Darius Garland leads Clippers to big win over Kings

Darius Garland, microphone in hand, waited patiently at midcourt to speak before the Clippers tipped off their season against the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday night at Intuit Dome.

“Clipper Nation, Clipper Nation,” the eighth-year guard said to raucous cheers in Inglewood. “We’ve been working hard all summer, ready to really turn up this year. [We’ll] try to play at the highest level. [I] really appreciate the support from my teammates, coaching staff [and] organization — really appreciate everybody that comes out and … continues to support. We’re gonna be here all year.

“Clipper Nation, let’s go.”

Garland wasted no time giving Clippers fans something to smile about after an offseason of torment and transformation. He started the game shooting five for five from the field and three for three from deep, scoring 16 points in nine minutes and fueling the start of the Clippers’ 121-96 blowout win over the Kings.

“Darius, I thought, came out and set the tone early, scoring the ball offensively,” coach Tyronn Lue said. “And [in] the second half, just getting everybody else involved, getting guys shots. … He did a good job of really orchestrating that second half.”

Garland led the Clippers with a dominant 30 points on 11-for-19 shooting and four assists.

“Shots [were] falling,” Garland chuckled. “The first trey ball went in, and after that, the rim just looked bigger and bigger.”

Perhaps most important for the team’s near future, Garland looked comfortable and confident as the Clippers’ alpha player, beginning his first full season in Los Angeles after being acquired from Cleveland in a trade for James Harden in February.

“He’s our leader,” Clippers center Brook Lopez said. “Our best player. Everything starts with him. He’s been so great.

Zach LaVine and Domantas Sabonis, meanwhile, did the heavy lifting for Sacramento, with the shooting guard scoring 28 points and the center facilitating the offense with 14 points, eight assists and 18 rebounds.

Kings forward Keegan Murray was scoreless through the first three quarters and was held to just two points. And rookie guard Darius Acuff Jr., whom Sacramento selected No. 7 in the draft out of Arkansas, posted 12 points on an abysmal five-for-24 shooting in his debut.

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The Clippers, however, had fun to start the post-Kawhi Leonard era.

Following Garland’s lead, L.A.’s returners, including forward Derrick Jones Jr., guard Kris Dunn and centers Isaiah Jackson and Lopez, were efficient and productive. Jones finished with eight points, five assists, six rebounds and an electric alley-oop slam; Dunn had seven points, seven assists and five rebounds while playing his usual hard-nosed defense; Jackson had 13 points and five rebounds; and Lopez had 17 points and 11 rebounds off the bench.

“I’m excited, obviously, home opener, great energy,” Lopez said. “But just taking it one game at a time, trying to help my team win.”

The Clippers’ new guys also had the fans’ attention.

Former Lakers forward Rui Hachimura, who signed a three-year deal with the crosstown rival in the offseason, struggled in his Clippers debut and finished with 10 points on three-for-13 shooting.

Ironically, Hachimura is looking forward to bouncing back against his old team on Friday.

“[Nervous] for what?” he said, laughing.

Guard Gradey Dick, a piece of the offseason trade that sent Leonard back to Toronto, was far more productive with 12 points.

Then there’s the rookie out of Illinois.

Keaton Wagler, the Clippers’ No. 5 pick in the draft, posted 15 points with five assists and five rebounds off the bench.

“It was definitely chills,” Wagler, 19, said of his regular-season debut. “From the intros, to the first bucket, to the end of the game. The fans were into it. It was live in there. It was a great atmosphere. I love playing here.”

Wagler had an assist on his first touch and converted a savvy layup for his first career points.

“It kind of got the nerves out,” Wagler said of his first bucket.

The Clippers’ highest draft pick since Blake Griffin, who went No. 1 in 2009, Wagler was comfortable from the jump and gave his new fan base plenty for which to be hopeful.

After all, he is the youngest NBA player since LeBron James to score 15 points on 50% shooting with five-plus assists and five-plus rebounds in his debut. Wagler also joined Ernie DiGregorio (1973) as the only other Clippers rookie to have at least 15 points and five assists in a season opener.

“He’s been working his butt off, literally,” Garland said. “He’s been in the gym every day.”

Fellow rookie Baba Miller, a forward the Clippers drafted with the No. 36 pick, finished with four points and three rebounds.

Lue — whose starting lineup featured Garland, Dunn, Jones, Hachimura and Jackson — and the Clippers are in unfamiliar territory without a superstar on the roster and with most outsiders expecting the team’s streak of 15 consecutive plus-.500 campaigns to end.

But as Clippers interim president of basketball operations Trent Redden nervously said on media day, the team works well with its back against the wall.

“Win as many games as we can,” Lue said pregame. “Our goals don’t change. We have our team goals that we don’t wanna discuss outside these walls, but we feel confident, we understand we’re putting the work in.”

Postgame, though, Lue began his news conference by shouting out Steve Ballmer, the Clippers’ governor, who was suspended for a year after the NBA’s salary cap circumvention investigation.

Lue, Lopez and Garland all noted how they’re competing in the house the billionaire built.

“That win was for Mr. Ballmer,” Lue said. “Just want to thank you for everything. We’re still fighting for him.”

Injury updates

The Clippers said guard Bradley Beal (knee), center Yanic Konan Niederhauser (foot) and forwards Brandon Ingram (heel) and Max Strus (foot) are all making progress in their rehab journeys but won’t travel for the team’s first game outside L.A. on Sunday against the Oklahoma City Thunder.