The Sacramento Kings are hosting the Chicago Bulls in a crucial game for both teams. Sacramento came into the matchup sitting ninth in the Western Conference, holding a slim three-game cushion over the Phoenix Suns for the final Play-In spot. Meanwhile, the Bulls are ninth in the Eastern Conference and tied with the Miami Heat, meaning a loss could drop them to 10th. The Kings came out strong early, but the Bulls mounted a big third-quarter rally to seize the lead heading into the final period.
Coming into the game, Kings forward was on the verge of making NBA history, needing just 17 points to hit the 25,000-point milestone. he accomplished the feat late in the third quarter, sinking a signature fadeaway midrange jumper to surpass the mark. With this achievement, the veteran becomes only the 27th player in league history to score 25,000 career points—and it was only fitting that he reached it with a midrange shot, a staple of his game.
DeRozan has solidified himself as arguably the NBA’s top midrange scorer, continuing to thrive in an area of the game that many teams now overlook. Fittingly, he reached the 25,000-point milestone against the Bulls, the team he spent three seasons with before signing with Sacramento this past offseason. It’s a major achievement for the veteran forward, who has built a résumé worthy of Hall of Fame consideration. Now, DeRozan will aim to keep climbing the scoring ranks as the 35-year-old looks to help lead the Kings on a late-season surge in the Western Conference.