7:00 p.m., Xcel Energy Center
Where to Watch: ESPNews
Where to Listen: 106.1 BOB FM
The Minnesota Lynx go into Game 2 this evening against the Phoenix Mercury with a lot of confidence, and rightfully so.
The #1 seed defeated the #8 seed in their first matchup of the series on Wednesday, 113-95.
Considering what went down and how it went down in Game 1, be sure to keep an eye out for these storylines to possibly pop-up in Friday night’s showdown if Minnesota hopes to walk out with another W:
– Lynx keep Griner at Bay once again. Sylvia Fowles and Rebekkah Brunson were able to keep the 6’8 beast off the boards in Game 1, and could very well do so again in their second Semi-Final contest. Sure, Minnesota shot better than 63 percent from the field, but anytime you are able to hold a top 3 center in the league to only 2 rebounds, you’re doing something right.
– Defense a Little more Evident in Game 2. With both coaches agreeing after Game 1 that their defensive performances were anything but good, I would not be surprised at all if each team was held to less than 90 points on Friday night. Minnesota is known for their defensive tenacity and there’s no doubt Coach Reeve is upset at giving up 95 points in 40 minutes.
– Taurasi’s Big Night is Not Enough for Phoenix. Diana Taurasi is a walking Hall-of-Famer. The veteran guard put up 25 points in Game 1 with ease not necessarily because Minnesota’s defensive efforts were poor, but simply due to the fact that she’s just that good.
“There really is no gameplan for Taurasi in that whatever you choose to do, and whatever the gameplan is, you’re picking a poison and she usually makes you drink your poison,” Reeve said. “You hope that maybe that night she’s not going to make the shots. There’s only so much you can do because if you do it one way, she’ll burn ya, if you do it the other way, she’ll burn ya, so you just have to pick the way you want her to burn you, and that’s not a very good feeling.”
If one of the storylines above does indeed come true, there’s a very good chance that Minnesota will be traveling to Phoenix on Sunday looking to sweep the series.