Iraldi’s near triple-double not enough in 122-110 contest
The REPORTER
The Noblesville Boom (14-13) dropped their fourth consecutive game on Tuesday night, falling to the Mexico City Capitanes (18-8), 122-110, at Arena CDMX.
M.J. Iraldi led the Boom with his third double-double of the season, posting 27 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds on 9-of-15 shooting from the field, while setting a career high in assists. DaJuan Gordon followed with a season-high 24 points, along with five rebounds, four assists and two steals. RJ Felton added 19 points off the bench.
Wade Taylor IV led a quartet of 20-point scorers for Mexico City, finishing with 22 points on 7-of-12 shooting, including 5-of-9 from beyond the arc. RJ Melendez (21 points), James Bouknight (20 points) and LJ Figueroa (20 points) combined for 61 points, while Andersson Garcia recorded a 10-point, 20-rebound double-double.
After falling into a 7-2 hole early, the Boom responded behind a 10-point first quarter from Iraldi, who opened the game a perfect 4-of-4 from the field. As a team, the Boom dominated inside, scoring 22 of their 27 first-quarter points in the paint to take a 27-18 lead into the second. The three-point shooting picked up in the back-and-forth second period, with both teams knocking down five threes in the frame after hitting just one apiece in the first. Despite being outscored 42-35 in the quarter, Noblesville maintained a narrow 62-60 halftime lead. Mexico City’s bench provided major support, accounting for 51.6 percent of the team’s first-half scoring, led by Taylor (13 points) and Figueroa (12 points).
Coming out of the break, the Boom quickly rebuilt a 10-point advantage, matching their largest lead of the night, before the Capitanes responded with a 14-4 run to tie the game with 4:14 remaining in the third. The period ended level as both teams scored 32 points, with the Boom holding a 94-92 edge heading into the fourth. Everything shifted in Mexico City’s favor in the final quarter. The Capitanes opened the period on a decisive 19-4 run to take a 13-point lead. They would lead by as many as 15 while holding the Boom to just 16 points – Noblesville’s lowest fourth-quarter output of the season – to complete the two-game sweep.
The Boom return home to face the College Park Skyhawks on Thursday at The Arena at Innovation Mile. Coverage will air on ESPN+ beginning at 7 p.m.
Tickets and team updates are available at NoblesvilleBoom.com, and fans can stream every game live at NBAGLeague.com.
