Credit this victory to Sylvia Fowles, who had six points and had three rebounds in a three-minute stretch of the fourth quarter. That stretch began after Kristi Toliver's three-pointer had drawn the Sparks within a point, and ended with Fowles' put-back with 1:32 left that put the Lynx up seven.
Greetings for a final time from Target Center, where the Lynx ended their two-game losing streak – and Los Angeles' four-game winning streak – with a 72-64 victory
Here are some thoughts from the game:
--Devereaux Peters had a very nice night off the bench, with seven points, eight rebounds and two blocks. Peters scored five straight Lynx points earlier in the fourth quarter.
--Maya Moore scored 20 points again, for the first time in three games. This despite foul trouble that kept her under 30 minutes for the game.
--Rebekkah Brunson had an impact far beyond the 10 points and six rebounds she registered. She played some very good defense on Candace Parker, who was held to 10 points on 3-for-7 shooting. Actually, the Lynx played very good defense in three of the four quarters tonight.
--It shows how good the Lynx defense was that they won the game despite shooting 39.4 percent from the field.
--The Sparks had their four-game winning streak snapped, but this is a team to watch out for. They will make the playoffs. That is all but a certainty. And they will be a very tough out.
--But the Lynx victory, coupled with Chicago's victory over Phoenix, pushed Minnesota's lead in the Western Conference to two games over the Mercury.
--The Lynx wore pink jerseys tonight in honor of breast cancer awareness, then auctioned off those uniforms for charity afterward. Which got the most money? Here are the top three: Seimone Augustus ($5,750), Maya Moore ($4,000) and Lindsay Whalen ($3,000).
