Scoreboard says it all Stockton Kings get a win over the Valley Suns at Adventist Health Arena in Stockton on Mon Dec 16, 2024 (Stockton Kings X photo)

By William Espy

STOCKTON–The Stockton Kings hosted the top team in the West, the Valley Suns, in the second half of a back-to-back on Monday night.

The Kings pulled out to an early 12-3 lead, forcing the Suns to take a timeout. Stockton dominated the first quarter overall, extending that lead to 42-16 after 12 minutes as they shot 66.7% from the field in the opening frame.

It was clear right out of the gate that the Kings wanted to avenge their first loss at Adventist Health Arena of the season on Sunday, and the Suns weren’t able to contain them.

The second quarter was a much different story though, as the Suns charged back a bit. By the end of the quarter, it was 70-52 in favor of Stockton, but the game was now well within reach for Valley. Mason Jones was having himself a game, as at halftime he already had 20 points, 8 assists, and 8 rebounds for Stockton. The Suns’ leading scorer so far this season Mamadi Diakite was up to his usual tricks, shooting 5-6 for 12 points.

The Suns cut the Kings’ lead even further in the third quarter, and heading into the final frame it was just a five-point game with either team within reach of a victory. The Kings had a tremendous start, but as has been the case many times this season, they struggled to maintain their lead and the opposition fought their way back into it.

The Kings were still converting shots at a high rate, although it wasn’t quite as high as it was after the first quarter. Heading into the fourth, they were shooting just over 55% from the field and nearly 41% from behind the arc. Stockton was also out-rebounding the Suns, leading that category by a staggering amount. The board battle was 42-27 in the Kings’ favor.

The Kings extended their lead to double-digits over the course of the quarter, but the Suns battled back and tried to keep it close. It took until the final minute of the game for the Suns to bring the Kings’ lead back down to single digits, but by then it was too little, too late. The Kings walked away with a crucial 117-104 victory over a very difficult opponent. The win was led by Jones and Dexter Dennis who both scored 20+ points. Drew Timme and Isaiah Crawford also had strong performances, finishing with 18 point a piece.

After the game, Jones spoke about the victory. “We knew we needed to get off to a hot start, and that’s what we did. We knew that if we came out ready and prepared, we knew we’d win, so that’s what we wanted to do.” He then spoke about his personal performance, “[It] just feels good. Just continues to show the hard work and dedication that I continue to put in. Just knowing the team counts on me a lot and I don’t want to let them down, so I just want to take it day by day and continue to get better. I don’t like to lose, so every day I feel like if I give my best, we got a great chance to win.”