Sixers' Affiliate Delaware Blue Coats Come up Short in NBA G League Finals

It's been quite the season for the Philadelphia 76ers' NBA G League affiliate, the Delaware Blue Coats. Before this season, the Blue Coats have had several players stand out and reach the next level due to their success in Delaware -- Shake Milton and Norvel Pelle, to name a couple.

Personal success aside, the Blue Coats have never had what would technically be considered a successful season as a team. Before the 2020-2021 run, the Blue Coats have never clinched a spot in the playoffs.

But that all changed this year. As the Blue Coats flocked down to Florida to participate in another NBA-planned bubble environment, the new and improved squad came prepared and ready to compete.

With a 15-game schedule, the Blue Coats managed to pick up 10 wins and just five losses. Their record was good enough to clinch the fourth seed in the playoffs. Earlier this week, Delaware opened up the postseason with a matchup against the Austin Spurs. Sixers rookie Isaiah Joe led the charge with a 28-point effort, helping the Blue Coats pull off their first playoff win in team history as they dominated the Spurs 124-103.

With that win, the Coats advanced to the G League semifinals, where they were set to play the Raptors 905. Earlier in the season, Delaware struggled to the Raptors and suffered a tough loss. However, in the playoffs, it was a much different outcome as Delaware turned the tables and got sweet revenge when it mattered the most.

Once again, Joe put on a solid performance as he collected 24 points. G League MVP frontrunner Paul Reed also had a solid performance as he contributed to a team-high of 26 points. With an all-around dominant performance, the Blue Coats advanced to the Finals with a 127-100 win over the Raptors 905.

Unfortunately, the magic stopped there. On Thursday afternoon, the Blue Coats and the Lakeland Magic tipped off for the G League championship. Lakeland got off to a hot start as they outscored Delaware 21-11 in the first quarter.

Although the Blue Coats had a much better offensive showing in the second quarter, the Magic didn't slow down. Heading into halftime, Delaware trailed 46-34. The third quarter didn't tell a different story. Once again, Lakeland kept their foot on the gas and outscored the Blue Coats by 11 points.

When it was all said and done, Delaware wrapped up their season near the top, but they didn't get the opportunity to take the hardware back up North. Instead, the Magic will keep the trophy around as they've ended the Blue Coats' fantastic season in heartbreak fashion with a 97-78 win over Delaware.