76ers’ Mac McClung, Jaden Springer Advance in G League Playoffs

Before the Philadelphia 76ers take on their playoff journey for the sixth-straight season, their NBA G League affiliate, the Delaware Blue Coats, will first embark on their postseason run for the third-straight year.

On Thursday, Jaden Springer, Mac McClung, Louis King, and the Blue Coats tipped off their first matchup against the Capital City Go-Go.

Although King is typically the fire starter for the Coats on offense, it was the Slam Dunk Champion Mac McClung who got things going for Delaware’s offense on Thursday. In his first nine minutes on the floor, McClung knocked down all but one of his six shots from the field. He also drained two of his three shots from beyond the arc, scoring 12 points.

Through one quarter, the Blue Coats were in the lead 31-29. In the second quarter, Louis King and Michael Foster helped Delaware create a little bit of separation. Going up by as many as nine points, King knocked down every shot he attempted for seven points and also snatched three deals on the defensive end. Foster produced ten points, helping the Blue Coats take a 63-55 lead at halftime.

Capital City showed signs of struggling coming out of halftime as they drained just 28 percent of their shots and couldn’t make any of their three-point attempts. In addition, they turned the ball over seven times. While Delaware couldn’t take total advantage of the Go-Go’s offensive struggles, the Blue Coats still had a comfortable lead going into the fourth quarter.

The visitors put up a good fight in Delaware on Thursday afternoon, but Springer helped the Blue Coats close things out. Checking in for the final ten minutes, Springer hit on three of his six shots and went two for three from the charity stripe. He led the Blue Coats in fourth-quarter scoring with eight points.

game highlights from tonight's magical WIN#PlayoffCoats x #CoatsWin | @LandRoverWilm | @MBWilmington | @porschedelaware pic.twitter.com/qIYJHLAPFH
— Delaware Blue Coats (@blue_coats) March 30, 2023

Delaware managed to put Capital City away with a 104-99 win. Jaden Springer led the Blue Coats in scoring by putting up 24 points in 41 minutes of action. He also came down with six rebounds while grabbing three steals and blocking one shot.

McClung was right behind him by scoring 20 points on 53 percent shooting. In addition to scoring, McClung had five rebounds, five assists, and two steals in 33 minutes of action. With a 104-99 win over Capital City, the Blue Coats will advance to the G League’s Eastern Conference Finals once again. They’ll take on the winners of the matchup between the Long Island Nets and the Cleveland Charge.

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