The Stockton Kings secured their third consecutive Western Conference Finals appearance with a hard-fought 107-95 victory over the Rip City Remix in the NBA G League semifinals Friday night at Adventist Health Arena.
The No. 3 seeded Kings, affiliate of the Sacramento Kings, used a dominant start to build an early advantage against the No. 7 seeded Remix. Stockton opened the game with a commanding 20-2 run and set a season-high with 42 first-quarter points while holding Rip City to just 17, establishing a 25-point lead.
Forward DaQuan Jeffries led the Kings with 25 points, eight rebounds, four steals, and four made three-pointers. Forward Jaylin Williams provided crucial scoring off the bench with 20 points, including six three-pointers. Guard Jameer Nelson Jr. and forward Patrick Baldwin Jr. contributed 18 points each to the balanced offensive attack.
Rip City mounted a significant comeback attempt in the third quarter, erupting on a 26-6 run to narrow Stockton's lead to just 73-70 with three minutes remaining. Williams halted the surge with a timely three-pointer, but the Remix continued pressing and pulled within two points at 76-74 after outscoring Stockton 30-9 in the quarter.
The game evolved into a defensive grind in the fourth quarter, with the teams exchanging baskets until the score narrowed to 85-83 with 5:37 remaining. Jeffries and Baldwin Jr. delivered back-to-back three-pointers to restore momentum for Stockton, followed by another Baldwin Jr. three-pointer that pushed the lead to 103-93 with two minutes left. Stockton's defense sealed the victory down the stretch.
Rip City was led by forward Jayson Kent with 24 points, guard Chris Youngblood with 23 points, and center Yang Hansen with 20 points.
The Kings now advance to face the No. 1 seed South Bay Lakers in the Western Conference Finals on April 5 at the UCLA Health Training Center in El Segundo, California. Tip-off is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. PT with live coverage available on ESPNU.
