The Osceola Magic (22-12) faced off against the Stockton Kings (22-13) on Tuesday, April 8th, in game 1 of the G-League Finals. This is Osceola’s first Finals appearance since winning the championship in 2021 while they were still the Lakeland Magic.
The two teams squared off earlier during the regular season, with both games being held at Silver Spurs Arena. The Magic won both games by an average of 19 points, so it is safe to say that the Kings came to play with vengeance.
The Kings won the tipoff to start the game and quickly set the tone, scoring 13 points in the first four minutes of play. Osceola was able to find their footing and quickly caught up to tie the game. The remainder of the first quarter was a shootout with both teams knocking down baskets, keeping the game a close 32-30 Magic lead.
“They’re obviously a really good team. There’s a reason as to why they’re here in the finals,” Osceola Magic Head Coach, Dylan Murphy said about the Kings giving the Magic a hard time during Game 1.
To start the second quarter, the Magic’s, Patrick Gardner hit a three to shift the momentum in favor of Osceola. The crowd at Silver Spurs Arena was on their feet, and it appeared that the Magic were slowly pulling away. However, after a good defensive effort by the Kings, the game went into halftime with the score of 60-60. Mac McClung led both teams at the half in scoring with 21.
The third quarter was a different picture in comparison to every other third quarter the Magic have played during the playoffs. The Kings kept the Magic on their toes, staying within single digits throughout the quarter. After a crucial three by Jalen Slawson to end the quarter, the Magic were able to hit their first double-digit lead of the game to make the score of 98-87.
“We got so many guys that can score the ball and play defense; big shoutout to [Slawson] man, he does all the dirty work and all the chase-down blocks giving guys a hard night every night,” Mac McClung said on the difference Jalen Slawson made in the third quarter for Osceola.
As the fourth quarter began, the Magic continued to build on their lead, with the Kings not having an answer on either side of the ball. With five minutes remaining, the Magic were already running the clock out, focusing on their road trip to Stockton for game 2, and after a Myron Gardner slam, the game was more than over.
The final score was 129-115, with Gardner leading both teams in scoring with 30 points.
“I’m just trying to play my hardest, give my best effort to win this championship. That 30 just came, I wasn’t trying to go in there and score a bunch of points. It was just how the game was going,” Gardner said on his 30 point performance.
The Magic will head to Stockton, CA, for their first and only away playoff game, and face off against the Kings in Game 2 of the NBA G-League Finals on Friday, April 11th at 10 p.m., with the hopes of coming back to Florida with the G-League trophy. For more information on their upcoming game 2 showdown against the Stockton Kings, check their website or follow them on social media at @osceolamagic on Instagram and X.
