The Lynx escaped with a two-point win here tonight against L.A. in the first game of their Western Conference semifinals thanks mainly to the duet of Maya Moore and Seimone Augustus who combined to score 50 of Minnesota's 67 points, 31 of the team's 34 points in the second half.
Here are some thoughts on the game with the best-of-three series heading to L.A. for a game Sunday.
--At times Moore was amazing. She had 15 of her 33 points in a 19-4 third-quarter run that put the Lynx in the lead for good. Having said that, Moore remains remarkably up and down in her shooting. Tonight she was either red-hot or ice-cold.
--What a game by Augustus. It was her first game in a month. By her own admission she was winded just minutes in. And, though she's back, Augustus is still pestered by that sore foot and a sore knee. And all she die was come out and score 10 of her 17 points in the second half, six in the fourth quarter. As coach Cheryl Reeve said, playoff time is Seimone time.
--Lindsay Whalen also returned after missing the last few games with a sore Achilles. She didn't do much. She only attempted three shots, only had one assist. I'm told she is OK, physically, but might have needed a game to shake off some rust.
--It was a very good game by Rebekkah Brunson defensively. She finished with six points and six rebounds to go with three assists and three steals. Two of those steals came in the closing seconds, one of them resulting in Maya Moore's runout fast-break layup that put the Lynx up three late.
--But, if the Lynx are to win Sunday, they're going to need more from center Sylvia Fowles. Fowles started the game off with a bang, with a basket, then a block at the other end that turned into a Lynx fast break. After that she kind of disappeared. She finished with five points and nine rebounds and a block in 38 minutes of playing time.
That's about it for now. Have a good weekend.
