STOCKTON — It’s been a long and winding road for the G League since the end of last season. With the high turnover rate and rosters constantly changing, the San Diego Clippers (1-0) came into this season with a vastly different squad and beat the Stockton Kings (0-1) 102-97.

Led by TyTy Washington Jr. and Patrick Baldwin Jr., the Clippers rallied back from down 18 points to win the game. Washington Jr. finished with a game-high 20 points, which included 4-of-8 from beyond the arc Baldwin Jr. had 19 points on 7-of-13 field goals. Los Angeles Clippers first round draft pick in Yanic Konan Niederhauser will be seeing significant minutes with San Diego this season as they continue to develop him. 

Niederhauser signed a four-year, standard rookie contract with the Clippers. Being a rookie on a LA Clippers team full of veterans, it would make sense for him to spend time in the G League to get reps and development in.

The Clippers started the game off very slow on the offensive side of the ball. After the first quarter, the Kings were up 34-18. While they did eventually get going in the second quarter, Stockton didn’t let up and maintained a 61-43 halftime lead.

Their defensive-minded third quarter held Stockton to just 16 points, which allowed them to begin their comeback. As crunch time approached, they looked to Baldwin Jr. hitting jumpshots and Niederhauser in the post. The rookie finished with a double-double of 10 points and 12 rebounds. 

In the final stretch of the game, San Diego had a 10-5 run taking the lead and the win against the Kings. Notably, the Stockton Kings are the reigning NBA G League Champions. For the Clippers to get a season opening win on Stockton’s home floor against the defending champs could very well set the tone for their season.

San Diego will have the opportunity to back that up as they rematch the Kings again on a back-to-back on November 8.