INEV-PHEE-TIBLE

LYNX 101
MERCURY 88

The Lynx were given all they could handle in their 1st round series against Phoenix. Game 1 was a rout-turned-squeaker. And game 2 was a struggle, too. A Phoenix team playing for their season, and with Diana Taurasi possibly playing for her career, again made things tough for the Lynx.

Phoenix might have even taken this thing back to the desert for a game 3, but there was one problem:

They don't have Napheesa Collier. 

The MVP runner-up and DPOY followed up her 38 point game 1 performance (tying Maya Moore's team record) by tying the LEAGUE record with a 42 point masterpiece (adding in 5 boards, 4 assists, 2 blocks, a steal and a partridge in a pear tree). 

The Lynx needed everything she had early, too, cause Phoenix came out firing and led for the whole opening quarter.

The Lynx finally grabbed the lead early in the 2nd quarter. The lead got as big as 9, before Brittney Griner got pretty dominant against Alana Smith and helped the Mercury hit halftime down just 2.

Phoenix briefly got the lead back in the third, but then things turned when Sophie Cunningham literally tackled Bridget Carleton and got a flagrant. The whole game was very chippy, clearly Phoenix's plan to muck up the works. 

Fittingly, Bridget's free throws regained the lead for good. McBuckets hit a three right after, and the Mercury never again got it to a single possession game.

The run after the dirty foul was 23-12 Lynx to finish the 3rd.

The 4th quarter was largely a formality. Phoenix sort of hung around, but never got closer than 10, and the Lynx got the lead as high as 18.

Collier just kept scoring. She had 30 after 3, and then she got to her game 1 38 again. Then a corner three put her at 41. Phee went to the line a minute or so later with a chance to set the league record for points in a playoff game. Ugh but she missed one of 2, and never took another shot. So she gets to share the record with Breanna Stewart and Angel McCoughtry.

Taurasi, meanwhile, fouled out with a couple of minutes left and did a mic drop with the ball at halfcourt, so she's probably done. She got an ovation.

The biggest ovation was saved for the Lynx. The best Lynx team since 2017 moves on to the next round to face Connecticut. All 3 games with the Sun this season were close, the Lynx winning the most recent one. It's going to be a tough series, and you can bet Cheryl Reeve will demand a better defensive performance. They'll need it. It might go the full 5 games.

At least we'll have the best player on the court. 

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