The Sacramento Kings suffered another lopsided loss, falling 136–105 to the Denver Nuggets. The game was competitive early, but Denver broke it open late in the first quarter and controlled the rest of the night. And while most of the talk revolves around the Nuggets’ dominance, Kings guard DeMar DeRozan is drawing attention for a milestone of his own, one that now puts him directly in Stephen Curry’s rearview.

Tonight, DeRozan passed Vince Carter for 23rd all-time in scoring, something that Curry did on 19th November this year. Now, with Curry having missed time, DeRozan has managed to close the gap a bit, sitting within 103 points of passing Curry.

Heading into tonight’s game, DeRozan has averaged 18 points per game on solid efficiency, but his lowest point average since his fourth year in the league.

The Kings have struggled this year with him and Zach LaVine at the helm, especially because Domantas Sabonis has missed a lot of time due to a meniscus injury.

In November 2024, Curry overtook DeRozan, despite both being active at the same time. Curry also managed to do so despite playing around 160 fewer games than the then-Chicago Bulls forward.

In Curry’s favor is the fact that he has a significantly higher career points per game average (almost 3.6), as well as a slower start and later career decline compared to DeRozan.

For Curry, the next target is Minnesota Timberwolves legend Kevin Garnett, who sits 239 points ahead. With the Golden State Warriors guard set to return to play tomorrow against the Wolves, Curry will have a chance to catch up.

If DeRozan wishes to overtake Curry, he’s going to have to significantly increase his own scoring, given that Curry is still able to put out 27.9 points on average.

For now, the mission for DeRozan and the Kings at large remains trying to stay afloat in the Western Conference. The team has lost 19 of their 25 games, and is quickly falling in the standings without Sabonis.

While DeMar DeRozan was out there rewriting the history books, his team was facing a historic performance of its own from Nikola Jokic.

Nikola Jokic Ends the Contest Before It Begins Against DeMar DeRozan and Kings

Nikola Jokic‘s latest masterpiece didn’t just tilt the game, but ended it before the Sacramento Kings ever stood a chance.

With the Kings forced to rely on backup bigs and rookies, Jokic walked into yet another dominant night, stacking 36 points, 12 rebounds, eight assists and two steals on 14-16 shooting. He didn’t miss any of his threes and didn’t touch the floor in the fourth.

It was the kind of performance that doesn’t need flair to look historic, but the stats still lean in his favor. This game marked the second time in Jokic’s career that he recorded 36 points, 12 rebounds, and 8 assists while shooting 87% or higher, a feat previously accomplished only twice by Wilt Chamberlain.

Sacramento‘s young big Maxime Raynaud got an early lesson in what effortless dominance looks like, as the Serbian made every read, and his soft touch finish guided nearly every shot into the hoop.

The Kings became the newest target of the Nuggets’ road dominance, as the team now returns to Denver after sweeping their road trip. Even shorthanded, missing two key starters, their depth showed off again.

Former King Jonas Valanciunas dropped a perfect 7-7 from the field, giving the Nuggets yet another advantage in a matchup that never even felt close.