Sixers’ Mac McClung Bounces Back After Struggling With Blue Coats

On Wednesday night, the Delaware Blue Coats returned to the court for the first time since entering the All-Star break. There were more fans than usual in attendance as Sixers’ two-way guard Mac McClung played in his first game since being crowned the Dunk Contest Champion.

The young guard was clearly fatigued on Wednesday. After a busy weekend, McClung did the opposite of what players typically do during the break. And the exhaustion showed in his performance as McClung shot 2-9 from the field, scoring seven points.

After Wednesday’s loss to the Motor City Cruise, McClung admitted it was one of his worst games in quite some time. Therefore, he looked forward to bouncing back in the next outing on Friday.

In front of a reportedly sold-out crowd, McClung had his chance to show some of the fans in Wilmington what he could bring to the Sixers besides flashy dunks. His scoring wasn’t necessarily up to par, as he shot 40 percent from the field, scoring 13 points. This year, McClung’s averaged 18 a night.

While it wasn’t his finest scoring performance, McClung once again flashed solid playmaking skills, dishing out 12 assists. After Wednesday’s game, Blue Coats head coach Coby Karl mentioned that McClung’s playmaking is one of his underrated features. Since the All-Star break, McClung has been a valuable playmaker for Delaware.

Other Sixers Notes:

Louis King: After a fourth-quarter ejection on Wednesday, King looked to bounce back after Delaware missed his scoring late in their matchup against Motor City. Once again, King got hot from the field early, making four of his five shots for nine points in his first nine minutes. Overall, King finished the night by shooting 50 percent from the field, collecting 16 points. He also had seven rebounds and three assists.

Jaden Springer: Checking in for 31 minutes of action, Springer attempted 13 shots from the field. Five of his shots were from long-range. While Springer’s willingness to let threes fly has been much better this season, he wasn’t finding success from deep. Putting up five shots from beyond the arc, Springer missed all but one. He finished the night with 15 points on offense. Defensively, Springer had eight rebounds, three steals, and two blocks.

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for All76ers, a Sports Illustrated channel. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.