Austin Spurs rally falls short in 106-104 loss to Stockton Kings at H-E-B Center at Cedar Park

March 16, 2026

The Austin Spurs closed strong but ran out of time in a 106-104 loss to the defending G League champion Stockton Kings on Sunday at the H-E-B Center at Cedar Park. Stockton built a big lead early in the third quarter, and Austin could not fully erase the damage despite a late surge.

Stockton opened the third with a burst that pushed their advantage to 19 points at one point, forcing Spurs head coach Jacob Chance to regroup his team. Austin cut the margin to 11 by the end of the period, but the gap hung over the final minutes.

Austin turned the fourth quarter into a rally, scoring 40 points in the period as Kyle Mangas, who logged almost the entire game, led the charge. Elfrid Payton sparked the push with a deep three and multiple assists, including a feed that allowed Mangas to drive, score, and draw a foul for an and-one play.

The Spurs drew fouls late, and Stockton guard Jon Elmore missed two free throws that gave Austin one more chance to tie with about 15 seconds left. Stockton boxed Payton and Mangas on the baseline on the next possession, forcing a difficult look. Mangas' long three with eight seconds remaining did not fall.

Mangas finished with 28 points, six rebounds and two assists, while Payton paced the team with eight assists and added two points. Forward Dyson Ingram recorded another double-double, finishing with 15 points and 13 rebounds for the Spurs.

Chance said the third-quarter mistakes cost the team, and he praised the players for their fourth-quarter fight while noting the situation should not have arisen. Mangas described the contest as having playoff-level intensity, and he expected the rivalry to remain competitive moving forward.

This was the third meeting between the two clubs this season, with Stockton coming away with its third win over Austin. The Spurs head next to College Park, Georgia, where they will play the Skyhawks on Tuesday at 6 p.m. at Gateway Center Arena.