DeMar DeRozan etched his name next to Jordan, Kobe and Durant, then immediately ended Sacramento’s 2026 nightmare with a 22-point, fourth-quarter takeover.
Sacramento’s 111-98 win over Houston on Sunday night was more than a box-score footnote. It ended a 12-game skid that began Dec. 19 and dropped the Kings to 8-30. It also delivered the franchise’s first victory since the calendar flipped to 2026.
The catalyst: DeMar DeRozan, whose 22 points pushed him to 26,001 career points and slotted him one spot ahead of John Havlicek on the all-time list. Only 22 players have ever scaled that mountain; DeRozan is the first to do it while wearing a Sacramento jersey.
How the Milestone Happened
With 7:42 left in the second quarter, DeRozan caught a baseline inbound, took two dribbles and rose for his patented mid-range fade over Dorian Finney-Smith. The shot splashed, the horn sounded and Golden 1 Center erupted as the scoreboard froze on 26,000.
DeRozan finished 9-of-17 from the floor, added four assists and zero turnovers, and closed the game on a personal 8-2 run after Houston trimmed the lead to four early in the fourth.
Scoreboard Context: Kings 111, Rockets 98
- Kings (9-30): snapped longest losing streak in the NBA this season.
- Rockets (22-14): lose fourth in five games, remain 1.5 games behind Denver for the West’s 3-seed official standings.
- Amen Thompson: career-high 31 pts, 13 reb on 11-15 FG—first 30-10 game of his sophomore season.
- Kevin Durant: 23 pts in 31 minutes, now 108 shy of 29,000.
Why It Matters for Sacramento’s Season
The win doesn’t resurrect playoff odds—Basketball-Reference still lists them at 0.3 percent—but it stabilizes a locker room that began finger-pointing after blowouts to Memphis and Utah. Head coach Chris Quinn simplified the rotation, starting Precious Achiuwa at the four and giving Russell Westbrook primary ball-handling duty in the fourth.
The result: 34 assists on 42 made baskets, a season-low nine turnovers, and a 14-2 close that resembled the free-flowing attack that carried Sacramento to 46 wins a year ago.
DeRozan’s Quiet Climb vs. the Legends
DeRozan now sits 23rd all-time, 31 points behind Charles Barkley and 221 behind Allen Iverson. At 30.1 minutes and 22.4 points per game this season, he projects to pass both before the All-Star break if he stays healthy.
| Rank | Player | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 21 | Allen Iverson | 26,221 |
| 22 | Charles Barkley | 26,032 |
| 23 | DeMar DeRozan | 26,001 |
| 24 | John Havlicek | 25,985 |
He’s also on pace to become just the 11th player with 27,000 points and fewer than 2,500 three-pointers attempted, joining post-up legends like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Karl Malone.
What’s Next
- Kings: host LeBron and the Lakers on Monday, seeking their first back-to-back wins since Nov. 8-10.
- Rockets: visit Chicago on Tuesday, where Alperen Sengun will face former teammate Josh Giddey for the first time since the offseason trade.
DeRozan, ever stoic, shrugged when asked about the milestone post-game: “Numbers are cool, but we needed a win in the worst way.” Sacramento got both—history and hope—in one cathartic evening.
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