Category: Stockton Kings

Stockton Kings game wrap: Kings just couldn’t get past Clippers in 102-97 loss in opener

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The Stockton Kings seen here battling the Salt Lake City Stars last season, opened up their regular season against the San Diego Clippers in the season opener at Adventist Health Arena in Stockton on Sat Nov 8, 2025 (Stockton Kings photo)

By William Espy

STOCKTON–The Stockton Kings took the court for the first time since being named G-League Champions on Saturday evening, as they hosted the San Diego Clippers. It was a close contest as the Clippers came away with a five point 102-97 win on opening night.

There’s been quite a bit of turnover during the offseason, as only a few players from the championship-winning squad returned, and there’s even a new face on the sideline, as Will Scott took over the reins as head coach.

Before the opening tip-off, the Kings unveiled their championship banner, and returning guard Dexter Dennis spoke to the crowd.

Once the game got underway and the festivities were concluded, it was back to business as usual for the Kings. Undrafted Sacramento Kings prospect Dylan Cardwell, out of Auburn, got the Kings’ first points of the new campaign.

The Clippers got out to an early, but small lead, but before long, the Kings had tied things up. Toward the end of the first quarter, the Kings went on a 12-point run, which saw them take the largest lead so far in the matchup, 27-14. At the end of the first frame, Stockton led 34-18. Stockton maintained their double-digit lead through the second quarter, taking a 61-43 lead into halftime.

The Clippers would cut into the lead slightly early in the third quarter, but not nearly enough to put pressure on the Kings.

That would change late in the quarter, though, as at one point the lead was down to just seven points, marking the first time the Kings’ lead was down to single digits since the first quarter. By the end of the third quarter, the lead was down to 77-72.

With 10 minutes remaining in regulation, the Clippers had cut the Kings’ lead down to just a single point and took their first lead since the opening frame moments later.

From there, the lead was traded back and forth, with neither side able to truly pull ahead of their opposition. Ultimately, the Kings would fall short to kick off their season, losing to the Clippers.

NBA G League Finals: Stockton Kings are G League Champs; Kings defeat Osceola 118-110

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The Stockton Kings got the first step on the Osceola Magic on offense at RP Funding Center in game 3 in the G League Finals on Mon Apr 14, 2025 (Stockton Kings photo)

By William Espy

The Stockton Kings were on the road for the final time this season, as they visited the Osceola Magic in a winner-takes-all game three in the G League Finals and the winner did take all as the Kings took two out of three from the Magic 118-110 at the RP Funding Center.

The Magic got out to a decent lead by the end of the first quarter, leading 29-21 after 12 minutes. The Kings didn’t do much to slow their opposition’s momentum either, as they gave them two quick baskets to start the second quarter.

It very quickly seemed like the game could get out of hand. The Kings didn’t score for nearly three minutes to start the second, when Terry Taylor hit a free throw. The Kings clawed their way back into the game by the end of the half, as they trailed by just six points heading into the break.

Back-to-back three pointers a few minutes into the third quarter swung momentum heavily back in the Magic’s favor. While the Kings nearly evened up the game late in the third quarter, a missed free throw by Dexter Dennis once again gave the advantage to Osceola.

As a result, the Kings were faced with a deficit heading into the final frame. They were down by nine points with 12 minutes remaining. Within two minutes though, the Magic’s lead was down to just three points.

Within three minutes, it was a tie game thanks to a three-point play by Isaiah Crawford. With nine minutes remaining in the game, Stockton took the lead for the first time in the game.

The Kings lost Mason Jones to injury around the midway point of the fourth quarter, but were still fighting without one of their key players. With just over two minutes remaining, the Kings had a seven point lead and victory was within sight.

The Kings were able to hold on, and won their first ever G League Championship with a final score of 118-107. After the game, Mason Jones was named Finals MVP.

NBA G League playoffs: Magic takes 1-0 lead in playoffs beat Kings 129-118

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Stockton Kings guard Dexter Dennis (9) goes for the throw down against the Osceola Magic in game one of the G League Playoffs at Spurs Arena Kissimmee Tue Apr 8, 2025 (Stockton Kings X photo)

By William Espy

The NBA G League Finals are officially underway as the Stockton Kings visited the Osceola Magic at Silver Spurs Arena in Kissimmee, Florida on Tuesday night. The Magic worked the offense with Myran Gardner leading with 30 points followed by Mac McClung with 29 points as they defeated the Kings 129-118.

It was an evenly matched affair early on. The Magic pulled out to a narrow lead in the first quarter, as they were only able to edge out the Kings by two points in the first frame, taking a 32-30 lead into the second.

The Kings returned the favor in the second quarter, outscoring the Magic by two points and making it a tie game heading into halftime. Stockton and Osceola were tied 60-60 after 24 minutes, and it was clear that it wasn’t a coincidence these two teams ended up in the finals, they certainly appeared to be evenly matched.

The third quarter was when the Magic’s offense really broke through. The Kings were unable to stop them, and Osceola dropped a game-high 38 points in the third frame. Meanwhile Stockton was held to just 27, giving the home side an 11 point lead heading into the final 12 minutes.

The fourth quarter would once again be an evenly matched one, much to the dismay of the Kings. Both teams would end up with 31 points, and the Magic would take a 1-0 series lead in game one.

One of the G League’s most known players Mac McClung had a phenomenal offensive showing for the Magic, scoring 29 points. However, he was actually second on his team in scoring as Myron Gardner just slightly outperformed him with a 30-point game.

Meanwhile, the Kings were led by Terry Taylor’s 28 points while Mason Jones ended the night with 21 of his own.

Stockton will get the opportunity to even up the series on their home court on Friday night, as they look to stop the Magic from sweeping the best-of-three series and hope to force a winner-takes-all matchup back in Florida.

NBA G League Playoffs: Mason Jones 47 points leads Kings to 122-114 win over Valley Suns

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Stockton Kings guard Mason Jones (15) brings the ball up the floor against the Valley Suns in the first round of the NBA G League playoffs at Adventist Health Arena in Stockton on Thu Apr 3, 2025 (Getty photo)

By William Espy

STOCKTON–The Stockton Kings started their postseason with a first round bye before hosting the Valley Suns on Thursday night. The Kings Mason Jones had himself an offensive evening scoring 47 points for a 122-114 win to advance to the next round of the playoffs.

Both teams had a strong offensive performance right out of the gate, with the Suns taking a 31-28 lead after the first quarter. Skal Labissiere was creating the majority of the Kings offense, and if they were going to walk away victorious they were going to need some others to step up as well.

Early in the second quarter, the Suns continued to extend their lead, yet weren’t able to pull too far ahead of the Kings either.

By the end of the first half, the Kings had pulled the game back within reach, and trailed by only a single point after 24 minutes.

While the Kings did take the lead momentarily in the third quarter, the Suns were leading for the majority of it early on. The Suns would maintain their lead at the end of the quarter, making it 97-92 after 36 minutes. Considering the Kings hadn’t been able to maintain a lead all night, it seemed like an upset may be on the horizon.

In the first three minutes of the final frame, the Kings went on a 7-0 run to quickly take the lead with minimal time remaining. It would be a back-and-forth battle until the Kings went on another late run to pull ahead, and secure the victory with a final score of 122-114.

Mason Jones was instrumental in the Kings’ success, as he was on fire following the first quarter. He ended the night with 47 points which led both teams in scoring. Meanwhile, the aforementioned Labissiere finished second on the Kings with 25. TyTy Washington led the Suns with 39 points of his own in the losing effort. The Kings will host the Western Conference Finals against the Austin Spurs on Sunday as they continue their push through the playoffs.

NBA G-League action: Kings putting up the shots crushing Sioux Falls 122-106 at Adventist Health

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Guard Mason Jones of the Stockton Kings led in scoring with 28 points, two rebounds, and 12 assists against the visiting Sioux Falls Skyforce at Adventist Health Arena in Stockton on Wed Mar 26, 2025 (Stockton Kings X photo)

By William Espy

STOCKTON–The Stockton Kings hosted the Sioux Falls Skyforce in their final home game of the regular season on Wednesday night. Entering the night, the Kings had already clinched a playoff berth with three total games remaining. Despite that, they were in a fight to win the #1 seed, which would give them a major advantage in the postseason.

Meanwhile, the Skyforce were trying to chase down the Santa Cruz Warriors, who currently hold the final playoff spot in the Western Conference. Both teams had playoff implications riding on the outcome of this game, which meant it should be a competitive one.

After Jon Elmore gave the fans in attendance a short thank-you message, the game got underway. Mason Jones got the Kings on the board to start the night with a quick three-pointer. Although the Kings pulled out to a quick lead, it was short-lived as the Skyforce fought back to tie it up just a couple of minutes later.

While the Skyforce kept it close for a few minutes, the Kings quickly got out to their biggest lead of the night so far around the halfway point of the first quarter, when they led 16-9. Terry Taylor gave the Kings a 34-24 lead a the end of the quarter, with a thunderous putback dunk right before the clock expired.

The Kings kept extending their lead into the second quarter, making it 51-38 at the halfway point of the second frame. By the end of the quarter, it seemed that we were on our way to a blowout as the Kings had a commanding lead heading into halftime. They were up 67-48 with 24 minutes remaining in the game.

Sioux Falls slowly started cutting into the lead in the third quarter, but weren’t able to make much of a dent into it. Mason Jones was given a technical foul halfway through the third, and with the free throw, the Skyforce cut the Kings’ lead to 13. By the end of the quarter, though, the Kings got it back to 17, and led 96-79.

The final quarter was more of the same, as the Kings maintained their lead for the most part but the Skyforce had a few runs of their own as they looked to cut into the lead. Ultimately, they’d be unable to do so, and Stockton would walk away victorious with a final score of 122-106. Mason Jones led the way in scoring with 28 points for the Kings, but Terry Taylor and Isaac Jones weren’t far behind with 23 of their own. Josh Christopher led the way for the Skyforce with 26 points.

NBA G League: Time runs out on Kings as Clippers win it 126-113

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Stockton Kings guard Mason Jones (15) was listed as inactive against the San Diego Clippers at Adventist Health Arena in Stockton in the G League on Sun Mar 9, 2025 (Stockton Kings X file photo)

By William Espy

STOCKTON–Straight off of their win against the San Diego Clippers Saturday night, the Stockton Kings hosted their California rivals in a matinee matchup on Sunday afternoon. With daylight savings time taking effect and less than 24 hours between games, it seemed clear that both teams would be battling fatigue and either side could walk away victorious. The Clippers walked away with a 126-113 win over the Kings.

Once again, the visiting team got out to an early lead. In the first quarter, San Diego outscored the Kings for the second night in a row, leading 31-27 after the first 12 minutes. The second period was exactly the same, once again the Clippers outscored Stockton 31-27, extending their lead to 62-54 heading into the halftime break.

For the third quarter in a row, the Clippers held the Kings to 27 points in the third frame but scored one more point than they had in the first two quarters, outscoring Stockton 32-27 this time. Heading into the final quarter, the Clippers had a solid 94-81 lead and they only needed to hold on for 12 more minutes to split the series in Stockton.

The Clippers were consistent throughout the night, as they scored 32 points once again in the fourth quarter, bringing their point total up to 126 at the final whistle. The Kings had a better offensive showing in the final frame, scoring 32 of their own and matching San Diego for the only time of the night. It was too little too late though, as the visiting team walked away victorious with a final score of 126-113.

The winning team, San Diego, were led in scoring by Trentyn Flowers who dropped 23 points. It was a strong all-around offensive effort though, as the Clippers had seven players with 14 or more points on the night. Yauhen Massalski’s 10 offensive rebounds helped get some critical second-chance points, and were a big part of the Clippers’ win as well.

Terry Taylor had an impressive outing for the Kings despite it coming in a losing effort. The former Chicago Bull scored 33 points and grabbed 11 rebounds of his own, mostly on the defensive end of the court. Jon Elmore also eclipsed the 20-point mark, getting 25 points on the night.

After splitting the series, the Kings will be heading back on the road as they’ll be going to Birmingham for their next game later this week.

NBA G League: Kings roll out on Clippers 123-105 at Adventist Health

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King for a day: Terry Taylor forward (32) of the Stockton Kings is crowned. Taylor was one of three Kings that scored 20 points against the San Diego Clippers on Sat Mar 8, 2025 (Stockton Kings X photo)

By William Espy

STOCKTON–The Stockton Kings hosted the San Diego Clippers on Saturday night at AdventistHealth Arena. The Kings took care of business with a 123-105 win.

The Clippers got out to an early lead, and actually got out to a double-digit lead following an impressive offensive performance in the first quarter. After 12 minutes, the visitors led Stockton 39-28. The Kings didn’t wait long to bounce back though, as they were able to contain the Clippers in the second period and hold them to just 17 points. After scoring 26 of their own, Stockton had brought it back to a two-point game heading into the half. They trailed 56-54 after 24 minutes, and the game was once again within reach for the Kings.

Not only was the game within reach for Stockton, but in the third quarter they were able to pull out to a lead of their own, albeit a small one. The Kings led 91-89 after three quarters and now had victory in their sights if they could close out the fourth quarter.

Stockton was able to do just that, once again shutting down the Clippers’ offense in the fourth quarter. San Diego was limited to just 16 points in the final frame, while the Kings were able to put 32 on the scoreboard. As a result, the Kings walked away with a win, with the final score being 123-105 in favor of the home side.

Mason Jones, Terry Taylor, and Jon Elmore all dropped 20+ points. Jones led the team with 29, but Taylor wasn’t far behind with 27 of his own. Jones’ dominance offensively wasn’t just limited to his own scoring though. He also had 15 assists on the night and was critical in helping his teammates get open. He also completed the triple-double by grabbing ten rebounds. It was a phenomenal night for Jones, who was undoubtedly a key part of the Kings’ win.

Meanwhile, San Diego were led by Patrick Baldwin Jr and Jalen Adaway who had 24 and 20 points respectively.

The Kings and Clippers will have a rematch Sunday afternoon, as the Kings look to sweep the back-to-back and the Clippers will be hoping for immediate revenge.

NBA G League: Kings hold off SkyForce 117-98; Stockton wins fifth of last ten games

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Stockton Kings guard Chasson Randle (4) takes the ball against the Sioux Falls Skyforce at Adventist Health Center in Stockton on Sat Mar 1, 2025

By William Espy

STOCKTON–The Stockton Kings were back at it on Saturday night as they hosted the Sioux Falls SkyForce at Adventist Health Arena in Stockton. Kings had to really hold off the SkyForce in the end to get the win 117-98.

The two teams were evenly matched in the first quarter. Although the Kings led for most of the first 12 minutes, the SkyForce only allowed them to get out to a six point lead at most throughout the quarter. By the end of the period, the Kings maintained their lead but it was just a two-point lead as the SkyForce had crawled back into it. Stockton led 26-24 heading into the second quarter.

The second frame was much different than the first. It didn’t take long for Stockton to start extending their lead. With three minutes remaining in the first half, the Kings got their first double-digit lead of the night and they weren’t done yet. When the second quarter came to an end, Stockton had a 14 point lead, as it was 56-42 heading into the break. If the SkyForce were going to get back into the games, they’d need to make some changes very quickly.

Those changes didn’t come though, as although the SkyForce looked a bit more competitive, they weren’t able to reduce the Kings’ lead at all. Stockton continued to pull away, and heading into the final frame of the night they led 86-64. The game felt like it was already over, but the Kings needed to make sure they didn’t get overconfident as they had a few times this season.

Sioux Falls would outscore the Kings in the fourth quarter, the only time they accomplished that over the course of the night, but Stockton held on to win 117-98. Isaiah Crawford led the Kings in scoring with 25 points, while Devin Carter was right behind him with 24 of his own.

Meanwhile for Sioux Falls, the two Williams, Malik and Alondes led with 18 and 17 points respectively.

The Kings currently sit second in the Western Conference behind just the Austin Spurs and will be back in action on Tuesday when they host the Valley Suns, once again at home.

G League Action: Kings crush Hustle 120-108 at Adventist Health Arena

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Stockton Kings guard Isaac Jones (3) takes aim for the basket against the Memphis Hustle at Adventist Health Arena in Stockton on Wed Feb 26, 2025 (Stockton Kings X photo)

By William Espy

STOCKTON–The Stockton Kings were back at Adventist Health Arena for the first and only time in the month of February, as they hosted the Memphis Hustle in a matinee matchup on Wednesday. The Kings got the best of the Hustle with a convincing 120-108 win.

The Kings got out to a dominant start, leading the Hustle by double digits at the end of the first quarter, making it 38-27 after 12 minutes. They continued their offensive dominance in the second quarter as well, scoring 40 points while only allowing the Hustle to get 29 of their own.

At halftime, Stockton had a commanding 78-56 lead and seemed to be on a clear path to victory. The Hustle didn’t stop fighting though. While they weren’t able to reduce the gap by much in the third quarter, Memphis did outscore the Kings by three points, cutting the lead to 19 with 12 minutes remaining in the game. The Hustle closed the game out with another strong quarter, but it was too little too late as the Kings walked away with a victory on their home court.

The Sacramento Kings’ top prospect Devin Carter had a phenomenal outing for Stockton, scoring a career-high 34 points while also grabbing nine rebounds. Isaac Jones scored 24 of his own, and also made an impact with rebounding, picking up eight boards as well.

The Hustle were led by Armando Bacot, who scored 22 points and 11 rebounds however the most impressive performance was Yuki Kawamura who had a game-leading 16 assists on the night.

Efficiency was the main difference between the two teams, as the Kings’ field goal percentage was 7% higher than that of the Hustle.

The Kings continue the homestand on Sat Mar 1 against the Sioux Falls Skyforce for a 5:00pm PT tip off at Adventist Health Arena in Stockton

NBA G League Saturday Action: Wolves come away with upset two game sweep over Kings in 125-120 win

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Stockton Kings forward Skal Labissiere (8) scored 40 points leading the Kings in scoring against the Iowa Wolves at the Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines on Sat Feb 8, 2025 (Stockton Kings X photo)

By William Espy

The Stockton Kings were back at it on Saturday night, as they looked to get revenge for a disappointing loss the night before. The Iowa Wolves on the other hand, were looking to continue building their momentum at home and try to start climbing up the standings by sweeping one of the G League’s best teams. The Kings who were one of the hottest teams in the G League were upset by the Wolves 125-120 losing the two game series in Iowa.

The Kings got off to a better start this time out, leading after the first quarter 34-32. There was certainly more to be desired defensively, as even though they scored a solid number of points, they weren’t able to pull away from the home team. The second quarter was very similar.

Iowa narrowly outscored the Kings in the second, 29-28 however Stockton still maintained a one point lead. At this point, it seemed obvious that a second straight upset could be in the cards, as the Kings hadn’t come out with the energy that you typically see from a top team after an unexpected loss.

Coming out of halftime, the Wolves were on fire. They dominated offensively, outscoring Stockton 38-27 and taking a big lead heading into the final frame. With Iowa leading 99-89 heading into the fourth quarter, the Kings once again found themselves needing to climb out of a sizable hole if they were to walk away victorious.

The Kings had a strong fourth quarter, outscoring Iowa but similar to the night before, it was too little, too late. When the game was settled, Iowa walked away with a sweep over the top team in the Western Conference.

The Wolves walked away with a 125-120 win, improving their record to 4-14 on the season. Meanwhile, the Kings fell to 14-6 and gave the Austin Spurs the opportunity to catch up if they win their three games in hand.

Skal Labissiere had a phenomenal night for the Kings, going 16-23 from the field and putting up 40 points which set a new season high for the 28-year-old big man from Haiti.

Despite Skal’s strong performance, it seems clear that the Kings are struggling without a key piece. Colby Jones being traded ahead of the NBA’s trade deadline has severely weakened the team, however it’s up to them to adjust as player movement is to be expected at this level.

Meanwhile for Iowa, they were led by Nojel Eastern who scored a career-high 34 points in the win. Trevor Keels and Babacar Sane weren’t far behind, with 26 and 22 points respectively.

The Kings will be back at it on the 13th, as they visit the Santa Cruz Warriors for what will undoubtedly be a very important game in regards to the standings.