Garland scores 30 as the Clippers beat the Kings 121-96 without Kawhi Leonard

Darius Garland scored 30 points and the LA Clippers beat the Sacramento Kings 121-96 on Wednesday night at Intuit Dome, never trailing in their first season opener without Kawhi Leonard since 2019. Brook Lopez added 17 points and 11 rebounds off the bench.

Garland shot 11 of 19 with three 3-pointers and four assists. Rookie Keaton Wagler had 15 points, five rebounds and five assists, Isaiah Jackson scored 13 on 6-of-8 shooting, and Gradey Dick added 12. Rui Hachimura, who came over from the Lakers, had 10 points and eight rebounds in his Clippers debut. LA's bench outscored Sacramento's 53-34, according to the Associated Press.

The Clippers led 41-29 after the first quarter, but Sacramento cut it to 61-54 by halftime. LA pulled away in the third, outscoring the Kings 32-16 for a 93-70 lead, and the margin reached 28. The Clippers had a 49-42 rebounding edge and 27 fast-break points.

Zach LaVine scored 28 for Sacramento on 10-of-19 shooting. Domantas Sabonis went 5 for 5 for 14 points and grabbed 18 rebounds with eight assists. Precious Achiuwa scored 15 off the bench. Rookie Darius Acuff Jr. scored 12 but shot 5 of 24, and the Kings made 8 of 28 from 3 and 16 of 28 at the line.

The night came with reminders of the offseason. The Clippers traded Leonard to Toronto last month after the NBA found the team had violated salary cap-circumvention rules involving him, per AP. Owner Steve Ballmer is serving a one-year suspension from league and team activities and was not in his usual baseline seat. The team was also fined $30 million and stripped of five consecutive draft picks from 2029 through 2033. Leonard scored 23 in Toronto's opening win over Chicago earlier Wednesday.

LA also played without Bradley Beal (right knee injury management), Brandon Ingram (right heel surgery) and Max Strus (right plantar fascia partial tear). According to the Elias Sports Bureau, via AP, the Clippers have the league's largest drop in average age from last season's opening-night roster.

Up next: the Clippers visit the Lakers on Friday, and Sacramento hosts Portland the same night.