WALKER, Mich. (Interstat) — In a high-octane G League showdown that defied pregame projections, the Cleveland Charge outlasted the Motor City Cruise 129-121 on Wednesday night at DeltaPlex Arena. The victory, fueled by a dominant first-half offensive display and a near triple-double from point guard Killian Hayes, improved Cleveland’s record to 7-6 while dropping Motor City to 5-8.

The game’s decisive stretch came early, as the Charge established a commanding lead they would never fully relinquish. Cleveland erupted for 38 points in the opening quarter, connecting on a series of highlight plays. The tone was set by the connection between Hayes and center Norchad Omier. Hayes, the 6-foot-5 floor general, assisted on Omier’s first three baskets, including a layup and free throw after a foul and a 26-foot 3-pointer. Hayes himself added a driving layup and a step-back 3-pointer, while a Tristan Enaruna 3-pointer capped a 10-0 run that forced an early Motor City timeout with Cleveland leading 25-15.

Despite a game-high 40-point explosion from Motor City shooting guard Chaz Lanier, the Cruise spent the night fighting uphill. Cleveland’s lead ballooned to 18 points in the second quarter after a Chris Livingston 3-pointer made it 52-34. The Charge’s ball movement was exceptional, with Hayes orchestrating an attack that saw six Cleveland players score in double figures by game’s end.

Motor City, projected by Interstat’s ELO system with a 60.9% probability to win, chipped away relentlessly. Lanier’s scoring kept them within striking distance, and a 9-2 run to close the first half, punctuated by back-to-back 3-pointers from Quincy Olivari, trimmed the deficit to 73-64 at halftime.

The Cruise continued to press in the third, closing to within 82-79 on another Lanier 3-pointer. But each time Motor City threatened, Cleveland had an answer. Hayes responded with a driving basket, and after a Brice Williams 3-pointer for Motor City, Sean McNeil and Darius Brown hit consecutive triples for the Charge to stabilize the lead at 93-88.

The fourth quarter saw Motor City mount its most serious challenge. Trailing 98-91, the Cruise unleashed a 15-3 run, with Lanier hitting two more 3-pointers and Dawson Garcia adding another, to take a 106-101 lead with 4:51 remaining. It was Motor City’s first lead since the opening minutes.

Cleveland, however, displayed immediate resilience. Following a timeout, the Charge executed a critical 7-0 run. Chris Livingston hit a 3-pointer, and after a defensive stop, Killian Hayes found a cutting Tristan Enaruna for a dunk to tie the game. Livingston then drew a foul on a drive and made both free throws to put Cleveland back ahead 108-106 with 4:09 left.

From that point, the Charge closed the game on a 21-15 run. Hayes, who finished with 26 points and 11 assists, was instrumental down the stretch, making four clutch free throws and assisting on a key Livingston layup. Defensively, Cleveland forced three turnovers in the final two minutes, including two steals by Darius Brown, to seal the victory.

Hayes’ double-double paced a balanced Cleveland effort. Omier, the center from Bluefields, Nicaragua, added 22 points and nine rebounds. Livingston scored 17, Enaruna had 14 points and seven rebounds, and Brown chipped in 13 points.

For Motor City, Lanier’s 40 points on 7-of-12 shooting from 3-point range led all scorers. Wendell Moore contributed 14 points and eight rebounds, and Olivari scored 17 off the bench. But the Cruise could not overcome Cleveland’s early barrage and their own 18 turnovers, which the Charge converted into 28 points.

Cleveland next hosts Sioux Falls on Saturday. Motor City travels to face Iowa on Friday.