Lynx-Fever Preview

By CLIFF BRUNT
Posted Oct 18 2012 5:02PM

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) Indiana coach Lin Dunn criticized the coach of the Minnesota Lynx on Thursday, accusing her of a ``lack of respect'' for an outburst that seemed to spur the Lynx to a win in the WNBA Finals.

Dunn said she wasn't amused by Minnesota coach Cheryl Reeve's meltdown on Wednesday night. Ignited by Reeve's technical foul and subsequent jacket toss, Minnesota turned up the intensity in the second half to pull away for an 83-71 win in Game 2 to even the series at a game apiece. Game 3 is in Indianapolis on Friday.

Dunn said she thought Reeve should have been ejected because the wildest part of the tantrum came after the technical.

``I guess the thing that concerns me is that after she got her first technical, then she proceeded to take her jacket off, throw her jacket,'' Dunn said. ``In my opinion, that should have been reason for a second technical and removal, and they (the officials) did not do that, and of course, she was able to incite the crowd.

``There's no doubt in my mind that her behavior after the first technical warranted ejection, and I was very disappointed that the officials allowed her to in some ways, you know, just kind of a lack of respect for the game and lack of respect for them. I was disappointed in the whole affair.''

After Minnesota's Lindsay Whalen tied Wednesday's game at 48 with a reverse layup, Minnesota's Maya Moore picked up her third foul on the other end. After Whalen's layup was blocked by Briann January, Minnesota's frustrations came out.

Whalen was issued a technical foul for complaining about the no-call by official Michael Price, then Price gave Reeve one, too. Reeve took her suit coat off and threw it so hard that she hurt her right shoulder and said she needed to see a trainer after the game.

Reeve wasn't available to reporters in Indianapolis on Thursday. Minnesota's Taj McWilliams-Franklin said her coach knew what she was doing.

``She wanted to light a fire under us,'' she said. ``She wanted to light a fire under the refs and everything else and the fans and energize us, which is what she did. She's very calculating in everything she does. You all think she's out of control but she's not, by far.''

Indiana forward Tamika Catchings, who scored 27 points in Game 2, said Reeve's tactics worked.

``I think she was just trying to get her team fired up, and she did a good job in that moment,'' Catchings said. ``It seemed like after that, they really picked it up as a team and all of them played a little more motivated, a lot more physical from that point on.''

Catchings said her team failed to realize the importance of what was happening and didn't respond well.

``For us, we have to use that as a learning curve, too,'' she said. ``I should have pulled everybody over and said, `Now, they're going to start going at us, they're going to start attacking us.'''

Dunn also took exception to Reeve's halftime speech, during which she directed her players to use their elbows in the second half.

``When you go to the basket, I want an elbow out,'' Reeve said in a speech that was televised. ``I want them to collapse their arms on you because you're sticking an elbow in their chest.''

Dunn learned of the speech after the game and was shocked.

``I've never heard a coach say that publicly before - lead with your elbow, they're not calling it.''

Both January and Shavonte Zellous had concussions during a game at Minnesota late in the regular season. Now, Dunn wonders if there was intent behind the hits.

``I guess the thing that sticks in my mind now is I look back to those two concussions we had in the game up there that we played in the regular season, and it makes me think, hey, maybe that was attributed to that because that's how they teach their players to play, which I consider very dangerous and shouldn't be part of our game,'' she said.

Dunn said Minnesota's elbows and Reeve's outburst didn't cost Indiana Wednesday's game. The Fever were outrebounded 32-20, committed 24 turnovers and let Seimone Augustus score 23 of her 27 points in the second half.

``Just do your job, box out better, don't give so many second-chance points, take care of the basketball and you win the ballgame,'' Dunn said. ``So that's what we're focusing on tomorrow night, is doing the little things like that better.''

Indiana guard Katie Douglas isn't sure if she will play. The Fever's No. 2 scorer sprained her left ankle in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals and missed both Game 1 and Game 2 of the Finals. Douglas said she's dealing with pain and instability and doesn't know how effective she will be if she plays. Indiana reserve guard Jeanette Pohlen left Wednesday's game with an injured left knee. Dunn said she doesn't expect Pohlen to play Friday.

Minnesota is at full strength and feeling good after playing its style of game and winning on Wednesday.

``I think for us, the vet team that we have, we can't dwell on anything,'' McWilliams-Franklin said. ``It's about sharpening what we do well, which is what we did. We are a fast breaking team, set up second, and I think we pushed it at them. We were up and aggressive and doing the things that Minnesota Lynx always do.''

Fever rout Lynx 76-59 in Game 3 of WNBA finals

By CLIFF BRUNT
Posted Oct 19 2012 11:49PM

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) Minnesota coach Cheryl Reeve drew national attention with her screaming, jacket-tossing meltdown in Game 2 of the WNBA Finals.

The Indiana Fever silenced her in Game 3. Shavonte Zellous scored a career-high 30 points to help the Fever beat the Lynx 76-59 on Friday night.

``You know, I was fired up for this game,'' Zellous said. ``That Game 2 left a bad taste in our mouth. You know, we could have done a better job in a lot of different things, and I think today, we made a conscious effort to do things better.''

Tamika Catchings added 17 points and Erlana Larkins had 10 points and 15 rebounds for the Fever, who took a 2-1 lead in the series and can win their first title at home Sunday night against the defending champs.

It had been a tense series. Reeve was fined after her actions in Game 2, which Fever coach Lin Dunn called ``disrespectful.''

Indiana's play did the talking on Friday. The Fever's lead of 70-33 with 1:58 left in the third quarter was the largest lead by any team in WNBA Finals history. The extent of the blowout left Reeve seated with her hand on her chin for much of the second half.

Rebekkah Brunson, who scored 12 points, was the only Minnesota player to reach double figures.

``I think Indiana played the way Indiana always plays,'' Reeve said. ``They defend. You defend, you have a chance to win a championship. That's it.''

When asked what the Lynx need to do differently in Game 4, Reeve simply said, ``Score more points than them.''

Minnesota's previous playoff scoring low this season was 70 points against the Fever in Game 1 of the Finals. Maya Moore was held to eight points in Game 3 and Seimone Augustus, who scored 27 points in Game 2, had six on 3-for-9 shooting on Friday night. Minnesota finished with just six assists.

Indiana did it all without No. 2 scorer Katie Douglas. She is still sidelined with a severely sprained left ankle. Reserve guard Jeanette Pohlen is out with a left knee injury.

The game was intense again, but in control. The only incident was a rare technical called against Catchings with the game well in hand for the Fever.

Indiana led 21-16 at the end of the first quarter, and the Fever extended their lead to 28-18 in the second quarter, forcing the Lynx to call a timeout.

A no-look pass by Catchings directly led to a 3-pointer by Zellous that gave the Fever a 33-20 advantage. On Indiana's next possession, Catchings drove through traffic for a layup to push the lead to 15. The Fever held Minnesota scoreless for 3:40 during a 12-0 run to take a 40-20 edge.

Indiana led 45-27 at halftime. Minnesota shot 5-for-19 from the field in the second quarter. Those tough, contested shots the Lynx made in the first quarter didn't fall in the second. Indiana outrebounded Minnesota 20-15 in the first half, forced nine turnovers and committed just three.

``We started the offense by going at them on the defensive end,'' Zellous said. ``We were able to get an attack. We were pushing up on them. We didn't let them do what they did to us on Game 2, and it made our job so much easier on offense.''

The Fever didn't rest. Catchings' baseline jumper pushed Indiana's lead back to 20 early in the third quarter. Erin Phillips was fouled on a 3-pointer by Monica Wright, and she fell to the ground in front of Reeve. Phillips made all three free throws to make it 54-29.

Indiana continued to pour it on and led 70-38 at the end of the third quarter.

The Fever went on cruise control in the fourth quarter as Minnesota tried to make the score more respectable. Zellous finally made Indiana's first field goal of the fourth quarter with 2:21 remaining, and the Fever still had a 20-point lead at that point.

Indiana knows the series isn't over. The Fever led Phoenix 2-1 in 2009 and could have clinched in Game 4 at home. Indiana lost that game, then lost Game 5 and the series in Phoenix.

``We sat in the huddle and I told everybody, `Don't get excited about this. Do not get excited,''' Catchings said. ``We'll come back in here tomorrow, we'll look at some video and get better tomorrow and we'll come back out Sunday. I don't want anybody celebrating. None of that.''

The Fever also know Minnesota won't quit.

``We expect the defending champs to come out and play like their backs are against the wall,'' Fever guard Briann January said. ``We know they're going to give everything, and we have to respond and we have to bring everything we have. It's going to be another war.''

• Lynx: --
• Fever: --

• Lynx: --
• Fever: Catchings

• Lead Changes: 3
• Times Tied: 3

• Arena: Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, IN
• Officials: #9 Denise Brooks, #38 Lamont Simpson, #55 Eric Brewton
• Attendance: 18165
• Duration: 1:59