Preview: Long Island Nets at Delaware Blue Coats

WILMINGTON, Del. (Interstat) — The Long Island Nets (19-15) visit the Delaware Blue Coats (14-18) on Thursday afternoon at 76ers Fieldhouse in a G League Eastern Conference matchup.

Long Island enters with a winning record and momentum from a 110-94 victory over Noblesville on Sunday. The Nets have won four of their last five games. Delaware, sitting below .500, has shown recent life by winning three of its last four, including a 99-94 home win over Wisconsin on Saturday where forward DeAndre Williams posted 32 points and 12 rebounds.

The season series currently favors Long Island, which swept a two-game set in Delaware in early December. The Nets won 125-106 on Dec. 5, followed by a 137-135 overtime thriller on Dec. 6.

A key matchup will feature two of the league’s top performers. Long Island point guard Malachi Smith is averaging a near triple-double over his last 10 games, including a 17-point, 15-assist effort in a win at Windy City on Feb. 5 and an 18-point, 10-assist performance last time out. His playmaking will be central to the Nets’ offense.

For Delaware, forward DeAndre Williams has been a force, recording double-doubles in three of his last four contests. He is coming off a dominant 32-point, 12-rebound performance and provides a versatile scoring and rebounding threat for the Blue Coats.

Long Island’s offense, which has topped 110 points in eight of its last ten games, will test a Delaware defense that has been inconsistent. The Blue Coats will rely on Williams and guard Kennedy Chandler, who scored 25 points in the last game, to keep pace.

The game is the first of a brief two-game homestand for Delaware, while Long Island embarks on a short road trip before a long homestand later this month.

Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. EST on Thursday, Feb. 12.