The 2019-20 Sacramento Kings season reached its turning point (at least before the global pandemic hit) in January against the Detroit Pistons. The Kings lost in Detroit to a lottery-bound team, and it wasn’t even particularly close. It was the team’s sixth loss in a row to fall to 14 games under .500, and the playoffs seemed like a pipe dream.
The next game, Luke Walton decided to bench Buddy Hield for Bogdan Bogdanovic, and the Kings reeled off 13 wins in their final 20 games before the hiatus.