NBA G League Action: Kings come away with 111-106 win to split with Grand Rapids

Stockton Kings guard Colby Jones (20) takes a jump shot over the Grand Rapids Gold forward Spencer Jones (21) at Adventist Health Arena on Thu Jan 30, 2025 in game 2 of their two game set (Stockton Kings X photo)

By William Espy

STOCKTON–The Stockton Kings hosted the Grand Rapids Gold for the second straight game on Thursday night, as they looked to get revenge for a disappointing loss on Tuesday. Revenge is what they got with a 111-106 win to split the two game set at Adventist Health Arena.

The Gold got out to an early lead, much like they did on Tuesday night. However, the Kings took control of the game in the second and third quarters, allowing themselves to head into the final frame with a lead. Ultimately, the Kings would hold onto their lead and walk away with a 111-106 victory, and as a result, they were returning to their winning ways. The Kings have been dominant at home, and Thursday night’s victory improved their home record to 8-2, while their overall record improved to 12-3

The Kings’ top standout was, unsurprisingly, Colby Jones, who went 13-17 from the field and scored a total of 34 points. Their two representatives in the upcoming G League Up Next Game, Isaac Jones and Skal Labissiere also had strong performances. Jones had a double-double with 18 points and 12 rebounds while Labissiere was very efficient going 7-10 from the field and finishing with 14 points.

The Kings had four players finish in double-digits for points, the lone starter to not achieve the feat was Isaiah Crawford who finished just short, with nine points on the night.

Trey Alexander led the Gold in scoring, ending the night going 12-19 which resulted in him recording 31 points in the losing effort. Meanwhile, Spencer Jones finished with 26 points and just narrowly missed out on a double-double of his own, finishing with nine rebounds on the night.

The main difference between Thursday night’s outing and Tuesday’s was that the Kings’ shot selection was a lot better and as a result their efficiency was much higher. It is worth noting that Dexter Dennis didn’t play after a collision below the basket on Tuesday, however, he was on the roster just listed as inactive.

The Kings won’t get much time to rest, as they’ll be back in action Friday night as they host the Windy City Bulls. As the Kings look to extend their lead in the Western Conference and pull away from the second-place Austin Spurs, they’ll need another strong performance against an Eastern Conference opponent tomorrow night. The Bulls are currently 15th in the east, but as the Kings’ performance on Tuesday showed, anybody can win on any given night in the G League.

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

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.