Stockton Kings guard Mason Jones (15) dribble drives on Valley Suns guard David Stockton (11) at Adventist Health Arena in Stockton on Tue Mar 4, 2025 (Stockton Kings X photo)

By William Espy

STOCKTON–The Stockton Kings were back at home on Tuesday night as they once again hosted the Valley Suns in a Western Conference matchup.

The Kings were down another top player, as one of their stars this season, Skal Labissiere signed a 10-day contract with the Sacramento Kings earlier this week and is back in the NBA for the time being.

Mason Jones stepped up in Labissiere’s absence though, and had an incredible night. The Kings’ shooting guard went 15-23 from the field, including 10-14 from beyond the arc. His 49 points led both the Kings and the Suns, and were a major part of the reason that Stockton walked away with a 136-127 victory.

A high-scoring first quarter saw the Kings get out to a narrow, early lead. After 12 minutes, Stockton was ahead of the Suns by a single point, 36-35. It was in the second quarter when the Kings were able to start pulling away though. They dominated offensively, dropping 42 points while only allowing their opposition to score 27. Heading into halftime, Stockton had a 16-point lead, 78-62.

The Suns cut the lead down very slightly in the third quarter, but offensive production was starting to slow down on both ends of the court. The Kings maintained their lead heading into the final frame, as they led 114-104. Despite the Kings holding the lead for most of the night, it could realistically go either way in the last quarter of the night.

The Suns outscored the Kings once again in the fourth quarter, but it was only by a single point. As a result, Stockton was able to walk away victorious once again with a final score of 136-127.

The aforementioned Jones was undoubtedly Stockton’s biggest standout on the night, however Dexter Dennis and Terry Taylor both had great nights offensively as well. Both of them eclipsed the 20 point mark and helped make a major difference for the Kings over the course of the night.

Meanwhile for the Suns, TyTy Washington, David Stockton and Jaden Shackleford all passed the 20 point threshold. Washington led the way with 24 points in the losing effort.

The Kings will be back at home on Saturday as they host the San Diego Clippers in another battle of two California teams. With the season nearing its end, every game will make a difference for Stockton’s playoff seeding.