SACRAMENTO ― The Sacramento Kings ended their seven-game losing streak for their first win, and first lit beam, of 2026 in a 111-98 victory against the Houston Rockets at Golden 1 Center on Sunday, Jan. 11.
Sacramento fans walked away with free pizza and a sighting of their purple beam that shoots into the air from Golden 1 Center with each win, something that has been a rare sight during the 2025-26 season.
The Kings were led by DeMar DeRozan, who became the 23rd player in NBA history to reach 26,000 career points after a 14-foot fadeaway jumper with 7:09 remaining in the second quarter. DeRozan ended the game with a team-high 22 points, while shooting 8-of-13 (61%) from the field.
‘It’s always satisfying getting a win,’ DeRozan told reporters after the game about scoring his 26,000th point. ‘I think as far as everything else, scoring and points, I think that really won’t hit me until it’s all said and done.’
Sacramento received contributions from everywhere. Guard Zach LaVine finished with 18 points. Russell Westbrook added 15 points, six rebounds and 10 assists in the win. Maxime Raynaud notched a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds.
Malik Monk, who had been previously in and out the rotation, saw 26 minutes off the bench against the Rockets and scored 15 points.
‘That’s kind of been my role since I’ve been in the NBA, being a backup ballhandler and taking the pressure off the point, the first group so I was out there flowing and free. It felt good though,’ Monk said.
He received a loud standing ovation when he was first subbed into the game off the bench.
‘It takes a lot of weight off my shoulders,’ Monk told USA TODAY Sports about his warm welcome from the fans. ‘I can go out there and miss two, three shots in a row and the fans (are) still going to be on my side. So it’s always good to get a win in front of the fans. It’s always good to go out there and perform like I did today.’
The Kings got bursts of energy whenever rookie center Dylan Cardwell stepped on the floor. He hustled, grabbed rebounds, finished under the rim and hyped up the crowd nearly every chance he got.
Cardwell finished with nine points and 10 rebounds in 19 minutes. He was even selected to light the Kings’ victory beam at the end of the game, and still then he was hyping the crowd up.
After the game, King coach Doug Christie smiled and told USA TODAY Sports that Cardwell is ‘the spirit animal.’
‘Dylan is a special young man. He has an energy about him,’ Christie said. ‘Whenever we talk basketball, whether it’s me sitting down with him showing him film or him coming up and saying ‘coach, let me have it, what you got for me, how can I get better?’ Those are moments that you just, as a coach, I personally love because there’s teaching, there’s communication.’
He added: ‘Watching him rebound the basketball, play with joy, physicality, I think our team is confident when he’s protecting the paint. I know from being a player that when you have somebody back there protecting the paint it allows you on the perimeter to be a little more aggressive and he continues to impress.’
The Rockets were led by guard Amen Thompson as he scored 31 points, including 16 in the third quarter.
Rockets forward Kevin Durant finished with 23. Alperen Sengun had 19 points and nine rebound for Houston.
The Kings play the Los Angeles Lakers at Golden 1 Center on Monday, Jan. 12. Tip-off is 7 p.m. PT (10 p.m. ET).
‘The win is for the team,’ Christie told USA TODAY Sports. ‘I take all the shots. As soon as I walk out of here, I’m thinking about the Lakers. I love it and appreciate it but it’s on to the next.’
Kings vs. Rockets highlights
Game recap
Kings were behind by a point, 23-22, after the first quarter.
Zach LaVine led the Kings in the first period, scoring eight points. The Kings had five first quarter turnovers for eight points.
Kevin Durant had seven points in opening period for Houston. Rockets center Alperen Sengun had five points in the first quarter.
Sacramento made it a back-and-forth affair in the second quarter with the Rockets.
There were a couple of standout moments in the second.
DeRozan had his milestone moment with 7:09 in the second quarter, surpassing 26,000 points in his NBA career, the 23rd player in NBA history to do so.
Minutes later, Kings guard Malik Monk brought the house down, electrifying the Golden 1 Center crowd with a thunderous slam as he rose over the top of Rockets center Alperen Sengun for two with 4:34 in the second period.
The Kings settled in the game and had zero turnovers in the second period. They turned their defense up, forcing the Rockets to commit four turnovers in the quarter.
DeRozan had 13 points in the first half after hitting a baseline fadeaway at the end of the first half. The Kings went into the locker room holding on to a narrow, 51-48, lead after 24 minutes.
Sacramento made attempts to pull away from Houston as LaVine and DeRozan combined for 14 points in the third.
However, the Rockets were carried in the third quarter by Amen Thompson. He scored 16 points in the period. He, too, had a monstrous dunk in the game, going down the lane over Kings rookie Dylan Cardwell.
Things got physical with 40 seconds remaining in the third quarter as Cardwell and Rockets forward Dorian Finney-Smith were jockeying for position on a rebound when Finney-Smith shoved Cardwell who had just leaped airborne for the board.
Players had to be separated after a brief confrontation that resulted in a Finney-Smith flagrant one penalty and a technical foul assessed to Monk.
DeRozan followed with a mid-range shot through contact and made the awarded free throw. The Kings led 78-76 after the third quarter.
The Kings continued to pour it on in the fourth quarter. Monk hit back-to-back 3s to give the Kings some life as the Rockets kept with them.
No moment was probably bigger for the Sacramento fans than when Sengun missed consecutive free throws with 4:49 left in the fourth quarter, awarding Kings fans with free pizza.
Westbrook knocked down a 3-pointer with two minutes left in the game to give the Kings a 107-94 lead.
Sacramento would hang on to the win the game, 111-98.
