Sacramento Kings rookie Nique Clifford will be in line to get an extended look during the final six weeks of the regular season, and he’s already posting rare stat lines.

Clifford, the 24th overall pick in last summer’s NBA Draft, will assume many of the minutes that have been left on the table in light of star guard Zach LaVine’s absence for the remainder of the regular season.

With LaVine (hand surgery) sidelined, Clifford has logged 28 minutes or more in seven-straight games, including Monday’s win over the Memphis Grizzlies, one that saw the Kings snap a franchise-record 16-game losing streak.

Nique ➡️ Dae pic.twitter.com/7DrfmE8Akh

— Sacramento Kings (@SacramentoKings) February 24, 2026

It was a unique (no pun intended) night for Sacramento’s most-recent first-round pick, as the Colorado State product finished the win with 12 points, six rebounds, five assists, and a career-high six steals (doubling his previous career best) on five-of-eight shooting from the field.

Clifford’s rare stat line made him just the fourth Sacramento Kings rookie in the Sacramento era (1985-present) to post 10-5-5-5 in a single game and the first since DeMarcus Cousins in 2011:

Sacramento Kings Rookies to Post 10-5-5-5

Nique Clifford (2026): 12 PTS | 6 REB | 5 AST | 6 STL
DeMarcus Cousins (2011): 17 PTS | 9 REB | 6 AST | 5 STL
Lionel Simmons (1991): 31 PTS | 10 REB | 7 AST | 6 STL
Kenny Smith (1988): 14 PTS | 7 REB | 13 AST | 6 STL

The 24-year-old has shown flashes of his potential in recent weeks, especially since January 25th. Over the past 13 games, Clifford has averaged 11.2 points, 4.1 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 1.5 steals per game (31.9 minutes per contest).

Clifford’s shooting percentages haven’t been ideal during that span (39% FG), but his improvement as a three-point threat has been a silver lining (37% on 3.7 attempts per game).

It’s been a brutal 2025-26 regular season for the Kings, but the play of their three rookies has provided reasons for optimism moving forward.

42nd overall pick Maxime Raynaud leads the NBA Rookie class in double-doubles. Undrafted rookie Dylan Cardwell has become a fan favorite and looks like he can be Sacramento’s defensive anchor in the post.

Clifford is holding true to the ‘Swiss Army Knife’ comparison that many draft analysts projected last summer, and he’ll have another 20-plus games to end his rookie season on a high note.

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When is the next Sacramento Kings game?

The Sacramento Kings will continue a five-game road trip on Wednesday afternoon against the Houston Rockets.

Sacramento is 2-1 against Houston this season, winning the most recent matchup on January 11th by a final of 111-98 at Golden 1 Center.

Be sure to catch all of the Sacramento Kings vs. Houston Rockets action right here on Sactown Sports 1140 AM, with pregame coverage beginning at 3:30 PM PT on Game Night before a 5:00 pm PT tip-off from downtown Houston.

Upcoming Sacramento Kings schedule for the 2025-26 season

Wednesday, February 25th @ Houston Rockets – 5:00 PM PT
Thursday, February 26th @ Dallas Mavericks – 5:30 PM PT
Sunday, March 1st @ Los Angeles Lakers – 6:30 PM PT
Tuesday, March 3rd vs. Phoenix Suns – 8:00 PM PT
Thursday, March 5th vs. New Orleans Pelicans – 7:00 PM PT

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