CRUISE CLINCH PLAYOFF BERTH WITH DOMINANT 123-105 WIN OVER HERD

OSHKOSH, Wis. — On a night where both the Detroit Pistons and Motor City Cruise punched their tickets to the postseason, the Cruise delivered one of their most complete performances of the season Friday night, cruising past the Wisconsin Herd 123-105. Motor City will play in this year’s NBA G League postseason for the first time since the team’s inaugural season (2021-22).

Motor City controlled the game from the opening tip and never looked back, leading for the entire contest and building a lead as large as 24 points. The Cruise set the tone early with 31 points in the first quarter and extended their advantage to 61-44 by halftime, putting the game firmly in their hands.

Isaac Jones led the way with a dominant all-around effort, finishing with 24 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists. The big man also tied his career high with six blocks while setting a new career mark in assists, anchoring both ends of the floor. The Cruise offense operated at a high level throughout, shooting 53.4 percent from the field and dishing out 32 assists, consistently generating quality looks against the Herd defense.

Bobi Klintman added 20 points and eight rebounds, while Drew Peterson contributed 18 points and six assists. Jaden Akins chipped in 18 points and seven assists, helping orchestrate the balanced attack. Off the bench, John Ukomadu provided a major spark with 24 points on 9-of-12 shooting, including a scorching 6-of-7 from three-point range. Defensively, Motor City made life difficult for Wisconsin all night. Brice Williams recorded a career-high four steals as the Cruise forced 19 turnovers and held the Herd to just 43.2 percent shooting.

Wisconsin (9-23) was paced by Kira Lewis Jr.’s 19 points, while Kobe Stewart added 16, but the Herd were unable to recover after falling behind early. The Herd showed brief life in the third quarter, outscoring the Cruise 33-32, but Motor City quickly responded and maintained a comfortable cushion throughout the final frame.

With the win, the Cruise (19-13) clinch a playoff berth, capping off a statement performance as they build momentum heading into the postseason. This is also the first time in franchise history the Pistons and Cruise clinched on the same night

The two teams will wrap up their season series tomorrow at 8 p.m. ET at Oshkosh Arena. The game can be streamed live through NBAGLeague.com and The Spot. 

-detroit.gleague.nba.com-