Slawson, Thompson lead Boom past Herd in 95-90 finish
The REPORTER
The Noblesville Boom (7-6), the NBA G League affiliate of the Indiana Pacers, earned their third straight win after defeating the Wisconsin Herd (6-8), 95-90, Thursday afternoon at Oshkosh Arena.
Two-way guard Ethan Thompson nearly recorded a triple-double with 18 points, nine rebounds and nine assists to lead the way for the Boom. Jalen Slawson filled the stat sheet by matching a game-high 23 points on 8-of-13 shooting from the field, including 4-of-6 from beyond the arc, to go along with six rebounds and six assists, while tying a career high in blocks (5) and steals (4). Gabe McGlothan came off the bench to add 16 points, five assists, three rebounds and two steals.
The Herd were paced by Cormac Ryan, who finished with 23 points and seven rebounds while shooting 9-of-12 from the field, including 5-of-8 from three-point territory. Victor Oladipo sparked the bench with 13 points, four assists and three rebounds, while John Butler Jr. (12 points, 13 rebounds) and Jeremiah Tilmon (10 points, 11 rebounds) each posted a double-double.
After surrendering an opening three-pointer, the Boom responded with eight consecutive points and remained in front for the rest of the half. Noblesville forced eight turnovers, resulting in six points, helping build an 11-point lead after 12 minutes of action. Trailing by 13, the Herd used an 8-0 run to cut their deficit to four points until Gabe McGlothan pushed the Boom back ahead by double digits. McGlothan recorded a quarter-high nine points with three made three-pointers, while the team shot 57.1 percent (8-of-14) in the period, taking a 54-43 advantage into halftime.
The Herd kept things close throughout the third quarter and closed the period on a 13-4 run, outscoring the Boom 27-18. As a team, Wisconsin shot 52.9 percent from the field, including 62.5 percent from three-point range, to trail by just two (72-70) entering the fourth. Wisconsin carried its momentum into the final period by scoring six straight points, taking its first lead since the opening minutes and going up by four early in the quarter. Trailing by three, the Boom responded with three consecutive three-pointers, including back-to-back makes from RJ Felton, to reclaim a six-point lead with 6:26 left in regulation. Clinging to a two-point lead down the stretch, Ethan Thompson sealed the win by scoring the Boom’s final seven points, securing the victory.
The two teams will meet once again to conclude the two-game series on Saturday. Coverage streams live on NBAGLeague.com, tipping off at 8 p.m.
Tickets and team updates are available at NoblesvilleBoom.com, and fans can stream every game live at NBAGLeague.com.
