Alexander Shun
Web Editor Associate | @alexpshun
2015 WNBA FINALS | SERIES TIED 1-1
Minnesota Lynx (77) – Indiana Fever (71)
Center Sylvia Fowles celebrated her birthday tonight and did so in the best possible way: Fueling the Minnesota Lynx to a 77-71 victory over the Indiana Fever in game two of the WNBA Finals, sending the series to Indiana knotted at one game each.
To say that Sylvia Fowles played well tonight would be a drastic understatement. She was nearly unstoppable.
“Sylvia is a beast,” Fever head coach Stephanie White praised. “The only player that limits her, is herself. With that body, with that athleticism, with how quick she gets up in the air, I mean, she should dominate, and 21 [points] and nine [rebounds] is pretty good.”
Fowles established her presence down low early and often, something Minnesota entered the game wanting to do, and it paid off. Fowles played great, notching 10 points and four rebounds in the first quarter alone.
“She was big for us in game one, but I think she was disappointed in the turnovers and getting the ball out of her hands a bit and she wanted to do better in those areas and she was impressive,” Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve said.
All-Star forward Maya Moore, usually the scoring leader on this Lynx squad was held scoreless for the entire first quarter and didn’t get her first points until midway through the second quarter.What’s most impressive about this is not that Moore was still able to finish with 19 points, but rather that her team was only behind by six points when she got her first points.
“She’s going to hit some tough shots, and we were prepared for that,” Fever guard Briann January said. “With a great player you can just do your best to make her uncomfortable and I think we did a good job of that, keeping her on her toes, making her take tough fade-away shots that are contested and with a game-plan like that, you can’t let her get loose.”
Moore was contained (mostly) but Minnesota didn’t panic, they just spread the scoring out. The Lynx bench added 14 huge points tonight and, unlike in game one where only two players scored in double-figures, the Lynx managed to get three players in double-figures and almost had a fourth with guard Lindsay Whalen finishing with eight points.
This game was a tight, physical battle from the opening tip.
The first quarter was much different than in game one. And by much different, I mean the exact opposite. While defense may have reigned supreme in game one, the teams were all about the offense in game two. For Minnesota, it was Fowles doing the damage, scoring 10 points, grabbing four rebounds and committing no turnovers in the quarter. Forward Devereaux Peters also provided a huge spark for the Lynx, coming off the bench and registering six points and an assist in just four minutes. For Indiana, it was the same cast of characters doing their damage with forward Marissa Coleman and January leading the way. Coleman finished the quarter with eight points on 3-of-5 shooting, including going 2-of-2 from beyond the arc, while January kicked in six points and two assists in the quarter. Both teams shot over 50 percent in the quarter and it was Indiana’s lead after one, 24-20. The Lynx would respond though, and they would do so with their defense.
After the Fever shot 10-of-19 (52.6 percent) in the first quarter, the Lynx turned up their defense and held the Fever to just 6-of-16 (37.5 percent) in the second. Held scoreless in the first quarter, Moore came out determined and quietly registered five points and five rebounds as she attempted to lead the comeback for Minnesota. Whalen did a little bit of everything for Minnesota in the quarter, facilitating the offense, making crisp passes and providing a spark in all facets finishing the second with six points, two rebounds and three assists. January continued to lead the way for Indiana, registering five points in the quarter to go with her two assists. Forward Natasha Howard came off the bench to chip in four points for Indiana who managed to hang on to a 41-39 lead heading to halftime. The Lynx managed to claim the lead 39-37 with just 20 seconds left in the half, but guard Maggie Lucas calmly came down, hit a three, drew the foul and connected on the free-throw and finish the four-point play.
The Lynx came out slow to start the second half, allowing Indiana to build their lead as large as 10; that is when Minnesota turned the game. With 4:13 remaining in the third, Fever forward Tamika Catchings picked up her fifth personal foul and was forced to sit the rest of the quarter; the Lynx took full advantage of that, going on an immediate 11-5 run to close the quarter and give themselves a 63-59 at the end of three. Before leaving with her fifth foul, Catchings notched nine points and two assists but it wasn’t enough to stop Minnesota. The third quarter was all about Moore and Fowles being practically unstoppable. Combined the duo registered 13 points, two rebounds, four assists, three steals and a blocked shot, giving the Lynx momentum headed to the final quarter.
The fourth quarter exemplified WNBA Finals basketball in so many ways. There was physical play, controversial calls and both teams leaving every ounce of energy they have on the floor in an attempt to get their team a win. Moore notched eight points, a steal and a blocked shot in the final quarter after Indiana had cut a once six-point Lynx lead down to just three. Indiana got the deficit down to just three points with over two minutes left in the game, but Minnesota turned up their defense, receiving huge stops from Peters and a great block from guard Seimone Augustus to help seal Minnesota’s win and even the series.
LEADER OF THE PACK: ANNA CRUZ
Did Cruz light up the stat sheet tonight? Absolutely not. Did she have to? Nope.
Of all the players on the floor tonight, the Fever seemed most frustrated and flabbergasted by the play of Cruz, specifically on the defensive side of the ball. Cruz finished with six points, five rebounds and five assists, but it was her play on the other side of the ball that was most important for Minnesota. Don’t believe me? Maybe you’ll believe Fever head coach Stephanie White.
“[Anna Cruz] is just like a little gnat that’s all over you. It’s just exhausting and it’s irritating and you just want to slap her away, and I mean that with the utmost respect…to have Cruz, someone that can just hound you and hound you and she never gets tired and then Montgomery as well, it absolutely makes a difference.”
That is some pretty odd yet pretty high praise.
Cruz, paired with guard Renee Montgomery, locked down Indiana’s guards in the final quarter, holding them to just six points while forcing two turnovers. It is safe to say that Minnesota does not win this game tonight were it not for the play of Anna Cruz.
PLAY OF THE GAME
Forward Devereaux Peters made the play of the game for Minnesota, and she made it when they needed it most.
With just under three minutes left in the game and the Lynx only lead having shrunk to just three points, there was a loose ball rolling towards the sidelines and about four or five different players made a run for it. Peters dove for it, knocking it off Fever guard Shavonte Zellous and allowing Minnesota to retain possession. Although the Lynx did not score with the extra possession, it still allowed Minnesota to run some clock and keep the ball out of Indiana’s hands.
QUOTE-ABLE
“I cannot comment on officiating. How was that Renee? That was good Renee Brown, wasn’t it? That was the first time in my life I didn’t,” Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve said when asked her thoughts on the officiating in Minnesota’s game two win after Fever coach Stephanie White questioned some of the calls made in the game.
UP NEXT
The Minnesota Lynx will now travel to Indiana for game three of the WNBA Finals. Game three will take place on Friday night. It can be seen on ESPN 2 and can be heard on 106.1 BOB FM. The game is set to begin at 7:00 P.M. CT