Windy City Bulls – Sports Radio Service

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.

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.