Santa Cruz Warriors forward Kevin Knox led the team in scoring for the second game in a row, finishing with 25 points in a 108-98 loss to the Stockton Kings at Adventist Health Arena on Wednesday night.
Knox added six rebounds, while teammate center Quinten Post recorded his third double-double of the season—notching 15 points and 10 rebounds for the Warriors (2-2), who came up short in their first road game of the season.
Santa Cruz guard Yuri Collins erupted in the second half, scoring 12 of his 16 points in the third and fourth quarters while tying his career high with 12 assists.
Forwards Javan Johnson and Donta Scott each had 11 points, and two-way guard Pat Spencer, in his first appearance with Santa Cruz this season, finished with 10 points, five rebounds and four assists.
The Kings saw all five starters reach double-digits in scoring, with guard Colby Jones, on assignment from the Sacramento Kings, scoring a game-high 27 points on 11-of-19 shooting.
Two-way forward/center Isaac Jones finished with a double-double, recording 16 points and 14 rebounds. Two-way guard Mason Jones netted 16 points, and center Orlando Robinson, on assignment from the Sacramento Kings, added 15 points to round out Stockton’s offensive effort.
Both teams were off to a slow start offensively, shooting a combined 3-of-24 from behind the arc. The Warriors were the first to find their rhythm as all five starters connected on field goals to secure a 12-4 lead halfway through the opening frame.
Second-chance points from inside the paint kept the Kings within striking distance, but the Warriors held on to close out the first quarter with a two-point advantage.
Back-to-back 3-pointers from Spencer and forward Blake Hinson gave the Warriors a 29-23 lead early in the second period. But after trading baskets throughout the remainder of the quarter, Stockton managed to connect on four straight shots from distance to send the visitors into the break trailing 58-49.
A nine-point run gave the Kings a 67-52 advantage with 9:34 remaining in the third. Despite 17 combined points from Knox and Johnson, the Kings maintained their lead to end the period ahead, 87-74.
The Warriors battled to narrow the gap in the final frame, giving up only 15 points in the first 10 minutes of the quarter while scoring 22 points of their own.
Santa Cruz cut its deficit to as low as six points with 70 seconds remaining, yet the Sea Dubs were unable to complete the comeback.
Stockton went on to claim a 108-98 victory in the first of four match-ups between the Western Conference teams during the 2024-25 campaign.
The Warriors travel to Utah for a back-to-back series against the Salt Lake City Stars on Nov. 22 and 23. Both teams return to Santa Cruz for a game at Kaiser Permanente Arena on Nov. 29 at 7pm.Â
