The 2017/18 NBA season starts on October 17 and judging by the offseason so far, it is going to be one of the most interesting NBA seasons in recent history. Many teams have retooled their rosters over the past couple of months, and we are now just four days away from the start of the regular season. But before that, there are still some preseason games left to play, and on Thursday night the Los Angeles Clippers faced the Sacramento Kings. Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles wasn't fully packed, but there were still over 11,000 fans in the stands.

Clippers blow out the Kings

The Kings entered Thursday's matchup having lost their previous three preseason games and they wanted to perform better against the Clippers. They started off the game with a solid first quarter, outscoring Los Angeles 24-22 in the first period. The Clippers bounced back in the second quarter and regained the lead early in the second period at 26-24. At halftime, the score was tied at 44-44. The home squad scored 30 points in the third period and heading into the fourth quarter the Clippers held a 74-68 lead. They routinely closed out the game with a great fourth quarter and celebrated an easy, 104-87 victory.

Blake Griffin led the way for the home team with 18 points, four rebounds, and four assists.

Wesley Johnson had 16 points and five rebounds, while DeAndre Jordan finished with 13 points and 14 rebounds for the Clippers.

For the Kings, Zach Randolph was the leading scorer on Thursday night. Randolph finished the game with 14 points and four rebounds, while Buddy Hield contributed with 12 points and three assists. Kings' rookie, Bogdan Bogdanovic, added 13 points off the bench.

Mavericks cruise past Hawks

The Dallas Mavericks and the Atlanta Hawks also played their preseason matchup on Thursday night. Dallas jumped out to an early lead in this one as they outscored Atlanta 31-19 in the first quarter. They increased their lead in the second quarter and held a 57-41 lead at halftime. Heading into the final period of the game, the Mavericks were still in front as they led 81-71.

They had no trouble in finishing out this game and they ended up with a 108-94 win.

Gian Clavell led the way for the Mavericks in this one with 19 points off the bench. Clavell also added five rebounds and five assists. Maximilian Kleber contributed with 16 points and four rebounds for Dallas while Yogi Ferell added 11 points and five assists.

Kent Bazemore was the leading scorer for the Hawks on Thursday night. Bazemore finished the game with 20 points, and he also had six rebounds and five assists. Taurean Prince added 11 points and four rebounds for Atlanta.