Category: Stockton Kings

NBA G League Friday action: Des Moines finds a way past Stockton 121-116 to open two game set

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Stockton Ellis guard Boogie Ellis (5) takes the ball down court against the Iowa Wolves at the Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines on Fri Feb 7, 2025 (Stockton Kings X photo)

By William Espy

The Stockton Kings continued their road trip, visiting Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines, Iowa to take on the struggling Iowa Wolves. The Wolves entered the night in the middle of a seven-game losing streak that sunk them to last in the Western Conference. Meanwhile, the Kings were heavy favorites as they were on top of the West. The Wolves pulled off an upset with a some offense to beat the visiting Kings 121-116.

The Wolves got out to an early lead, out-scoring the visiting Kings 29-21 in the first quarter. From there, Iowa only continued to extend their lead in the second, as they outscored Stockton by a similar margin, 30-24. The Wolves entered halftime with a 59-45 lead, showing that they can compete with even the strongest teams in the G-League.

The Kings surged in the second half, as they outscored the home team 38-31 in the third quarter, the highest scoring frame of the night. The Wolves still led, 90-83 heading into the fourth but it was once again anyone’s game.

The Kings battled back, even leading late in the fourth but the Wolves kept fighting back. Ultimately, Stockton would outscore Iowa in the final quarter but not by wide enough of a margin to secure the victory. The Wolves found a way to win over a heavy favorite, with a final score of 121-116.

Skal Labissiere led the Kings in scoring, with 27 points in the losing effort. The Kings had a short bench, only using an eight-man rotation over the course of the night. As a result, Terry Taylor led Stockton in minutes, playing 44 of 48 possible minutes.

Meanwhile, Iowa had two players score 20 or more points. Leonard Miller led the team with 29 points, while Trevor Keels had 22 off the bench. Miller also played 44 minutes, recording a double-double as well with 16 rebounds.

For the Wolves, this type of victory will help get their season back on track and if they can keep the momentum rolling in the second half of the back-to-back against Stockton, it will allow them to start climbing up the standings. Meanwhile for Stockton, they need to bounce back in their next game with Iowa. As the top seed in the Western Conference, they can’t afford to be dropping games to a team at the bottom of the standings.

The two teams will be back at it tonight from Wells Fargo Arena, as the Kings try to get revenge on the Wolves.

NBA G League Action: O Captain, My Captain, Capitanes overtake Kings in fourth quarter for 106-96 win

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Stockton Kings guard Boogie Ellis (5) faces the Mexico City Capitanes at Arena CDMX in Mexico City. Ellis scored eight points on Sun Feb 2, 2025 (Stockton Kings X photo)

By William Espy

The Stockton Kings continued their season, heading south of the border. They visited the Mexico City Capitanes in Arena CDMX, in Mexico City, Mexico for the first of two games between the two teams.

The Kings were without a couple of key players including Skal Labissiere and Isaac Jones, while Mexico City was missing Trey Burke from their lineup.

The Capitanes got off to a hot start, leading 34-20 after the first 12 minutes. Momentum swung in the Kings’ favor in the second quarter, as they outscored the Capitanes 34-23, but they still trailed on the scoreboard 57-54.

In the second half, momentum went back to the Capitanes however the Kings were still keeping it fairly close. The third quarter was lower scoring than either of the first two, as the Capitanes outscored Stockton 26-21, extending their lead to 83-75. A win was still within reach for the Kings, but they needed to have a dominant fourth quarter.

Ultimately, that wouldn’t happen. The Capitanes would once again outscore the Kings in the fourth quarter, and walked away with a 106-96 victory.

Shots simply weren’t falling for Stockton, as they shot 39.6% from the field over the course of the night. Terry Taylor, Colby Jones and Dexter Dennis all struggled with efficiency. Taylor went 9-19, Jones was 6-16 and Dennis finished the night 6-17 from the field. Had they each hit two more of their shots, Stockton would’ve walked out victorious.

The Kings struggled defensively when Boogie Ellis was on the court, as he had a team-worst -20 on the night and Brian Bowen II was a -18.

The aforementioned Taylor did finish with a double-double though, scoring 21 and grabbing 10 rebounds.

Mexico City’s shooting percentage wasn’t much better than Stockton’s, at 45.6%, but the difference was certainly enough to get them the win. David Jones Garcia recorded a double-double of his own, with a game-leading 23 points and 10 rebounds. He went 10-15 from the field, and was a major part of the reason that his team was able to walk away with a win.

The Kings and Capitanes will face off once again on Tuesday night, once again from Mexico’s capital city. Stockton’s performances have started to dip recently, and if they want to continue holding off the Austin Spurs at the top of the Western Conference, they’re going to need to find their rhythm from the beginning of the season sooner rather than later. Meanwhile, the Capitanes have now passed the Santa Cruz Warriors for third in the Western Conference and could find themselves fighting for the top spot very soon.

NBA G League Action: Kings sweep two game set over Bulls in 117-110 win

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Stockton Kings forward Brian Bowen (10) scored from under the basket against the visiting Windy City Bulls at Adventist Arena in Stockton on Fri Jan 31, 2025 (Stockton Kings X photo)

By William Espy

STOCKTON–The Stockton Kings looked to finish January off on a high note, as they took on the Windy City Bulls Friday night, after defeating the Grand Rapids Gold on Thursday. The Kings would ultimately win against a resilient Bulls team, with a final score of 117-107

The Bulls and Kings went back-and-forth in the first quarter, with the Kings narrowly exiting the quarter with a lead, 28-26. The second quarter was when Stockton really started pulling away though, outscoring their opposition 28-15 and extending the lead to 15 points heading into halftime.

Jon Elmore had a tremendous start to the night, going 5-6 from beyond the arc early on. He has struggled shooting from distance lately, however he seems to be finding his form once again.

Boogie Ellis was also firing on all cylinders, hitting multiple deep three pointers in the third quarter.

The Bulls had a strong run late in the third, after trailing by more than 20 points at one point, they brought it back within 11 but the Kings quickly swung momentum back in their favor with a few forced turnovers and defensive stops. Just a couple of minutes later, the Kings’ lead would be back up to 23 points. The Bulls would get three back before the end of the frame, but Stockton would head into the fourth with an 89-69 lead.

The Bulls had another great run to start the fourth, bringing the Kings’ lead back down to 12 just three minutes into the quarter. With five minutes remaining, the Bulls brought the game within single digits, trailing just 99-92. It went from seeming like a clear cut win for the Kings, to anyone’s ballgame in just a few moments.

The Kings responded by quickly getting the lead back to double-digits but the Bulls never let off the gas either. With 37 seconds remaining, it was a seven point game once again. The Bulls kept fighting but ultimately Elmore would dribble out the clock, and the Kings won 117-107, sweeping the back-to-back two game series. Elmore led the team in scoring with 21 points, while Ellis finished his night with 20 of his own.

Adama Sanogo had a great night for the Bulls despite the loss, finishing with 27 points and 14 rebounds on the night.

The Kings continued their great season with a hard fought victory over Windy City, and now they’ll head on the road for quite a while with their next outing in Mexico City.

NBA G League action: Kings end five game win streak in 115-98 loss to Grand Rapids

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Stockton Kings guard Colby Jones (20) takes a finger roll shot at the hoop against the visiting Grand Rapids Gold at Adventist Health Arena on Tue Jan 28, 2025 (Stockton Kings X photo)

By William Espy

STOCKTON–The Stockton Kings (11-3) ended their five-game winning streak against long-time NBA veteran Andre Miller’s Grand Rapids Gold (7-7) 115-98 at Adventist Health in Stockton on Tuesday night. Kings forward Isaac Jones was named as the G-League Player of the Week on Tuesday and looked to continue his strong run of form.

The contest started off with both teams seeming evenly matched. Both teams were struggling to hit their shots, shooting under 30% to start the game. Back-to-back threes by Terry Taylor put momentum firmly in Stockton’s favor for the first time on the night halfway through the first quarter.

Two consecutive fouls quickly allowed the Gold to tie it up, though, after they converted on their free throws. The Gold would then go on a run, taking a 21-14 lead with a couple of minutes remaining in the quarter and forcing the Kings to call a timeout.

Grand Rapids would keep their momentum running through the end of the quarter, though, taking a 27-14 lead into the break. After 12 minutes, the Kings were shooting just 20% from the field.

The Gold continued growing their lead, but Skal Labissiere tried to get his team energized with two dunks in quick succession. Unfortunately for Stockton, they weren’t able to build off of it, as Grand Rapids would go down and score on both of their ensuing possessions.

Grand Rapids would continue dominating for the remainder of the first half, and ultimately, their lead would be up to 61-38 by the end of the second quarter. While the Kings undoubtedly hit more shorts in the second frame, they were much weaker defensively and allowed the Gold to score almost at will.

The Kings just weren’t able to get things going right out of the half as the Gold continued to extend their lead. After six minutes of the third quarter, it was 74-45 in favor of the visiting team.

Over the course of the night, the Kings looked uncharacteristically sloppy. They were missing shots at a higher rate, running into each other, and allowing the Gold to get chances they typically wouldn’t allow.

Jaylin Williams left the game with an injury late in the third quarter following a collision with two Kings players below the basket. The Gold would continue to extend their lead for the remainder of the third, eventually leading 91-66 heading into the final period.

The Kings’ offense was playing better in the fourth, but ultimately it would be too little, too late as they’d ultimately lose their third game of the season and fall 115-98 to the Gold.

The two teams will meet again on Thu Jan 30, as the Kings look to start a new winning streak and get some revenge all at the same time at 7:00pm PST.

NBA G League Action: Kings squeeze by Legends in nail biter 108-104

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Every basket counted in this one as the Stockton Kings put away the visiting Texas Legends at Adventist Health in Stockton on Sun Jan 26, 2025 (Stockton Kings X)

By William Espy

STOCKTON–The 10-2 Stockton Kings hosted the 4-7 Texas Legends on Sunday afternoon, as Stockton swept a back-to-back series 108-104 against Texas following a win on Friday.

The Kings struggled with protecting the ball early on, having five turnovers, four of which were Legends’ steals, in the first six minutes. Ultimately, that would be one of many factors that caused Stockton to trail by 11 points after the first quarter. Texas entered the second quarter with a 30-19 lead.

Texas carried their momentum into the second, with a couple energizing dunks in the first couple of minutes. Dexter Dennis was hitting some shots as well though, which was helping lessen Texas’s lead. The Kings made a dent in the lead, cutting it down to eight points before halftime, and the Legends led 58-50.

The Kings would cut that lead to just two points in the opening minutes of the third. Stockton would go on to score a total of 26 in the third quarter, and led 76-75 after 36 minutes. Obviously at that point, it was anyone’s game heading into the final quarter of the game.

The Legends came out fighting in the fourth quarter, but weren’t able to keep up when all was said and done. Led by Colby Jones’ 24 points, the Kings walked away with a narrow, 108-104 victory. Sweeping the back-to-back is the latest in a considerable number of great accomplishments the Kings have had so far this season. While Isaac Jones didn’t drop the same amount of points we’ve grown accustomed to seeing from him over the past few games, he finished with 13 points, and more importantly a team-leading 14 rebounds.

Tyson Walker dropped 28 for the Legends in their losing effort, but was pretty inefficient in doing so. He went 13-29 from the field and 2-9 from beyond the arc, had he hit a couple more of his shots then the outcome would have easily been very different. Jamarion Sharp made an impact defensively for the Legends though, getting five blocks over the course of the night.

The Kings will be back at home for the remainder of the week, with their next two outings being against the Grand Rapids Gold on Tuesday and Thursday night. Stockton will be looking to extend their five game winning streak, and continue separating themselves in the standings, against the struggling affiliate of the Denver Nuggets.

NBA G League Action: Kings take care of business on second of back to back nights beat Texas 109-95

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The Stockton Kings forward Skal Labissiere (8) takes a jump shot against the Texas Legends at Adventist Health Arena in Stockton on Thu Jan 23, 2025 (Stockton Kings X photo)

By William Espy

The Stockton Kings hosted the Texas Legends on Thursday night in the second-half of a back-to-back. After defeating the South Bay Lakers Wednesday night, the Kings had no time to reset. They let that adrenaline from the beating the Lakers carry over beating the Legends 109-95 at Adventist Health Arena in Stockton

The first quarter was filled with back-and-forth from both teams, as the majority of the frame was spent with only a single possession separating the sides. After numerous lead changes, it would be Texas who led at the end of the quarter by the narrowest of margins, 26-25.

That trend would continue for most of the second quarter, but a late run by the Kings allowed them to extend a lead to seven points and they would maintain that gap headed into the break, leading 56-49 after 24 minutes.

It was more back and forth in the third quarter, but by the end, the Kings had maintained their seven point lead, 80-73. Texas was going to need a massive fourth quarter to have a chance to walk away with a win, but that didn’t happen. The Kings outscored the Legends 29-22 in the final frame and ultimately walked away with a 109-95 victory after the full 48 minutes.

Isaac Jones had another phenomenal night for Stockton, dropping 31 points on the night. At this rate, it would be surprising if he doesn’t start getting more attention from the Kings’ brass up in Sacramento. Jones was one of three players with a double-double for Stockton, as Isaiah Crawford had 16 points and 10 rebounds, and Terry Taylor had 12 and 10 of his own.

Meanwhile for Texas, their top scorer was Jarod Lucas who had 18 points on the night coming off of the bench but ended up playing more minutes than anyone on the team. Their highest scoring starter was center Jamarion Sharp. Sharp also led the Legends in boards, with eight on the night.

The Kings’ current four-game winning streak has given them a bit of breathing room at the top of the Western Conference over the second place Santa Cruz Warriors. They’re playing with confidence and seem like a team that could be a force to be reckoned with over the course of the season.

The Kings host the Legends and will meet again on Sunday, in Stockton in a 2:00pm PST matinee matchup. Considering how even this game was for the majority of the night, it should be an entertaining game to say the least.

G League Action: Kings maintain lead to close out Lakers 112-99

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Forward Isaac Jones (3) led the Stockton Kings in scoring with 18 points to help defeat the visiting South Bay Lakers at Adventist Health Arena in Stockton on Wed Jan 22, 2025 (Stockton Kings X photo)

By William Espy

STOCKTON–The Stockton Kings returned home after a big win over the Santa Cruz Warriors to take on the South Bay Lakers on Wednesday. The Kings came away with a 112-99 win improve to 9-2 and in first place in the Western Conference.

The Lakers got out to an early lead, but the two teams went back-and-forth never allowing them to truly pull away. After a few minutes, both teams struggled to get a stop and the lead changed hands multiple times.

Eventually, the Kings would get the lead on a Jon Elmore three-pointer, which Elmore followed up with a couple of free throws, giving Stockton a two-possession lead for the first time in the game. Elmore and Isaac Jones were dominant early on, as halfway through the first they combined for 21 of the Kings’ 23 points.

The Lakers brought it back to within a single point with roughly five minutes remaining in the first frame, and ultimately ended up tying it off of a free throw by Sir’Jabari Rice. They’d be unable to regain the lead though, and once the Kings extended their lead back to six points, the Lakers were forced to take a timeout. At the end of the first, the Kings led 36-33 after a high-scoring start to the night.

Momentum shifted in the second quarter, as the Lakers found themselves in the lead halfway through. They had bounced back and were up 47-41 after a strong start on both ends of the court. Although the Kings’ offense woke up a bit in the second half of the frame, the Lakers kept the lead heading into half-time with a score of 54-50.

The Lakers were never able to pull away to start the third quarter, and eventually, a three from Elmore would give the Kings the lead once again with six minutes remaining. From there, they’d maintain the lead for the rest of the third. Dexter Dennis threw down an emphatic dunk to give the Kings an 80-74 lead heading into the final quarter.

Isaac Jones was able to extend Stockton’s lead to double digits just a minute into the fourth quarter, but the Lakers weren’t going to give up easily. Within 20 seconds, the lead was already cut in half and it was anybody’s game.

Within a minute, the Lakers were back within a single possession. The Kings didn’t get discouraged though, and momentum was quickly back in their favor as they put the lead back up to 92-84 and South Bay was forced to take a time out to cool Stockton’s run.

From there, the Lakers would occasionally make it a bit closer but they were unable to take the lead. The Kings would maintain their lead and walk away with a 112-99 win, in big part due to Isaac Jones’ 35 point performance.

NBA G League action: Warriors can’t get past Kings in 125-121 loss in Santa Cruz

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The Santa Cruz Warriors forward Kevin Knox (31) was a force by himself leading the Warriors in scoring against the Stockton Kings forward Isaac Jones (3) forward and guard Jon Elmore (33) at Kaiser Permanente Arena in Santa Cruz on Mon Jan 20, 2025 (Santa Cruz X photo)

By Morris Phillips

It was a Martin Luther King Holiday that the sell out crowd of 2476 in attendance at the Kaiser Permanente Arena wanted to have something to take away from. The Santa Cruz Warriors (6-3) almost delivered coming back from 17 points behind in the fourth quarter but just couldn’t hang on and ended up bowing to the visiting Stockton Kings (8-2) who are having a bang up season 125-121 on Monday.

The Warriors forward Kevin Knox II led with 39 points and nine rebounds. Getting his third double-double for the campaign with guard Yuri Collins and scored 23 points the most for the 2024-25 season Collins also chalked up 14 assists and stole the ball twice.

The Warriors forward Blake Hinson came off the bench to score 19 points and scored his most points of this season so far. Hinson was five for nine behind the three point line and doing it all coming off the bench. Forward Jackson Rowe grabbed ten rebounds, 16 points, and had five assists. The Warriors also got help from center Seth Maxwell who scored 10 points and seven rebounds.

The Warriors tried coming back in the fourth quarter down 17 points 110-93. Hinson threw up back to back three point shots and the Warriors were within single digits. Collins got a hot hand and scored 11 points and closed the gap on the Kings within one point 116-115 with just two minutes left in the game. The effort was not to be for Santa Cruz with 12.2 seconds left the Warriors had the ball but couldn’t get the lead and fell to the Kings in a four point deficit.

The Warriors will try to turn the page on this loss and are heading to San Diego to face the Clippers at the Intuit Dome on Wed Jan 22 for a 7:00pm PST tip. The Warriors return to Santa Cruz for a two game set with the Salt Lake City Stars on Fri Jan 24 and Sat Jan 25 at Kaiser Permanente Arena.

G League Action: Kings get revenge score 38 points in 4th quarter to defeat Stars 120-111

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The Stockton Kings guard Dexter Dennis looks to pass the ball against the Salt Lake City Stars at Maverik Center in West Valley Utah on Thu Jan 16, 2025 (Stockton Kings X photo)

By William Espy

After a disappointing loss to the Salt Lake City Stars on Tuesday, the Stockton Kings had revenge on their mind as they returned to the Maverik Center in West Valley City, Utah.

The Kings got out to an early 27-19 lead in the first quarter, and maintained it through the second. Salt Lake City had a high-scoring third quarter which put them in the lead heading into the final frame with the opportunity to sweep the back-to-back between the two teams. An explosive 38 points in the final quarter shot Stockton back into the lead, and they’d walk away with a 120-111 win.

The difference was ultimately the Kings’ ability to have multiple offensive options. They had five players score 17 or more points, led by an unlikely hero, Antoine Davis who finished the night with 20 points. Strong contributions from Skal Labissiere, Terry Taylor, Isaiah Crawford and Dexter Dennis helped the Kings get back to their winning ways.

Davis had a phenomenal night from beyond the arc, as he went 6-10 from three-point range.

Mason Jones struggled a bit shooting 4-11 on the night, but as one of Stockton’s top performers this season they’ll certainly hope to see him back to his normal level of play next time out.

Meanwhile for the Stars, Taevion Kinsey and Justin Lewis not only led the team in points but were very efficient with their shot selection. Kinsey finished with 28 points, going 12-16 from the field while Lewis went 8-11, ending up with a total of 23 points. If Dereon Seabron was able to hit a few more of his shots for Salt Lake City, it could’ve been a much different story. He was 4-15 in general, but went 0-4 from three-point range.

Rebounds also went firmly in Stockton’s favor, as they ended the night leading 46-34 in that regard. Jon Elmore had a strong night defensively, leading both teams in steals with three on the night.

It was a big win for Stockton, as they solidified their position in the standings. They’re currently second in the Western Conference, and they’re quickly establishing themselves as a major contender in the G-League.

The Kings’ next match up will be a massively important one, as they’ll face the leaders of the Western Conference, the Santa Cruz Warriors on the road. The Warriors have spent their entire season on the road so far, so Stockton will have added pressure as Santa Cruz will certainly want to put on a show for their home fans in their home opener

G League Action: Kings hold onto 113-107 victory; Lakers late come back not enough in Stockton win

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Stockton Kings forward Isaiah Crawford (11) runs the floor against the South Bay Lakers at Adventist Health Arena in Stockton on Sat Jan 11, 2025 (Stockton Kings X photo)

By William Espy

The Stockton Kings kept rolling as they hosted the South Bay Lakers on Saturday night. The Kings entered the night 5-1 on the season, while the Lakers were 1-4.

The Kings, led by Mason Jones (23 points), Terry Taylor (23) and Skal Labissiere (20) offensively. Meanwhile, those in attendance didn’t get to see the biggest name playing in South Bay, as Bronny James didn’t travel with the team. Instead, the Lakers saw strong offensive performances from Quincy Olivari and Jordan Goodwin, who both had 22 points on the night.

Jones had a strong night in terms of scoring, but he simply wasn’t afraid to shoot. He had 15 attempts from beyond the arc, going 6-15 from three and 6-18 overall. Every Kings starter was in double-digits for points, an impressive feat in itself but they also got some relief from their second unit.

Isaiah Crawford and new addition Chasson Randle both did a great job disrupting the Lakers defensively, as they had four and three steals respectively on the night.

Turnovers were truly the difference-maker, as the Lakers out rebounded the Kings and were even more efficient. They had five more turnovers than Stockton though, and it ended up being just a six point game. If South Bay had been more careful with their possessions, it could’ve easily been a win for the struggling team.

The Lakers nearly launched a late comeback, outscoring Stockton by 14 points in the fourth quarter, but it was too little, too late as the Kings walked away with a 113-107 victory against the team from Southern California.

The Kings narrowly avoided a loss to a team that hasn’t had a great start to the season, but for coach Quinton Crawford, a win is a win at this juncture. The Kings find themselves second in the Western Conference, behind only the 5-0 Santa Cruz Warriors. The Kings will now head on the road, as they’ll visit the Salt Lake City Stars on Tuesday night in Salt Lake City, Utah.