Kings: 5 Worst Losses From First Half Of 2019-20

#1. December 26th vs. Timberwolves

This baby had it all: a struggling opponent, a mid-game injury, a heartbreaking finish, and post-game reports of a broken locker room.

The Timberwolves came into the game having lost 11 straight contests and were without their best player, Karl-Anthony Towns. Sacramento was the last stop on a road trip that spanned over the Christmas holiday and they had a date with the Cavaliers upon their return to Minnesota. It was the perfect chance for the Kings to capitalize on a team that was tired, traveled, and reeling.

Of course, things would go the other way for Sacramento.

Two minutes into the contest, De’Aaron Fox would exit with back spasms, yet another injury that would cost him multiple games. The game was fairly evenly matched throughout the contest, and regulation ended in a 90-90 tie. Neither team scored a single point in the final two minutes.

With a minute remaining in the first overtime, Buddy Hield hit a three that tied the game at 97. Again, neither team would score for the remainder of overtime, with Bogdan Bogdanovic missing the potential game-winner with a second left on the clock.

The Wolves would score the first six points in the second overtime period, but the Kings came roaring back thanks to back-to-back buckets by Buddy Hield in the final minute. After a Jeff Teague miss that would have extended the Wolves lead to three, the Kings had the ball with the clock winding down. Hield got a good look at a game-winning three from the top of the arc, but missed.

Sacramento lost, 105-104.

Frustrations reached a boiling point after the game. How could we lose to these guys? How come we can’t hit a shot down the stretch? How long is Fox out for this time? And the annoyance reached the locker room as well.

In his post-game interview, Hield mentioned that there were trust issues between the players and the coaching staff. The next day, reports leaked that Dewayne Dedmon had asked to be traded.

We wrote an article called “This Is Rock Bottom” afterward, and we still feel that way. All of the combined factors make the loss against the Wolves the worst for the Sacramento Kings over the first half of the season.