The Stockton Kings forward Terry Taylor (32) goes for the throw down against the Osceola Magic in game 2 of the G League playoffs at Adventist Arena in Stockton on Fri Apr 11, 2025 (Stockton Kings X)
By William Espy
STOCKTON–It was do-or-die for the Stockton Kings on Friday night in front of a sell-out crowd at AdventistHealth Arena. A win would force a game three in the NBA G League Finals. A loss on the other hand, would crown the Osceola Magic as G League Champions. The Kings performed well and won game 2 enough to live another game of the G League Playoffs defeating the Magic 144-126.
Early in the game, both teams were trading points back and forth. It took four minutes for a team to take a two-possession lead. The Magic maintained that pace for a while at that point though, as each time the Kings would score, so would Osceola.
Halfway through the quarter, the Magic had started pulling away with a seven point lead. Just a couple of minutes later though, Stockton would have a two point lead of their own. That lead would eventually lead to a game-high, at that point, nine point lead for the Kings at the end of the first quarter.
The Magic quickly shrank that lead, getting off to a hot start in the second quarter and clawing their way back into the mix. Once again, by the halfway point of the second quarter, the visiting team held the lead. They carried that lead into halftime, as the Magic led 75-68 after 24 minutes.
As was becoming a theme in this game, the lead would be short lived as a difficult three by Mason Jones tied the game up for the Kings with eight minutes remaining in the third quarter. After a back-and-forth quarter, Stockton carried a lead into the final frame. With a score of 110-104 in favor of the home team, it was still anyone’s game.
The Kings were dominant to start the fourth quarter. They quickly grew their lead to double digits with a 9-0 run, and forcing the Magic to take a timeout in the process. The Kings continued to grow their lead, making it 129-112 with just over half of the quarter remaining.
Led by strong performances by Jones, Skal Labissiere and Dexter Dennis, the Kings were able to overcome Mac McClung and the Magic to force a game three, winning with a final score of 144-126
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