Kawhi-less Clippers roll past the Kings in a wire-to-wire season-opening rout

INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — Darius Garland scored 30 points and the Clippers routed the Sacramento Kings 121-96 on Wednesday night in Los Angeles' first season opener without Kawhi Leonard since 2019.

Brook Lopez added 17 points and 11 rebounds off the bench. Rookie guard Keaton Wagler had 15 points, five rebounds and five assists, and Rui Hachimura had 10 points and eight rebounds in his debut after coming over from the Lakers. The Clippers never trailed and their bench outscored the Kings' reserves 53-34.

Zach LaVine led the Kings with 28 points and Domantas Sabonis added 14 points and 18 rebounds.

The Clippers have the largest decrease in the NBA in average age between their current roster and the group that was active for last year's season opener, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

That's partly due to the team trading James Harden and Chris Paul last season and sending Leonard to the Toronto Raptors last month after the NBA found the Clippers guilty of violating salary cap-circumvention rules involving him. Leonard scored 23 points to lead the Raptors in a season-opening win over Chicago on Wednesday.

Clippers owner Steve Ballmer wasn't in his usual baseline seat near the team's bench. He's serving a one-year suspension from all league and team activities “for knowingly seeking to help Mr. Leonard obtain off-court income opportunities.” The team was fined $30 million and lost five consecutive draft picks from 2029 through 2033 as punishment.

The Clippers were without key players Bradley Beal (right knee injury management), Brandon Ingram (right heel surgery) and Max Strus (right plantar fascia partial tear). Also out are Jordan Miller (left rotator cuff surgery) and Yanic Konan Niederhauser (right foot surgery).

Kings: Host Portland on Friday.

Clippers: Visit the Lakers on Friday.

See AP’s full NBA coverage here

Sacramento Kings center Domantas Sabonis (11) is defended by Los Angeles Clippers forward Isaiah Jackson during the first half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jayne Kamin-Oncea)

Sacramento Kings guard Darius Acuff Jr. is defended by Los Angeles Clippers forward Derrick Jones Jr. (5) during the first half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jayne Kamin-Oncea)

Los Angeles Clippers guard Keaton Wagler (1) is defended by Sacramento Kings guard Emanuel Sharp during an NBA basketball game Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jayne Kamin-Oncea)

Sacramento Kings guard Zach LaVine (8) drives past Los Angeles Clippers guard Darius Garland during the first half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jayne Kamin-Oncea)

Los Angeles Clippers' Darius Garland heads down court after a 3-point basket during an NBA basketball game against the Sacramento Kings, Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jayne Kamin-Oncea)

Iran's state television reported that seven oil tankers were either struck by attacks or hit naval mines in the Strait of Hormuz overnight Thursday, possibly the largest single-day number of vessels damaged in the waterway since the Iran war started on Feb. 28.

Here is the latest news from the Middle East. Read our full coverage here.

Iran’s state television reported that seven oil tankers caught fire and were damaged overnight Thursday after being targeted or striking naval mines in the Strait of Hormuz.

If verified, it would be the largest single-day number of vessels damaged in the waterway since the start of the Iran war on Feb. 28 when the United States and Israel launched joint strikes against Iran.

Quoting a statement by the Revolutionary Guard's navy, the Iranian report said that four of the tankers were transferring oil when they were targeted and caught fire. Another three were damaged and immobilized when they hit naval mines.

The report didn't provide details about possible casualties or the flags of the tankers.

The report also warned that the Revolutionary Guard may target U.S. bases in the region if the U.S. tried to allow oil tankers to transit through other parts of the strait.

The Revolutionary Guard had routinely targeted U.S. bases in Gulf countries during the war.

Yemen’s Defense Ministry said Thursday that Houthi rallies and mobilization programs will be considered legitimate military targets and warned residents in Houthi-held areas against taking part.

The announcement was shared in a social media post and is considered a major escalation against the Iran-backed Houthi rebels as well as civilians living in areas under their control.

Deliberate attacks on civilians could amount to a war crime.

Rallies and what Houthis call “cultural courses” are one of the Iranian-backed group’s main tools for mobilization of supporters and fighters.

The Defense Ministry statement said such assemblies are used by the Houthis to mobilize children for combat.

Saudi Arabia's Civil Aviation Authority said Thursday that the number of people killed in an attack on the King Fahd International Airport has risen to two.

The dead are a Saudi citizen and an Indian national who was living in the kingdom, according to a statement. Another eight people suffered injuries in the attack that occurred late Wednesday.

Saudi authorities didn't say who was responsible for the attack or provide any details about the attack reported earlier Thursday. The Houthi rebels issued no statement.

King Fahd Airport on the country's east near Bahrain and Qatar has been attacked previously amid a wider wave of Houthi missile and projectile strikes targeting major airports in Saudi Arabia.

A civilian with special needs was killed during an Israeli forces raid Thursday on the village of Jamla in southern Syria’s Daraa province, Syrian state news agency SANA reported.

It did not give more details about how the disabled man was killed. The Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

After the ouster of former Syrian President Bashar Assad in a lightning rebel offensive in December 2024, Israel seized control of a U.N.-patrolled buffer zone in southern Syria and has occupied it since.

Jamla isn't inside the Israeli occupied zone but Israeli forces often make incursions into areas outside the zone.

This report will be updated throughout the day as new developments emerge.

A displaced Yemeni girl walks at Al-Firdaws 2 camp in Ras Imran, on the western outskirts of Aden, Yemen, Yemen, Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Abdulnasser Alseddik)

Residents walk on their home debris at Seina district in Taiz, Yemen, after a missile strike, Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Marzouq Al Jabri)

Residents walk amid debris from their homes after a missile strike in Seina, Taiz, Yemen, Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Marzouq Al Jabri)