DeMar DeRozan Just Became the 17th-Highest Scorer in NBA History and the Kings Still Can't Stop Sinking

Here's the thing about Wednesday night's win over Toronto: DeMar DeRozan made history, and the Sacramento Kings still have five games left to avoid their worst season since 2008-09. That should tell you everything about how bad things have gotten in the capital city.

DeRozan dropped 28 points against the Raptors, his third straight game with 22-plus points after a brutal stretch where he scored just 32 combined over four games. In the process, he passed Dominique Wilkins on the all-time scoring list. "It's always an honor passing the greats who came before me," DeRozan told reporters. "I always had a great deal of respect for Dominique, so to pass him is definitely cool." He's now sitting at 26,688 career points, trailing only LeBron James, Kevin Durant, James Harden, and teammate Russell Westbrook among active players. Historic stuff. Historic career. And yet the Kings are still staring down a franchise catastrophe.

Sacramento's Nightmare Season Reaches a Tipping Point

The Kings snapped a four-game losing streak with that Toronto win, but they're still 20-57 and in last place out West. Their run of consecutive 40-win seasons since 2000-06 is over. If they don't turn things around fast, they're looking at finishing 17-65 or worse, matching the franchise's lowest point in 2008-09. With five games left, they're already eliminated from postseason contention. Precious Achiuwa led the way against Toronto with 28 points and a season-best 19 rebounds, but one win doesn't change the trajectory here.

Pelicans Keep Rolling Despite the Losing Streak

New Orleans is showing up Friday night riding a six-game losing streak after dropping Thursday's game in Portland 118-106, but don't sleep on them. The Pelicans are 25-52 and sitting 12th in the West, and more importantly, they've already beaten Sacramento twice this season. They won 120-94 on February 9 and 133-123 on March 5, and they're hungry for the sweep.

Trey Murphy III, the Pelicans' leading scorer at 21.6 points per game, netted 21 points in both of those wins. He had 19 in Portland despite just returning from an ankle injury. Zion Williamson, Saddiq Bey, and Dejounte Murray all came up short of their season averages in the loss, but the bench kept things interesting. Rookie Jeremiah Fears dropped 21 points off the bench and has scored in double figures in five straight games. Fellow rookie Derik Queen added 12 with seven assists, six rebounds, and two steals. "That was some of the best basketball I've seen them play together," interim head coach James Borrego said about the young guys. With five games left and no postseason hopes, New Orleans is building something real for next year.

Friday night at Sacramento is a chance for the Pelicans to complete the sweep and keep momentum rolling, even if the wins don't change their postseason fate.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.