SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — DeMar DeRozan scored 27 points to move into 22nd place on the NBA’s career scoring list, and the Sacramento Kings beat the New York Knicks 112-101 on Wednesday night.
The Kings (11-30) won their third straight to spoil the return of Knicks coach Mike Brown, who made his first appearance in Sacramento since being abruptly fired early in the 2024-25 season.
Mikal Bridges scored 19 points for the Knicks, who played most of the night without Jalen Brunson. Brunson injured his right ankle and limped off the floor after scoring four points in five minutes.
DeRozan, a six-time All-Star playing in his 17th NBA season, shot 7 of 16 with one 3-pointer and made 12 of 13 free throws. That gave the 36-year-old 26,077 career points, moving him past Hall of Famer Kevin Garnett. Garnett had 26,071 points in 21 NBA seasons.
OG Anunoby had 15 points and Karl-Anthony Towns scored 13 for New York.
The Knicks shot 39% and were 8 of 41 behind the arc in their first loss in Sacramento since March 9, 2023.
Brown, who coached the Kings for nearly 2 ½ seasons and helped end the NBA’s longest playoff drought in 2023, was greeted with a loud ovation from the Golden 1 Center crowd before the game.
Brown and Kings owner Vivek Ranadive, who fired the two-time NBA Coach of the Year winner in December 2024, also met courtside and embraced.
Zach LaVine had 25 points for the Kings, who now have consecutive wins over the Rockets, Lakers and Knicks. Former Knicks forward Precious Achiuwa had 20 points and 14 rebounds, while Russell Westbrook added 19 points and 11 assists.
DeRozan and Achiuwa each scored 10 points in the first quarter, helping the Kings to leads of 18-8 and 32-17.
Knicks: Visit Golden State on Thursday.
Kings: Host Washington on Friday.
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