Lynx block out Sun 77-70, even WNBA semifinal series at a game apiece

MINNEAPOLIS — Before this WNBA semifinal playoff series began, given the way both teams play defense, people said it would be a slugfest.

There were moments Tuesday at Target Center where it seemed that might actually happen. There was pushing and shoving. A good bit of jawing, a technical ...

… and a Lynx win.

Playing shut-down defense from start to finish, doing just enough offensively, and with a bolster from the bench, the Lynx beat the Connecticut Sun 77-70, sending the best-of-five series back to Connecticut tied at one.

The Sun host the Lynx Friday at 7:30 p.m. ET.

Courtney Williams struggled in the first half, led the way in the second, and scored 17 points. Alanna Smith had 15, Kayla McBride 11.

Lynx forward Napheesa Collier, the runner-up for the WNBA MVP award, had nine points and 12 rebounds, but made just 3-of-14 shots from the floor.

But her teammates picked up the slack.

DeWanna Bonner scored 17 for Connecticut. Alyssa Thomas had 18 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists. Marina Mabrey had 13 points, drew a technical foul on McBride and had a jawing match with Williams in the third quarter.

“We can [be] ready to play, to defend the home court,” Collier said. “I just needed to help the team any [way] I can. Stay aggressive, and help the team on defense.

“It’s going to be a long series. It’s hard. We have to grind it out.”

Minnesota pushed to a 14-point lead in the third. Up 12 entering the fourth, the Lynx increased their lead to 15 with just over seven minutes left and held on.

The Lynx held the Sun to 36.4% shooting.

Down 15 early in the fourth the Sun rallied to within 70-63 on Thomas’ three-point play with 3:45 left. But Collier fed Smith for her third three-pointer of the game seconds later, pushing the lead back to 10. The Sun drew within seven on DiJonai Carrington’s two free throws with 2:47 left, but Williams hit a mid-range at the other end.

The Lynx held the Sun without a field goal for more than half of the first quarter; Connecticut didn’t hit a field goal until Thomas scored with 4:51 left. The Sun went 3 for 15 and scored just 10 points in the first 10 minutes, the lowest total by a Minnesota opponent this season.

And yet Minnesota was up just two 12-10, entering the second ... because the first quarter both teams were ice cold. The Lynx missed their first eight shots and were 5 for 20 in the first. Both teams set season lows for first-quarter scoring.

The Lynx trailed 10-8 late in the quarter before scoring the final four points, on Smith’s put-back of McBride’s miss, and Collier’s turn-around from the baseline.

The Lynx defense continued in the second quarter, holding Connecticut to 7 for 20 shooting.

But the Lynx struggled – thanks in part to four turnovers – to distance themselves from the Sun. Bridget Carleton had seven points before picking up her third foul.

But it was the Lynx bench that got the Lynx going, if only a little. Cecilia Zandalasini (five), Myisha Hines-Allen (four) and Natisha Hiedeman (two) combined for 11 points as the Lynx pushed their lead to as big as seven before Hines-Allen hit a buzzer-beating shot to send Minnesota into the half up 36-30

The run went to 9-0 when the Lynx opened the third by scoring the first seven points. Continuing with the lock-down defense, the Lynx pushed their lead to as many as 14 before the Sun ended the quarter on a 7-2 run over the final 2 minutes; Thomas’ back-in basket at the buzzer had Connecticut within nine entering the fourth.

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