Nets 79-76 in a hard-fought victory that saw Sacramento erase a 10-point deficit with under seven minutes to play. Darius Acuff Jr., the No. 7 pick, led all scorers with 25 points, while Emanuel Sharp, the No. 45 pick, finished with 13 and Clifford added nine.
The game began rough for Sacramento. Dylan Cardwell opened with a thunderous dunk in traffic, delivering an initial jolt of energy for the Kings, but scoring soon dried up. Brooklyn surged ahead, riding a 13-0 run before Sharp knocked down a three to stop the bleeding. Acuff Jr. struggled to convert at the rim, using crafty dribble moves to get into position but couldn’t finish.
Brooklyn pushed its lead to 11 (21-10) by the end of the first quarter as Sacramento’s offense remained stagnant. The second quarter, however, shifted the momentum thanks to the rookies’ contributions. Sharp poured in eight points, including two threes that trimmed Brooklyn’s advantage, even knocking down a logo-distance triple that displayed his deep range. Acuff Jr. added five points in the period, and once his shots started falling, Sacramento gained confidence and momentum heading into halftime, tying the game at 37-37.
The third quarter remained tight, with Acuff Jr. continuing to press and score six points in the final minutes, underscoring his relentless attack on the rim. Brooklyn carried a one-point edge into the fourth (57-56), but Sacramento began the final period by pushing ahead with a quick sequence: Acuff Jr. dished to Mogbo for a lob, then added a floater to move the Kings in front by three.
Brooklyn answered with a 13-0 run, seizing a ten-point lead at 70-60. Sacramento, however, roared back. Acuff Jr. attacked the paint again for a layup to shrink the deficit, and Adam Flagler followed with a mid-range jumper. Acuff Jr. delivered back-to-back assists to Clifford and Cardwell, then hit a go-ahead three with 2:30 remaining to put the Kings on top. The teams traded leads late, and Acuff Jr. went 1-for-2 from the line with 38 seconds left to keep Sacramento within a possession.
In the final sequence, Bilodeau corralled Acuff Jr.’s miss and found Dëmin to prevent a turnover. Cardwell secured the ball, prompting a jump ball with the Nets. Dëmin won the tip, but Cardwell recovered and blocked the potential go-ahead shot, preserving the Kings’ lead. Acuff Jr. then walked the ball up the court as the crowd rose to its feet, sealing the victory with the game clock ticking down.