Sacramento Kings: DeMar DeRozan Has Blunt Reaction to Zach LaVine's 43-Point Outing in Victory Vs. Detroit Pistons 1 Nov 1, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Sacramento Kings forward DeMar DeRozan (10) shoots against the Atlanta Hawks in the second quarter at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Sacramento Kings: DeMar DeRozan Has Blunt Reaction to Zach LaVine’s 43-Point Outing in Victory Vs. Detroit Pistons

Originally posted on Hardwood Heroics | By Jordan Samar | Last updated Apr 8, 2025 11:01 AM ET

The Sacramento Kings boosted their chances of securing their spot in the play-in tournament after winning 127-117 against the Detroit Pistons yesterday.

After the Detroit Pistons led as much as 18 points in the first half, the Sacramento Kings kicked things up a notch in the second half by outscoring their hosts 65-45.

Zach LaVine went off for 43 points, three rebounds, four assists, and eight three-pointers on 16-for-28 shooting from the field. He has scored at least 25 points in three consecutive games.

Sacramento Kings: DeMar DeRozan Has Blunt Reaction to Zach LaVine's 43-Point Outing in Victory Vs. Detroit Pistons 2 Jan 5, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; Sacramento Kings center Domantas Sabonis (11) high-fives forward/guard DeMar DeRozan (10) after scoring a basket against the Golden State Warriors during the second quarter at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images

DeMar DeRozan added 37 points and four rebounds on 14-for-26 shooting from the field and 8-for-11 from the free throw line. Domantas Sabonis and Jonas Valanciunas had 19 and 10 points.

Sacramento Kings News: DeMar DeRozan gets 100% real on Zach LaVine’s 43-point night

DeMar DeRozan is no longer surprised by Zach LaVine’s scoring explosion, as he had seen it multiple times before when they were teammates for the Chicago Bulls.

Sacramento Kings: DeMar DeRozan Has Blunt Reaction to Zach LaVine's 43-Point Outing in Victory Vs. Detroit Pistons 3 Mar 10, 2025; Sacramento, California, USA; Sacramento Kings guard Zach LaVine (8) dribbles the ball up the court against the New York Knicks during the third quarter at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images

“It’s nothing new for me. I’ve seen it,” DeRozan said about LaVine in his postgame interview with NBC Sports California. “I just told him to keep going. He was hot. He led us. Without him getting hot, we would not have gotten this win that we got. It was big.”

The Sacramento Kings improved to a 39-40 record after the road victory. They’ll aim to finish the regular season strong with three more matches against the Denver Nuggets, LA Clippers, and Phoenix Suns.