The Los Angeles Clippers host the Sacramento Kings in the opening game of the 2026-27 NBA Regular Season on Wednesday, October 21, 2026, at Intuit Dome in Inglewood. Tip-off is scheduled for 10:30 p.m. ET (7:30 p.m. local time at the arena), with live coverage in the United States across KTLA, NBC Sports California, NBA League Pass, ClipperVision, Peacock, and Fubo.
Both Western Conference franchises enter the 2026-27 regular season with 0-0 records and zero disciplinary technical fouls after making major offseason roster changes. During the 2025-26 campaign, the Los Angeles Clippers finished with a 42-40 record, while the Sacramento Kings placed 14th in the Western Conference at 22-60. In their most recent regular-season meeting on Sunday, April 5, 2026, the Los Angeles Clippers defeated the Sacramento Kings by a score of 138-109.
Where to watch Los Angeles Clippers vs Sacramento Kings live
Fans in the United States can watch the regular-season opener across television networks, pay-per-view, and streaming platforms.
- KTLA (broadcast TV)
- NBC Sports California (cable TV)
- NBA League Pass (pay-per-view)
- ClipperVision (streaming)
- Peacock (streaming)
- Fubo (streaming)
Start time and location for Los Angeles Clippers vs Sacramento Kings
The Western Conference matchup takes place in California with the following schedule and venue details:
- Date: Wednesday, October 21, 2026
- Start time: 10:30 p.m. ET (7:30 p.m. local arena time, America/Los_Angeles)
- Location: Intuit Dome, in Inglewood, California
- Competition: NBA — Regular Season
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How the Los Angeles Clippers arrive
Head coach Tyronn Lue begins his seventh season in charge of the Los Angeles Clippers after an offseason of roster changes. Following the 2025-26 campaign, the franchise traded Kawhi Leonard to the Toronto Raptors for Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, and draft picks; sent James Harden to the Cleveland Cavaliers for Darius Garland; and dealt Ivica Zubac to the Indiana Pacers in exchange for Isaiah Jackson and Bennedict Mathurin.
Tyronn Lue confirmed Isaiah Jackson as the starting center for the season opener, with veteran Brook Lopez serving as his immediate backup. Alongside Jackson, the probable starting lineup features point guard Darius Garland, who averaged 18.8 points and 6.7 assists across 45 games in 2025-26, forward Rui Hachimura, and power forward Derrick Jones Jr. The fifth starting spot at shooting guard remains undecided between rookie Keaton Wagler, the fifth overall pick in the 2026 Draft, and veteran Kris Dunn.
The Los Angeles Clippers have five confirmed absences due to injury for the opening night matchup:
- Brandon Ingram (forward, out following right heel surgery after averaging 21.5 points across 77 games in 2025-26)
- Bradley Beal (shooting guard, out for right knee injury management)
- Strus (out with a partial plantar fascia tear in his right foot)
- Jordan Miller (out following left shoulder rotator cuff surgery)
- Yanic Konan Niederhäuser (out following Lisfranc foot surgery)
How the Sacramento Kings arrive
Head coach Doug Christie leads a reshaped Sacramento Kings roster after the team waived DeMar DeRozan and allowed Russell Westbrook to depart at the end of his contract. Addressing the team’s preparation for the new campaign, Doug Christie said: “We want to compete; we want to build chemistry. Health, soreness, workload, we have to manage those at the same time. It’s a delicate balance. We have to build chemistry, but at the same time, we have to be smart.”
The probable starting core for the Sacramento Kings includes rookie point guard Darius Acuff Jr., selected seventh overall in the 2026 Draft, power forward Keegan Murray, shooting guard Zach LaVine, and center Domantas Sabonis. In the 2025-26 season, Zach LaVine averaged 19.2 points per game for Sacramento, while Domantas Sabonis recorded averages of 15.8 points, 11.4 rebounds, and 4.1 assists. Forward De’Andre Hunter is projected to take the fifth starting spot, though his official inclusion in the opening lineup has not yet been confirmed.
Sacramento enters the opener with three confirmed injury absences and one questionable player on the official report:
- Ben Simmons (guard/forward, out for the season after suffering a ruptured right Achilles tendon during practice on Sunday, October 18, 2026)
- Maxime Raynaud (out with a right patella subluxation)
- Dylan Cardwell (out with a left calf strain)
- Malik Monk (shooting guard, listed as questionable due to left ankle soreness)
Read also: New York Knicks vs Philadelphia 76ers: where to watch live and start time (NBA, Oct 20)
Officiating for Los Angeles Clippers vs Sacramento Kings
The officiating crew (Crew Chief, Referee, and Umpire) for the October 21, 2026 games had not been announced by the NBA at the time of publication, as the league releases the official assignments on game day.
Head-to-head history between Los Angeles Clippers and Sacramento Kings
During the 2025-26 regular season, the Los Angeles Clippers and the Sacramento Kings faced each other four times, with the Clippers winning three games and the Kings winning one. Sacramento secured a 131-90 victory on December 30, 2025, before Los Angeles won three consecutive matchups: 114-111 on February 6, 2026, 118-109 on March 14, 2026, and 138-109 on April 5, 2026.