HERD DETHRONE THE KINGS, 89-87

The Wisconsin Herd, NBA G League affiliate of the Milwaukee Bucks, beat the Stockton Kings 89-87.

Stephen Thompson Jr. paced the Herd with 24 points off the bench while Cormac Ryan followed with 22 points. Cameron Martin added a double-double of 11 points and 12 rebounds.

The top scorers for the Stockton Kings were DaQuan Jeffries and Daeqwon Plowden with 23 points apiece.

Stockton jumped out to an 11-3 lead early behind transition buckets. Wisconsin answered with a 10-2 run sparked by a Cormac Ryan jump shot and Pete Nance’s inside scoring. Cameron Martin’s tip-in tied the game 15-15, and Nance’s driving layup pushed the Herd ahead 17-15. After a Kings’ three, Wisconsin closed the quarter on a 9-5 burst behind Ryan and Kobe Stewart. The Herd finished the quarter leading 26-20.

Stockton ignited in the second quarter with three straight threes and a dunk, flipping the score to 30-29. The Kings continued to control the game, extending their lead to 44-36. Stephen Thompson Jr. answered with back-to-back threes, and Ryan added a floater plus two free throws to cut it to 48-45. After a Kings’ layup, Nance scored at the horn to keep the Herd within six at the half, 55-49.

The Kings opened the third quarter by pulling away with a double-digit advantage. Thompson Jr. answered with a triple to bring the Herd within nine midway through the quarter. Ryan hit a three and a mid-range jumper to bring the Herd within five. A late Stockton layup and free throw restored an eight-point cushion. The Kings ended the third quarter on top 69-61.

Thompson Jr. opened the fourth quarter with a floater and followed with a putback layup to cut the deficit. Halfway through the quarter, Stewart nailed a three to tie the game 78-78, and Thompson Jr. followed with a four-point play to give the Herd an 82-78 lead. Stewart struck again from deep to give the Herd a seven-point edge with under a minute left. Stockton rallied with two late threes, but Ryan calmly sank four free throws in the final 10 seconds to ice the game and give the Herd an 89-87 victory.

The Wisconsin Herd will return home to take on the College Park Skyhawks on Monday, Jan. 5, with tip-off set for 6:00 p.m. CST. Fans can purchase tickets at https://www.ticketmaster.com/wisconsin-herd-vs-college-park-skyhawks-oshkosh-wisconsin-01-05-2026/event/07006341A7A746A5.

--Wisconsin Herd--