BLUE COATS DEFEAT MAD ANTS IN 2021 SEASON OPENER
February 11, 2021
76ERS TWO-WAY CONTRACT PLAYERS PAUL REED AND RAYJON TUCKER COMBINE FOR 42 POINTS IN VICTORY
JARED BROWNRIDGE POSTS GAME-HIGH 28 POINTS
ORLANDO — FEB. 11, 2021 — The Delaware Blue Coats (1-0), the NBA G League affiliate of the Philadelphia 76ers, started off their season with a win over the Fort Wayne Mad Ants (0-2), 124-119, on Thursday afternoon at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex near Orlando, Florida. 76ers two-way contract players Rayjon Tucker (22 points) and Paul Reed (20 points) combined for 42 points in the victory, while Jared Brownridge paced all scorers with 28 points (9-19 FG, 4-10 3FG, 6-6 FT) off the Delaware bench. The Blue Coats assisted on 29 of their 40 made field goals.
Reed finished with a double-double in his Blue Coats debut by adding 10 rebounds in 32 minutes of action. The DePaul product got off to a hot start with a team-high 13 first-half points. Tucker added a G League career-high three blocks, including a timely rejection of Fort Wayne’s Naz Mitrou-Long with 2:16 remaining in the fourth quarter.
Brownridge dished out six assists in addition to his big scoring effort. He also converted four free-throw attempts in the game’s final 15 seconds to ultimately seal the victory. Delaware’s Jemerrio Jones notched a double-double in his Blue Coats debut with 10 points (5-10 FG) and a game-high 13 rebounds.
The Blue Coats got it going early in the second quarter, as the team opened the frame with a 13-0 run in the first four minutes to take a 35-23 lead. Delaware led 53-48 at halftime.
For the Mad Ants, Oshae Brissett came off the bench to post a double-double with a team-high-tying 21 points (6-11 FG, 4-4 FT) and 11 rebounds in 30 minutes. Naz Mitrou-Long matched Brissett with 21 points (8-15 FG, 1-4 3FG, 3-3 FT) in 29 minutes of play. Like Brissett, rookie Rayshaun Hammonds also posted a double-double off the bench (12 points, 12 rebounds) in the loss.
NEXT UP: The Blue Coats will meet the Santa Cruz Warriors on Friday night at 7 p.m. ET. The Warriors are 0-1 after falling to NBA G League Ignite on Wednesday in the league’s season-opening game. Santa Cruz features NBA veteran Jeremy Lin, who returns to the G League for the first time since 2012. The game can be seen locally on DETV Channel 28 and heard on Rowan Radio 89.7 WGLS-FM.
ABOUT THE DELAWARE BLUE COATS:
The Delaware Blue Coats are the official NBA G League affiliate of the Philadelphia 76ers. The team plays its home games at the all-new 76ers Fieldhouse in Wilmington, Delaware. For ticket information, visit SIXERS.COM/BLUECOATS. The Delaware Blue Coats organization is a Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment property.
ABOUT THE NBA G LEAGUE:
The NBA’s official minor league, the NBA G League prepares players, coaches, officials, trainers and front-office staff for the NBA while acting as the league’s research and development laboratory. Featuring 29 teams, 28 with direct affiliations to NBA franchises for 2020-21, the league offers elite professional basketball at an affordable price in a fun, family-friendly atmosphere. A record 45 percent of all NBA players at the start of the 2020-21 season boasted NBA G League experience. In fostering the league’s connection to the community, its teams, players and staff promote health and wellness, support local needs and interests, and assist in educational development through NBA Cares programs.