DeRozan Climbs All-Time Scoring List as Kings Shock Knicks

It has been a turbulent year in Sacramento, but DeMar DeRozan continues to author one of the league’s quietest success stories. On Wednesday night at Golden 1 Center, the veteran guard delivered another reminder of his longevity by etching his name higher into the NBA record books.

Facing the New York Knicks, DeRozan moved past Hall of Famer Kevin Garnett into 22nd place on the all-time scoring list, reaching the milestone with a third-quarter three-pointer from the top of the key. The moment arrived without much fanfare, but it represented nearly two decades of steady production.

For the Kings, whose season has been defined more by frustration than celebration, DeRozan’s climb offered a welcome storyline. His presence has been one of the few constants as Sacramento navigates trade chatter and inconsistent results.

Now sitting at 26,077 career points, DeRozan has quietly placed himself in range of some of the game’s most iconic scorers, with a path that could carry him even deeper into the league’s top 20 by the time the season closes.

1. A Night That Still Mattered

The milestone came during a game that the Kings needed for morale as much as they needed it in the standings. Sacramento upset New York 112–101, snapping a discouraging stretch and briefly energizing a restless home crowd. DeRozan set the tone with a game-high 27 points on 7-of-16 shooting, mixing his trademark midrange game with timely drives and perimeter looks. He added six rebounds and five assists, playing the kind of all-around role the Kings have leaned on all season. While the Knicks had their own reasons for urgency, the night belonged to DeRozan, whose calm control in the half court steadied a team often searching for identity. The third-quarter three that moved him past Garnett was emblematic of how his game has evolved — once built on explosiveness, now anchored in efficiency and timing. In a season short on highlights, the victory and the milestone combined to give Sacramento a rare evening of celebration.

2. From Lottery Pick to Scoring Royalty

Few could have predicted this trajectory back in 2009, when the Toronto Raptors selected DeRozan ninth overall. He entered the league as a gifted athlete, known more for his dunks than for the relentless scoring résumé he would build. Over time, DeRozan refined his craft, becoming one of the league’s most reliable offensive weapons. His ability to live in the midrange, draw fouls, and adapt to defensive schemes has kept him productive well into his 30s. The numbers tell the story: at least 20 points per game in 12 consecutive seasons, a feat that places him among the most consistent scorers of his era. That consistency, more than any single peak, has carried him past legends such as Garnett on the career list. With several icons — including John Havlicek, Paul Pierce, Tim Duncan, Dominique Wilkins, and Oscar Robertson — now within realistic reach, DeRozan’s season has become as much about legacy as it is about wins and losses.

3. Longevity, Uncertainty, and What Comes Next

Durability has been as important to DeRozan’s ascent as skill. While many contemporaries have battled prolonged absences, he has largely remained on the floor, subtly reshaping his style from high-flying slasher to savvy scorer to preserve his body. Yet even as his career milestones mount, his future in Sacramento is far from secure. DeRozan has been mentioned alongside Zach LaVine and Malik Monk in ongoing trade speculation as the Kings explore the possibility of tearing down the roster and starting over. For now, though, he remains the face of a franchise caught between competing timelines. Each bucket inches him closer to the game’s immortals, even as the team around him weighs its next move. In a difficult season, DeRozan’s climb up the all-time scoring ladder stands as both a personal triumph and a reminder of what sustained excellence looks like in the modern NBA.