Category: G-League

G League action: Kings with strong performances up and down the line up clobber Hustle 118-94

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Guard Dexter Dennis (9) gets an easy lay up for the Stockton Kings against the Austin Hustle at AdventistHealth Arena in Stockton on Thu Jan 2, 2025 (Stockton Kings X photo)

By William Espy

The Stockton Kings hosted the Memphis Hustle in their first game of 2025. The Kings played a strong defensive and offensive game and outlasted the Hustle 118-94 at AdventistHealth Arena in Stockton.

The Kings were assigned top prospect Devin Carter as well as center Orlando Robinson prior to the game, both of whom were in the starting lineup.

Carter, whose first game with Stockton was marred by fatigue, played a team leading 33 minutes, tied with guard Mason Jones. In just his second professional game, Carter recorded a double-double, grabbing 12 boards and putting up 17 points, going 6-15 from the field.

Dexter Dennis, who was coming off of the bench with Carter in the lineup, had a phenomenal offensive performance. He went 8-13 from the field, and 5-10 from three-point range. He also made an impact defensively, leading the team in +/- with +23.

A hot start put the Kings in the lead early, as they outscored the Hustle 27-12 in the first quarter. They further improved their lead in the second, when defense appeared to go out the window. Stockton scored 39 points, allowing only 26 from Memphis.

The trend continued when the Kings outscored Memphis in the third quarter as well, this time by a much narrower margin, 27-26. Heading into the final frame, Stockton had a significant 93-64 lead. They weren’t able to sweep all four quarters though, as the Hustle scored 30 in the fourth compared to 25 for Stockton. It didn’t matter to the Kings though, as they walked away as the victorious ones.

Over the course of the night, Memphis had six players reach double digits for points but they weren’t getting enough from their secondary players. Ultimately, with only their starters and one bench player getting on the scoreboard, it was far from enough to defeat the Kings.

The Kings improved to 3-0 on the season, while Memphis will continue to look for their first win, falling to 0-3.

Strong performances up and down the lineup, on both sides of the court, led to Stockton walking away with a decisive 118-94 win over Memphis.

The Kings will now go on the road for the first time in the regular season as they’ll face the Rip City Remix in a back-to-back for their next games.

G League action: Kings take home at home series against Spurs 128-118 at Adventist Health

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Stockton Kings guard Jon Elmore (33) is seated with crown on head after the Kings defeated the Austin Spurs at AdventistHealth Arena in Stockton Sun Dec 29, 2024 (Stockton Kings X photo)

By William Espy

STOCKTON–The Stockton Kings were back in their normal home stadium AdventistHealth Arena on Sunday afternoon as they hosted the Austin Spurs in the second half of a back-to-back between the two teams. After a strong performance on Saturday, Devin Carter was recalled by Sacramento on Sunday morning.

Orlando Robinson and Colby Jones were assigned to Stockton though, and as a result, they were in the lineup on Sunday. Even without Carter the Kings were able to have another commanding win 128-118 on Sunday.

The Kings quickly got out to an early double-digit lead, making it 28-17 by the end of the first quarter. The Spurs were struggling to hit their shots, as they went 8-27 from the field in the first frame. Guard Quinton Rose was the only one hitting his shots regularly for Austin, as he was 3-4 for six points at that point.

To start the second quarter, the Kings went on a 12-3 run which extended their lead to 20 points just 15 minutes into the game. Sidy Cissoko started to make his presence felt in the second quarter, putting up 13 points in the first six minutes after going scoreless in the opening quarter.

By half-time, the Spurs had clawed their way back into the game. The Kings went into the break with only a five-point lead, with the score at 63-58. The Spurs were much more efficient in the second, as Rose continued hitting his shots on top of Cissoko’s starting to fall.

Both teams also had some players in foul trouble, Dexter Dennis had four personal fouls after 24 minutes, while Isaiah Crawford had three. Spurs center Osayi Osifo had three as well.

Both teams struggled to score in the opening minutes of the third quarter. The Kings were slowly extending their lead, but their offense started to pick up halfway through the quarter. Similar to their start in the second, they went on a 12-2 run to extend their lead, but this time it took about twice as long to do.

Jameer Nelson Jr was having a difficult night for Austin, going 0-6 to start the night. Stockton would finish the third quarter with a 90-74 lead, however as had been shown earlier in the night, they were far from guaranteed a victory.

The Kings kept up the pressure in the fourth quarter though, and continued to grow their lead. As it reached five minutes remaining in the game, it seemed that the Kings had put it out of reach, as they led by 24. When all was said and done, they had.

The Kings walked away with a 126-118 victory, sweeping the back-to-back against the Spurs. They were led in scoring by Mason Jones who finished with 22, while Colby Jones was a close second with 18 of his own.

Stockton’s next game will be on Thursday, as they host the Memphis Hustle.

G League action: Kings come away with a winner edging Spurs 109-107 at Golden 1 Center

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The Stockton Kings Devin Carter had a hot hand in the first half with 15 points against the Austin Spurs at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Sat Dec 28, 2024 (Stockton Kings X photo)

By William Espy

SACRAMENTO–The Stockton Kings traveled a bit north, as they hosted the Austin Spurs at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento for Kings Collide night. The matchup also featured the professional debut of Sacramento’s 13th overall pick from this year’s draft, Devin Carter.

Carter’s first stint was short, playing only three minutes, but during that time he went 2-2 and grabbed a rebound before being taken out for Dexter Dennis. The Kings pulled out to an early lead, but the Spurs quickly got the momentum back on their side and tied it up.

From there, Austin pulled out to a 32-25 lead by the end of the first quarter. They were getting quite a bit of scoring from Sidy Cissoko off of the bench, who had 10 points up to that point. Meanwhile, all of the Kings scoring was coming from their starters. Dennis, who had four points, was the only non-starter to score in the first 12 minutes.

By the halfway point of the second quarter, Cissoko was already at 20 points. At one point, the Spurs had a ten-point lead but the Kings tied it up with roughly three minutes left in the first half.

At half-time, the Kings led 62-56. Carter looked like he had missed no time at all, going 6-10 for 15 points in the first half. Stockton needed to find a way to contain Cissoko though, as he was driving a considerable amount of the Spurs’ offense. Kyle Rode was second on Austin with 10 points.

Meanwhile, Stockton already had four players in double digits. Besides Carter, Isaiah Crawford had 12, Terry Taylor had 11, as did Mason Jones. Taylor also had 10 rebounds, giving him a first -half double-double.

Carter’s dominance continued into the third quarter, as he climbed to 29 points roughly four minutes into the frame. After the Kings took a 13-point lead early in the third, the Spurs clawed their way back and tied it up with just over two minutes remaining in the quarter.

At the end of the third, the Kings had a one-point lead, as it was 86-85. Neither team was finding a way to score in the fourth quarter, as halfway through the frame it was a 93-91 lead for the Kings. The Spurs took two late technical fouls which seemed to spark the Kings’ offense a bit.

With 45 seconds remaining, the Spurs cut the Kings’ lead down to a single point. The Kings let the clock run down as much as possible before Carter got the ball to Skal Labissiere in the paint who extended the lead to 109-106 with the game clock and shot clock being pretty much even.

Riley Minix turned it over with just 16 seconds remaining, seemingly giving the victory to Stockton. Things changed when Carter was forced out of bounds with eight seconds left in the game and Austin regained possession.

Jameer Nelson Jr was fouled by Dennis, sending him to the free-throw line with five seconds remaining. He made the first, then missed the second which was rebounded by Carter. In the end, the Kings walked away with a 109-107 win.

The main difference over the course of the night was that the Kings were able to rely on their starters to drive the majority of their offense. Two of the Spurs’ three leading scorers came off of the bench and they had a total of 55 points off of the bench. As a result, only 51 came from their starting five.

The Kings and Spurs will faceoff again Sunday afternoon from Adventist Health Arena in Stockton.

G League: Jones and Dexter lead Kings with 20 pts each in 117-104 win over Valley Suns

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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.”

Drell leads with 22 in Remix 103-98 win over Kings in Stockton

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Stockton Kings forward Isaac Jones (3) throws down on the Rip City Remix’s forward Henri Drell (55) at Adventist Health Arena in Stockton on Sun Dec 15, 2024 (Stockton Kings X photo)

By William Espy

STOCKTON–For the second time in three days, the Stockton Kings hosted the Rip City Remix at Adventist Health Arena in Stockton. The Remix took Sunday’s second game 103-98 in Stockton. The Remix led by Henri Drell in scoring with 22 points.

The game started off similarly to their previous meeting, as the Kings went on a long run before the Remix were able to get on the scoreboard. Stockton pulled out to a quick double-digit lead, but once again Rip City fought their way back into it, tying it up with just under four minutes remaining in the quarter.

The Remix would actually take the lead before the end of the quarter, making it 31-30.

Rip City would maintain and extend that lead in the second quarter. Stockton trailed 59-44 heading into half-time. Henri Drell picked up where he left off in the last meeting, leading his team in scoring with 17 points heading into the break. Meanwhile, there was only a single player on Stockton in double-digits, Isaac Jones with 10. The Kings were struggling to make any shots, as they were 35.7% from the field. Rip City also had seven steals, which was the difference maker to this point in the game.

The Remix continued to pull away a bit at the start of the third quarter, but the pace was starting to pick up as the frame progressed. The Kings were starting to run out of time, and that was reflected in the way they were starting to play. Unfortunately for them though, the Remix thrive in high-paced situations.

Stockton was trailing by more than 20 points late in the third when Isaac Jones’s highlight reel dunk over the Rip City defender seemed to spark the home team. Heading into the final frame, the Kings trailed 85-65 so they’d need to make a dent in the Remix’s lead very quickly if they wanted a chance of walking away victorious.

That moment certainly ended up being a turning point, as the Kings went on an 8-0 midway through the final quarter, reducing the Remix’s lead to 92-85 with quite a bit of time remaining. With two minutes remaining, it was a three-point game. A late three-pointer by Alex Reese made it a four-point game, and Stockton took their last timeout with 17.1 seconds remaining. Colby Jones missed a three, and the Kings were forced to foul Justin Minaya with nine seconds left. He missed the first but made the second free throw to put the game essentially out of reach.

Rip City’s 103-98 victory was their first on the road this season, while it was also the Kings’ first loss at home. Drell’s 22 points led the Remix, while Isaac Jones had 31 points and 15 rebounds for Stockton in a losing effort.

The Kings will get back at it again tomorrow night, as they host the top team in the West, the Valley Suns in the second half of a back-to-back.

G League action: Kings pick up six point win over Rip City 127-116 at Adventist Health Arena

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Stockton Kings guard Dennis Dexter (9) shakes hands with forward Skal Labissiere (8) as they took on Rip City Remix at Adventist Health Arena in Stockton on Fri Dec 13, 2024 (Stockton Kings X photo)

By William Espy

STOCKTON–The Stockton Kings (8-3) hosted the struggling Rip City Remix (3-9) on Friday night. Stockton outlasted Rip City with a 127-119 win at Adventist Health Arena in Stockton.

Stockton got out to a great start, going on a 10-0 run to start the game. After a timeout, Rip City started getting some momentum back on their side with three quick threes, to make it 10-9. James Bouknight had a highlight reel play to give the Remix their first lead of the night. He stole the ball and pulled out a windmill dunk on the breakaway.

Rip City was 7-for-7 from beyond the arc in the first half of the quarter, while Stockton was 5-for-5. Neither team missed a three in the opening minutes, Drew Timme broke the streak with about 5:30 remaining in the first.

At the end of the first, the Kings led 36-33. Bouknight had 11 points at that point, the most of either team. Dexter Dennis led the Kings with 9. Meanwhile the league’s top scorer, Bryce McGowens had 7.

The second quarter was less offensive than the first. Both teams were missing more shots, and were more responsible defensively. Turnovers were plaguing the Kings, as they were into the double digits less than halfway into the second quarter. By the end of the quarter though, Rip City would find themselves in a similar situation with nine turnovers of their own.

At the half, Henri Drell was the Remix’s top scorer with 16, and his efficiency beyond the arc was great as well. He was 4-6 from three. Stockton’s offense was running through Dennis, who had 16 points and four assists. On the scoreboard, it was 61-55 in favor of the home team.

The Kings would continue to extend their lead in the third quarter and after 36 minutes it was 92-83 for Stockton. Starting the final frame, Rip City came right out of the gate with a full-court press trying to force even more turnovers. The Kings had cleaned that aspect of their game up though, only turning over the ball once in the third quarter.

The Remix weren’t going to make the final quarter an easy one for Stockton. They kept it within single digits, and occasionally brought it within a single possession. Stockton obviously wasn’t going to relent either though, they kept fighting and maintained the lead through hard work both offensively and defensively.

They were forcing turnovers and hitting shots, but still couldn’t pull away. Once it got into the final couple of minutes though, Stockton got their lead to double digits for the first time in quite a while. As the clock continued to run down, Rip City was slowly cutting into that lead once again.

It would end up being too little too late though, as they’d have to start fouling allowing the Kings to extend their lead. The Kings walked away with a 127-119 win, extending their winning streak at home to five games.

Dennis scored 31, while Terry Taylor and Isaiah Crawford had 26 and 23 respectively. Brian Bowen had a double-double with 13 points and 14 assists in the win. Meanwhile Drell has 32 and McGowens scored 28 in Rip City’s losing effort.

Rip City and the Stockton Kings match up once more on Sun Dec 15th for a 2:00pm PST tip at Adventist Health Arena.