Tag: 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.

Kings get by Warriors 120-117; Kings remain tied for first with Suns

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Skal Labissière forward (8) Stockton Kings gets ready to throw down against the visiting Santa Cruz Warriors at Adventist Health Arena in Stockton on Wed Dec 11, 2024 (image by Stockton Kings)

By William Espy

STOCKTON–The Stockton Kings returned home after a lengthy road trip to once again faceoff against the Santa Cruz Warriors. Nick Kerr’s Warriors won two in a row prior to their matchup at Adventist Health Arena, while the Kings lost their last outing against the Salt Lake City Stars but found themselves second in the West Division. On Wednesday night different story the Kings played a close game and defeated the visiting Warriors 120-117.

Stockton Starters: Terry Taylor, Isaiah Crawford, Skal Labissiere, Dexter Dennis, Jon Elmore

Warriors Starters: Kevin Knox, Javan Johnson, Seth Maxwell, Marcus Burk, Yuri Collins

Skal Labissiere opened the scoring for the Kings, and they maintained an early lead but the Warriors were keeping it close. Eventually, the Warriors got their first lead of the night just over halfway through the first quarter. Marcus Burk hit a corner three, making it 18-17 in favor of the visiting team.

Skal Labissiere was the Kings’ main source of offense early on, while Kevin Knox was the same for the Warriors. After the Warriors extended their lead to 20-17, Stockton went on an 8-0 run to regain the lead quickly. Drew Timme made an instant impact off of the bench, scoring six points in his first two minutes on the court. At the end of the first quarter, the Kings led 36-29.

That lead would only continue to grow in the second quarter. For the most part, the Kings maintained a double-digit lead for most of the frame. Dexter Dennis had a strong start to the quarter seemingly scoring at will. At the half, Stockton led 65-55.

Labissiere and Isaiah Crawford led the Kings with 13 points each, while Dennis had 11. Meanwhile, for Santa Cruz, Blake Hinson led his team with 13 of his own while Knox had 11. One key difference between the two teams was efficiency.

Stockton was shooting 57.1% from the field, while their opposition was held to 39.2%. Defensively, the game was a completely different story though. The Warriors had seven steals, which were a big part of the Kings’ eight first-half turnovers, they just hadn’t been able to turn them into points.

Santa Cruz started the second half with energy, going on an 8-0 run to bring the game within 2 points before Stockton was forced to call a timeout. Terry Taylor eventually broke the run, and momentum swung in the Kings’ favor who looked to extend their lead. Stockton’s lead would only be five points at the end of the third quarter, as the Warriors kept themselves in the game.

As the fourth quarter reached its halfway point, the Warriors brought the game back within a single point. Stockton kept trying to pull away, but Santa Cruz kept themselves in it. For the first time since the first quarter, the Warriors took the lead with just five minutes remaining in the game, making it 106-105.

Labissiere quickly put the Kings back in the lead, but from there it was a game of pinball as it went back and forth. With just over a minute left, the Warriors held the lead but Crawford was sent to the free-throw line with an opportunity to tie it up for Stockton.

The Warriors went down and took the lead, but as Yuri Collins went down in discomfort at the other end of the court, Crawford drew another foul. This time, he had a chance to give the Kings the lead on an and-one. He missed the free throw, but Santa Cruz knocked the ball out of bounds, giving the Kings possession once again. Taylor would end up drawing another foul, and his points were the difference maker as the Kings walked away victorious, 120-117.

Santa Cruz Warriors game wrap: Warriors Handled Lakers 89-76 inside KPA on Saturday night

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Santa Cruz Warriors forward Jackson Rowe (44) takes aim against the South Bay Lakers at Kaiser Permanente Arena in Santa Cruz on Sat Nov 30, 2024 (photo from Santa Cruz Warriors X)

By Michael Roberson

SANTA CRUZ, Calif. — The Santa Cruz Warriors (4-4) got their own post Black Friday bargain, by defeating the South Bay Lakers (3-5), 89-76, on their home court.

The Warriors got off to an ominous start to the game, by being blindsided by the visitors from Southern California. SBL went on a 9-0 run after the game was tied at 2. The Lakers also scored the first basket of the game.

The Warriors did not let their guests just take over the game immediately. They went on a come back push and cut the deficit all the way to one at quarter’s end. After 12 minutes of play, the Lakers led 25-24.

Santa Cruz took 13 seconds to put themselves in front in the game, after the leading scoring center, Kevin Knox II hit a 3-pointer. That was their first lead of the contest, which they held onto for the rest of the half, including a 12-point margin.

The Warrior led by four at intermission, 52-48. They presented two players with at least 10 points in the first 24. The aforementioned Knox led with 14 points, while forward Blake Hinson contributed 10 points off of the bench.

The Lakers also had two players reach that plateau, Vincent Valerio-Bodon chipped in 11 points, and center Kylor Kelley added ten points and five rebounds.

In the third stanza, the Warriors opened up the lead again to 12 points. Know and Hinson were still the leaders of the Warriors’ charge, Despite the double-digit lead, SBL cut it to five after 36 minutes of basketball action. After three, the Warriors led 68-63.

The final segment of the game, SCW reached their largest advantage, 15 points. Besides improving their gap by 10 points, they managed to win the game by 13. The Sellout crowd was delighted when the final horn sounded, and the Warriors were the victors. When the 48 minutes elapsed, the Warriors won 89-76.

Four Warriors were in double-figures in scoring, with another one point away. Knox II (18), Reece (16), with 10 rebounds and seven assists. Blake Hinson gave the team 15 points and seven rebounds, while Jackson Rowe put in nine points, but had double-digit rebounds (10).

The Lakers had three players with the ten point criteria, Vincent Valerio-Bodon (23), Kylor Kelley (16) and 9 rebounds. Grayson Murphy (13) and nine rebounds., and DaJuan Gordon scored eight points and grabbed a game-high 12 rebounds.

The Warriors are next in action December 5 in Tempe, AZ to take on the Valley Suns. The Lakers head up to Oregon December 2 & 4 for two games against Rip City Remix.

Note: The highly anticipated LeBron “Bronny” James appearance in Santa Cruz , did not come to fruition, due to his “Home Games Only” policy during his G-League stint.

G League basketball: Santa Cruz Warriors podcast with Michael Roberson Lakers-Warriors do battle tonight at Kaiser Permanente Arena

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Santa Cruz Warriors forward Blake Hinson (26) and center Seth Maxwell (98) shakes hands while battling the Salt Lake City Stars in G League action at Kaiser Permanente in Santa Cruz on Fri Nov 29, 2024 (Santa Cruz Warriors X photo)

On the Santa Cruz Warriors podcast with Michael Roberson:

#1 Michael wanted to go over some of last night’s highlights as the Santa Cruz Warriors did battle with Salt Lake City Stars grabbing a home victory right here at Kaiser Permanente Arena here in Santa Cruz. In his first start since November 9, rookie two-way guard Reece Beekman led Santa Cruz with 25 points on 11-of-17 shooting while nabbing five steals – a season high for the team. Forward Jackson Rowe finished with 18 points and eight rebounds, and Gui Santos, on assignment from Golden State, notched 16 points and seven rebounds. The Warriors picked up their third win of the season on Friday night 115-108.

#2  Forward Kevin Knox II recorded his first double-double of the season with 12 points and 10 rebounds. Forwards Blake Hinson and Javan Johnson contributed 28 points off the bench for the Sea Dubs, scoring 17 points and 11 points, respectively

#3 Two-way center Oscar Tshiebwe led the Stars with 25 points and 17 rebounds. Forward Cody Williams scored 18 points in his first assignment with the Stars, and two-way guard/forward David Jones Garcia logged 20 points and six rebounds off the bench. Guards Max Abmas and Isaiah Wong, who scored a combined 45 points in their last match-up against Santa Cruz, recorded 10 points and 11 points, respectively.

#4 The Stars mounted a late-game 15-4 run to bring the contest within 5 points with under a minute to play, but the Sea Dubs held on to claim a 115-108 victory. 

#5 Michael the Warriors are taking on the South Bay Lakers tonight here at Kaiser. The Lakers are 3-4 and have won their last two games in a row most recently beating Rip City 123-103. Both clubs with identical records the Warriors with the home floor and much to take advantage of just wanted to get a sense of how you see this match up tonight?

Michael Roberson is an G League and NCAA basketball analyst at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Stockton Kings game wrap: Kings Collins and Post too much for visiting Santa Cruz in 108-98 win

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Forward Kevin Knox II scored a team-high 25 points in the Santa Cruz Warriors’ loss to host Stockton in NBA G League action Wednesday night. (John Lee – Santa Cruz Sentinel file)

By William Espy

STOCKTON–The Stockton Kings were looking to build on their three-game winning streak as they hosted the Santa Cruz Warriors for the first time this season. Meanwhile, the Warriors were looking to start a streak of their own.

They’ve yet to win back-to-back games but had the opportunity to do so with a victory over Stockton. The Kings ended up extending the win streak to four games and the Warriors didn’t get back to back wins at Adventist Health Arena in Stockton on Wednesday night. The Kings came away with a 108-98 win over the Warriors.

Santa Cruz Starters: Knox II, Johnson, Post, Spencer, Collins

Stockton: Starters I. Jones, C. Jones, Robinson, Dennis, M. Jones

The Warriors made their first shot of the night, but other than that, both teams struggled mightily on offense right out of the gate. After maintaining a 2-0 lead for multiple minutes, the Kings tied it up and both teams seemed to find a bit more of their rhythm. After Stockton had a brief lead, the Warriors went on a 10-0 run, leading to Stockton’s first time-out.

Terry Taylor got into some early foul trouble for the Kings, picking up his second personal foul with over two minutes remaining in the first quarter. After trailing by double-digits early in the first, the Kings brought themselves back into the game very quickly. At the end of the quarter, the Warriors led 23-21. Both teams were leaving much to be desired offensively though, the Warriors shot 45% from the field, while the Kings were at 33.3%.

Things would look much different at the end of the second quarter. The Kings were quite a bit more efficient, raising their field goal percentage to 43.4% and as a result, they went into the break with a 58-49 lead. Mason Jones and Colby Jones led in scoring for the Kings, with 13 and 12 points respectively. Meanwhile, Kevin Knox II and Quinten Post led the Warriors with 11 and 10 respectively.

Skal Labissiere was having a rare slow offensive night for the Kings, not recording his first points until halfway through the third quarter. Despite this, the Kings continued to grow their lead in the third. They took an 87-74 lead heading into the final frame.

During the fourth quarter, the Warriors tried on multiple occasions to launch a comeback. Each time though, the Kings were able to swing momentum back in their favor. The Jones trio was a big part of Stockton’s offense over the course of the night, led by Colby who finished the night with 27 points.

As the Warriors launched their final push with just under four minutes to go, Kings head coach Quinton Crawford issued a coach’s challenge when Dexter Dennis was called for goaltending in a crucial moment. The challenge was unsuccessful, and the Warriors only trailed by six points with quite a bit of time remaining on the clock.

The Warriors had a coach’s challenge of their own moments later, when the ball went out of bounds. It was ultimately ruled that Stockton touched the ball last, and Santa Cruz took possession. Post fouled out with just over a minute remaining in the game. When all was said and done, the Warriors’ final comeback attempt fell short and the Kings won 108-98.