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

Here's the thing about hitting a massive career milestone: it means absolutely nothing if your team is about to post one of the worst records in franchise history. That's the Sacramento Kings' reality right now. DeMar DeRozan just passed Dominique Wilkins to become the 17th-highest-scoring player ever, but Sacramento (20-57) is staring down the barrel of their worst season since going 17-65 back in 2008-09. The Kings face the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday night with five games left to play, and they're already eliminated from postseason contention.

DeRozan's Milestone Moment Comes in a Lost Season

DeRozan dropped 28 points in Sacramento's 123-115 win over Toronto on Wednesday, marking his third straight 22-plus-point game after a brutal four-game stretch where he combined for just 32 points. With that performance, he surpassed Wilkins and moved to 26,688 career points. Only LeBron James, Kevin Durant, James Harden, and his own teammate Russell Westbrook have scored more among active players.

"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."

Cool, sure. But it's a hollow achievement when your franchise is in freefall. Sacramento's streak of consecutive 40-plus-win seasons, the longest run since 2000-06, is officially done.

New Orleans Smells Blood and Wants the Sweep

The Pelicans (25-52) roll into Sacramento riding a six-game losing streak after dropping 118-106 to Portland on Thursday. They're sitting in 12th place in the West, but here's what matters: they've absolutely owned Sacramento this season. New Orleans beat the Kings 120-94 on Feb. 9 and 133-123 on March 5, with Trey Murphy III going off for 21 points in both wins. Murphy finished with 19 points in the Portland loss after returning from an ankle injury, so expect him hungry for Friday.

The Pelicans' bench has been a bright spot despite the losing streak. Rookie Jeremiah Fears has scored in double figures in five straight games, including a pair of 21-point nights. Fellow rookie Derik Queen added 12 points in Portland 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 of the young core. New Orleans may be out of contention too, but at least they're building for something.

Here's the problem for Sacramento: in the previous two matchups, the Kings limited DeRozan to just eight and 15 points. New Orleans knows how to shut him down. If the Pelicans complete the sweep and the Kings lose game five, Sacramento finishes one of the worst seasons in modern franchise history.

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