WALKER, Mich. (Interstat) — In a high-octane G League shootout that saw 21 lead changes and was not decided until the final seconds, the Motor City Cruise outlasted the visiting Noblesville Boom 135-131 on Tuesday night at DeltaPlex Arena.

The game, a critical late-season contest for both teams’ playoff positioning, lived up to its billing as a track meet from the opening tip. The Cruise built a commanding 79-59 halftime lead behind a blistering offensive display, scoring 37 points in the first quarter and 42 in the second. Isaac Jones was a force early for Motor City, establishing himself in the paint with a series of powerful finishes and defensive plays.

Noblesville, however, refused to capitulate. The Boom staged a furious third-quarter rally, outscoring the Cruise 40-22 to erase the 20-point deficit and take a 99-101 lead into the final period. The surge was fueled by the playmaking of Keion Brooks and the hot shooting of Cameron Hildreth and Dakota Mathias, who repeatedly connected from deep to ignite the comeback.

The fourth quarter evolved into a tense back-and-forth affair. Every time Noblesville threatened to pull ahead, Motor City had an answer, often from Jaden Akins or John Ukomadu from beyond the arc. The Boom tied the game at 131-131 with 45 seconds remaining on a 3-pointer by Au’Diese Toney.

The decisive sequence came in the final 10 seconds. With the score still tied, Noblesville’s MJ Iraldi committed a costly turnover, and Motor City’s Jaden Akins was fouled. The Farmington, Michigan, native calmly sank both free throws with eight seconds left to put the Cruise up 133-131. After a Noblesville timeout, Toney’s potential game-tying 3-point attempt missed, and Isaac Jones secured the defensive rebound. Jones was fouled and made both free throws with two seconds remaining to seal the four-point victory.

The most important part of the game was unquestionably the final minute, where the contest’s volatile nature culminated in critical mistakes and clutch execution. Noblesville, after fighting all the way back from a deep hole, had the ball with a chance to take the lead or hold for the last shot in a tie game. The turnover by Iraldi, followed immediately by Akins’ steady performance at the line under pressure, represented the game’s ultimate turning point. It highlighted the thin margin for error in such a tightly contested matchup and rewarded Motor City for weathering the Boom’s massive second-half storm.

Isaac Jones led a balanced Motor City attack with a dominant all-around performance, impacting the game with scoring, rebounding, and shot-blocking. Keion Brooks was instrumental for Noblesville, facilitating the offense during their comeback, while Cameron Hildreth provided prolific scoring.

With the win, Motor City improved to 22-20, strengthening its hold on a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Noblesville, despite the valiant effort, fell to 19-24 and will look to even the two-game series when the teams meet again at DeltaPlex Arena on Thursday. The Interstat ELO system had given the Cruise a 79.2% probability to win prior to tipoff.