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Clifford Leads Kings Over Cavaliers, 4-0 Summer League Finish
Feb 15, 2025; Fort Collins, Colorado, USA; Colorado State Rams guard Nique Clifford (10) reacts after a play in the second half against the Wyoming Cowboys at Moby Arena. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

Clifford Leads Kings Over Cavaliers, 4-0 Summer League Finish

Originally posted on Sacramento Kings on SI
By Will Zimmerle  |  Last updated Jul 16, 2025 5:54 PM ET

The Sacramento Kings took care of business against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday afternoon, winning 94-86 to move to 4-0 in Summer League as they look to make a championship run in the exhibition tournament.

Sacramento was once again led by first-round draft pick Nique Clifford, who finished with 19 points, 9 assists, and 7 rebounds, all three of which were team-highs. It's the type of game that sums up everything we've learned about Clifford in the last week.

Not only can he score, but he can do a little bit of everything on the court, something that is invaluable to every team in today's NBA.

While Clifford likely won't be the player the Kings turn to to close out games in the regular season, he was that player for the Summer League squad today. In the closest matchup since game one against the Orlando Magic.

Clifford showed off his ability to create his own shot down the stretch, getting to his spot and hitting his shots to carry the Kings to victory. He looked confident in the role, even hitting a pullup three down the stretch that got Doug Christie excited, according the the broadcast.

It's a glimpse at how much Clifford can bring to the Kings as he continues to grow and get experience in the league, and raises his ceiling exponentially.

While Clifford led the way, the Kings used a balanced approach to take down the Cavs, with Isaac Jones chipping in an efficient 17 points, Isaiah Stevens 13, and Taevion Kinsley 12. Sacramento had seven players score in double figures on the day as they got help from the whole roster.

Devin Carter and Maxime Raynaud both had relatively quiet games, finishing with 11 and 10 points each, respectively. Carter struggled with his efficiency, going 3-of-9 (33.3) from the field, and Raynaud only had six field goal attempts, making three of them, and missing his only three.

The Cavaliers didn't make it easy for the Kings, as they grabbed 23 offensive rebounds to get second chance look after second chance look. They finished with 24 second chance points to the Kings 10, and almost used the hustle plays to take down the Kings. It's not often that a team can shoot 35.3% from the field and 20% from three and stay in a game, but the Cavs almost pulled off the feat.

Individually, Cleveland was led by Tyrese Proctor's 35 points. He got going in the fourth quarter and almost single-handedly won the game for the Cavaliers, but Devin Carter took the defensive assignment for the game's final stretch and was able to slow him down just enough.

Proctor was a popular draft target for many Kings fans, and he showed why with his sharpshooting and scoring abilities today.

The Kings will now wait and see if their point differential is enough to land them in the top four teams in Summer League. There are currently seven teams with a 3-0 record, and the Kings will have to watch the remaining games today and tomorrow patiently to see if they have done enough to fight for a Summer League championship.


This article first appeared on Sacramento Kings on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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