Keegan Murray’s first NBA preseason game is a beauty for Sacramento Kings

Iowa’s Keegan Murray had a splashy NBA preseason debut Monday night.

The Sacramento Kings’ 2022 first-round draft pick with the No. 4 overall selection had a game-high 16 points and six rebounds in 21 minutes for the Kings in their 105-75 win over the Los Angeles Lakers in Los Angeles. It was the preseason opener for both clubs.

Murray didn’t start the game, but played more minutes than any of the Kings’ starters. He was 7-of-11 from the field, 2-of-4 from 3-point distance. He also had a pair of steals, one that preceded a breakaway dunk.

Oh, and Murray’s defensive assignment when he entered the game for the first time? Defend LeBron James.

"Surreal experience," Murray said after the game. "I remember before I checked in, they were like, ‘You are going to guard LeBron.’

"I was up for the challenge. You don’t get to hear that every day. It was a cool experience for me; I’m excited to compete with him in the future."

Murray had a game-high +19, meaning the Kings had 19 more points than the Lakers when he was in the game.

Anthony Davis led the Lakers with 11 points. James played 16 minutes, scoring 4 points. He was 0-of-7 from the field.