Stockton Kings guard Jon Elmore (33) takes a shot against the Santa Cruz Warriors on Thu Feb 13, 2025 at Kaiser Permanente Arena in Santa Cruz (Stockton Kings X photo)

By William Espy

The Stockton Kings continued their road trip against the Santa Cruz Warriors, in a game that had a major effect on the standings in the long run in a high scoring loss 152-144 at Kaiser Permanente in Santa Cruz.

The Kings were recently overtaken by the Austin Spurs for first in the Western Conference, putting Stockton and Santa Cruz in a battle for second place.

The Kings got off to a strong start, leading 35-32 after the first quarter. It was clear right out of the gate that this would be a game decided by offensive firepower rather than defensive play. The second quarter was ultimately what decided the game, as the Warriors dominated, out scoring the Kings 43-28 and taking a resounding lead, 75-63, into halftime.

In the third, the Kings made a slight dent in the Warriors lead but it was only by a single point. The Warriors still led by 11 heading into the final frame but it was still within reach for Stockton.

The fourth quarter was a shootout essentially, the teams were seemingly scoring at will. The Kings outscored the Warriors for the third time of the night, but they were unable to bridge the gap that Santa Cruz forged in the second quarter. The Warriors walked away victorious, with a final score of 152-144.

Devin Carter, Terry Taylor, Jon Elmore and Isaiah Crawford all scored more than 20 points on the night. Carter finished the night with a very impressive stat line, 29 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists.

On the other side, Blake Hinson and Yuri Collins were the difference makers offensively for the Warriors. Hinson dropped 42 points on the night, while Collins finished with 32 of his own. Both ended the night with a double-double, as Collins had ten assists and Hinson recorded 11 boards.

The Kings will be back at home on February 26, as they host the Memphis Hustle in a matinee showdown at 11 AM. The Warriors on the other hand will host the Oklahoma City Blue on the 21st.