Kings rookie joins LeBron James and Luka Doncic in rare NBA history despite another Sacramento loss

The Sacramento Kings have started the 2026-27 NBA season with five consecutive losses. That difficult opening has overshadowed one of the most impressive individual performances by a rookie this season. Darius Acuff Jr. scored 34 points and handed out 14 assists Thursday night in Sacramento's 132-120 loss to the New Orleans Pelicans. The former Arkansas standout added six rebounds while shooting 13-for-26 from the field. The performance placed him in rare company. According to the NBA,Acuff became just the fourth teenager in league history to record at least 30 points and 10 assists in a game. The other three are LeBron James, Luka Doncic and Stephon Marbury. That is an extraordinary list for a young player still learning the demands of professional basketball. Acuff's performance was not simply a scoring outburst. His 14 assists demonstrated the ability to create offense for teammates while handling a significant portion of Sacramento's offensive responsibility. He also became the first Kings rookie to record at least 30 points and 10 assists in a game since Kenny Smith in 1988.