Kings down Mac McClung-led Magic to win G League Finals

It was an uncharacteristically rough night for Osceola’s star guard Mac McClung. The high-scoring guard finished with just 11 points, five assists and five turnovers on 4-of-21 shooting, including 0-of-5 from three. 

Ethan Thompson led the Magic with 28 points, while Myron Gardner recorded a 20-point, 14-rebound double-double. Javonte Smart added 20 points off the bench.

Despite starting the season 3-6 and going 5-11 in the Tip-Off Tournament, the Magic turned things around with a 19-6 regular season run. They emerged as one of the league’s top offenses, powered by McClung’s 25.7 points per game — the league's third-highest mark.

“It’s a sick feeling. I definitely put it on myself,” said McClung post-game. 

"I feel like this whole year I came up in the big moments in the biggest games. And then this was the worst game of my life. If I could have just contributed something, I feel like the outcome would have been different.”

Six Kings players scored in double figures. Dexter Dennis led with 23 points, Terry Taylor added 22 points and 12 rebounds and Mason Jones contributed 19 points, 13 assists and three steals before exiting in the fourth quarter with an ankle injury.

Jones was named G League Finals MVP after a stellar series. He posted 21 points in Game 1, followed by 27 points and 11 assists in Game 2. Across the three-game Finals, he tallied 29 assists, 11 made threes and eight steals.

The 26-year-old averaged 23.6 points, 5.1 rebounds and 7.9 assists across the Tip-Off Tournament and regular season, shooting 44.7 percent from deep. Jones has been a prolific scorer over 91 career G League regular season games, averaging 22.0 points and shooting 42.3 percent from three-point range.

As the G League continues to rise in prominence, the 2025 Finals showcased the best the league has to offer: emerging stars like McClung and Jones, a championship-caliber roster in Stockton and a proving ground packed with NBA-ready talent.