Big 2nd Half Lifts Lynx Past Shock, 92-83




Andrea Allis
Web Editorial Associate
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They had to overcome a slow start that led to a tough first half, but the Lynx put together great play after halftime to defeat the Tulsa Shock 92-83.

It was a game dominated by the Lynx’s starters, with all five scoring in double digits. Maya Moore, Rebekkah Brunson and Lindsay Whalen finished with 19 points each, and Seimone Augustus added 18 while Taj McWilliams-Franklin had 14.

Box Score LYNX BOXSCORE
Lynx vs. Shock
During the first half, the Lynx struggled against a Tulsa team that was quick to capitalize on their miscues and, on the other end of the floor, was shooting 60.5 percent. By halftime, Riquna Williams had already scored 17 points, and Ivory Latta had 13. They finished with 21 and 19 points respectively.

"Frankly, this team doesn't have a whole lot to play for,” coach Cheryl Reeve said. "But it sure doesn't look like it when you watch them, every time they play. They're going out there to win games. There are some other people that have "the future of their team" in mind. This team is trying to win games right now. And they're playing extremely hard, and, I think, playing extremely well."

But the Lynx hit their offensive peak in the third quarter, when Moore and Augustus scored eight points each and the squad outscored Tulsa 29-11. Minnesota also held a 14-2 rebounding advantage in the third quarter. That rebounding advantage was a theme that permeated the entire game, as the Lynx ended up with 44 boards to the Shock's 25.

"For the most part, we've been boxing out, taking care of the rebound and, on offense, getting extra possessions for us, and it's been huge," Taj McWilliams-Franklin said. "We have Rebekkah Brunson cleaning up everything on the glass for us, so that really helps. When you shoot a shot that might not be the best shot, and you have someone like that going after almost every rebound, it helps a lot."

Leader of the Pack: Rebekkah Brunson

Brunson has been on fire in recent games, averaging a double-double since the Olympic break. Tonight, in addition to her 17 points, she also pulled down 11 rebounds for her fourth consecutive double-double.

"We're winning, and that's the most important thing," Brunson said of her streak. "As long as we continue doing that, it doesn't really matter what my numbers are. As long as we're getting it done as a team, that's what's important." Highlight of the Game

As the Shock were running the clock down at the end of the first quarter, the Lynx were poised and ready on defense. After an unsuccessful Tulsa shot, Maya Moore grabbed the rebound and kicked it up to a streaking Lindsay Whalen, who completed the layup in the final second of the quarter.

The Numbers Game

In addition to their 44-25 rebounding advantage, the Lynx held an 18-6 advantage in offensive boards. ... The only points from the Lynx's bench came from a Candice Wiggins 3-pointer, while Tulsa's reserves combined for 41 of their 83 points. ... The Shock held a 48-42 advantage in points in the paint.

Quotable

Maya's Postgame Interview

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"I think that the Tulsa Shock are playing better than at least half the teams in our league. So we knew that about them. [They were] coming off of a great win last night, where, offensively, they got a lot of confidence in what they were doing. So I fully expected, at least for the first half, for these guys to be feeling the same way they were last night. I was a little bit disappointed that we were getting outplayed in terms of our effort, but we got it together." —Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve

"We just knew that we had to turn it up. We weren't playing at the level we wanted to play at in the first half, and we knew that this is a team that was playing very well, and they weren't going to go away, and they weren't going to hand us anything. So we knew that we just had to pick up our intensity defensively and run our offense with poise and get things done." — Rebekkah Brunson

Looking Ahead

The Lynx have two more at Target Center, one on Tuesday against the Los Angeles Sparks and one on Friday against the Atlanta Dream, both at 7 p.m. Catch Friday’s game against the Dream on Fox Sports North.

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