WILMINGTON, Del. (Interstat) — In a high-octane G League shootout where neither team led by more than nine points, the Oklahoma City Blue outlasted the Delaware Blue Coats 135-129 on Friday night at 76ers Fieldhouse.

The game, a back-and-forth affair featuring 18 lead changes and 13 ties, was ultimately decided by Oklahoma City’s consistent offensive execution and a pivotal stretch of defensive stops in the final minutes. The Blue, who entered as significant underdogs according to predictive metrics, snapped a three-game losing streak and improved to 14-28. Delaware fell to 18-25.

Oklahoma City set the tone with a 40-point first quarter, narrowly edging Delaware’s 38, and maintained a slim lead for much of the night. The Blue’s balance was evident as they scored at least 30 points in every quarter, never allowing a prolonged Delaware run to completely shift momentum.

The most critical sequence came with under two minutes to play and Oklahoma City clinging to a 127-124 lead. Delaware’s Teddy Allen, who had been a scoring force all night, drove for a layup but had his attempt blocked by Oklahoma City’s Brooks Barnhizer. On the ensuing possession, Zhaire Smith converted a layup off a Barnhizer assist to push the lead to five. After another defensive stop, Smith secured an offensive rebound and putback with 27 seconds left, extending the advantage to 133-127 and effectively sealing the victory.

Barnhizer, a power forward from Lafayette, Indiana, was instrumental for Oklahoma City, impacting the game on both ends with timely scoring, rebounds, steals and the crucial late block. His versatility anchored the Blue’s efforts. Allen led all scorers for Delaware, relentlessly attacking from the perimeter and in traffic to keep the Blue Coats within striking distance until the final possession.

Delaware’ Saint Thomas and DeAndre Williams provided significant secondary scoring, while Oklahoma City received key contributions from Smith and point guard Anthony Pritchard, whose playmaking facilitated the offense throughout the contest.

The Blue Coats had their chances, cutting a nine-point fourth-quarter deficit to two on multiple occasions, fueled by Allen’s shot-making and playmaking. However, Oklahoma City answered each Delaware push with a score of its own, shooting a high percentage in the paint and from beyond the arc to maintain control.

Oklahoma City’s Nikola Topic orchestrated the offense for long stretches, particularly in the first half, finding cutters and shooters to keep the Delaware defense scrambling.

The win marked a rare road victory for the Blue, who have struggled away from home this season. Delaware, meanwhile, lost its fourth consecutive game despite a spirited offensive performance that saw them eclipse 125 points for the second time in three outings.

Both teams return to action on the road Sunday. Oklahoma City travels to face the Grand Rapids Gold, while Delaware has a brief break before visiting the Cleveland Charge on Wednesday.