Stockton Kings Fall Short of Championship Repeat
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For the second time in as many years, the Stockton Kings topped the Western Conference after a 107-95 rout of Portland’s Rip-City Remix and a narrow win over the South Bay Lakers, securing a spot in the G-League Finals. Attempting a feat universally unaccomplished in the 21 years since the modern league’s formation, the Kings looked to find their way into the history books by winning back-to-back championships.
Between Stockton and dynasty stood the Greensboro Swarm, who emerged atop the Eastern Conference after taking down regular-season No. 1 Osceola Magic, who fell to the Kings’ in last year’s finals.
The Swarm thrived this season on the fundamentals, leading the league in rebounding and finishing among the top five in defensive rating. A balanced pass-and-cut offensive scheme saw them lead the league in scoring as well, making Greensboro a formidable opponent for the underdog Kings.
An offensive power in their own right, Stockton led the league in three-pointers made in 2025-26, finishing in the top five in offensive rating. Their wins came on the nights when they shot the three-ball the best, relying on their top-five second-chance points rate to make up for their missed shots.
The best-of-three series looked to be a duel between two high-powered offenses, and Game 1 did not disappoint. The two squads took turns lighting up the arena in North Carolina, each extending a lead before promptly losing it to the other. The game carried on with neither team able to fully slam the door on the other, and even after a 10-0 Stockton run late in the fourth quarter to put them up by seven, nothing was guaranteed. As if to prove their status as the most efficient team in the clutch this year, the Swarm turned it around for the four-point victory in game one.
Game 2 presented a familiar scenario for the Kings at home in the Adventist Health Arena. After falling behind in the series, the game was a must-win, just as it was a year ago when the Osceola Magic came to Stockton up 1-0.
However, the 4,020 in attendance saw a different game unfold than the year prior. In 2025, the Kings shot lights out from beyond the arc, greening 59% for a total of 72 points off of three-pointers alone. On Friday, Stockton could not buy a bucket. The Kings finished the first quarter with a measly 19 points, true on just two three-pointers.
While they fared better in the second, transitioning to points in the paint while their shooting percentage from three deteriorated further, the Swarm did not give up their lead easily, using their depth to limit any early Stockton runs. Veteran guard Dexter Dennis kept the Kings in the game with a few big plays, and the gap separating the squads was reduced to just six points by the end of the third quarter.
Three-point shooting would once again be the story of the fourth, however, as the Kings, in foul trouble and facing a deficit, shot 1-for-8 from beyond the arc. The once raucous Adventist Health Arena began to fall silent as the Swarm pulled away, dashing the hopes of a city in search of history.
The game ended with the Kings struck by the wrong side of the double-edged sword, which had brought them back to the G-League Finals. Finishing with a 5-of-31 three-point shooting performance, Stockton chose a bad day to have a bad day.
Despite the performance, the Kings second run to the G-League finals shows the winning culture being developed within the team and the organization. Stockton fans can be hopeful that the title could return to the 209 sooner than later.