Sixers' Latest Signing Appears in Blue Coats Win
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While things haven't been all too pleasant for the Philadelphia 76ers as they've struggled to adapt to winning without Joel Embiid, life hasn't been easier down in the G-League where the Delaware Blue Coats have been on a two-game losing streak, which has started to jeopardize their spot at the top of the Eastern Conference standings.
Given this, the Blue Coats went into their match against the Birmingham Squadron on Friday night, looking to pull off a win.
They'd be given a hand by the Sixers as all three two-way players were made available, as well as their NBA counterpart's most recent signing Kai Jones.
Ricky Council IV, Jeff Dowtin, and Jones would appear in the starting lineup, which struggled in the first quarter, trailing the Squadron after the first period of play by four points.
Council would continue to add to his scoring tally in the second quarter, ending the first half of play with a team-high 14 points. Granted this would be one of the only positive notes for the team through the first two quarters, as the Squadron led by 18 points.
While the Coats trailed entering the second half, they'd leave the third quarter with the separation cut down to 12 points, thanks in part to notable performances from Jared Brownridge and Terquavion Smith, with the partnership combining for 18 points.
Smith would elevate his game in the fourth quarter though, scoring seven more points, which would see him end the game with 26 points and three steals.
While the rookie would play a big part in the Blue Coats' victory, the same could be said for Jones, who was a huge part of the Blue Coats' presence in the paint, scoring 14 points while grabbing eight rebounds.
Delaware head coach Mike Longabardi saw Friday night's match as a conditioning match for the 23-year-old, he was pleased with his performance against the Squadron.
"We just got to get him up to speed..." said Longabardi, "He did a good job, he's obviously a gifted athlete that we could do some things with and I just think the more he's around, the better.
