At a time when basketball is becoming a game of space and three-point shots, this was a throwback.
Lynx climb back to .500 with 90-89 overtime victory over Las Vegas
Sylvia Fowles had 30 points and 14 rebounds, including a victory-clinching board in the final seconds.
June 26, 2021 at 2:33AM
Power vs. power, in the paint, among four of the best currently plying the trade.
Of all the things that happened, the ebb and flow of the game from the start, the shots made and shots missed, what was memorable about Minnesota's 90-89 overtime victory over Las Vegas at Target Center was the battle between Sylvia Fowles and Napheesa Collier on the Lynx side, and A'ja Wilson and Liz Cambage on the other.
Give this one to Fowles and Collier, by the merest of margins: Fowles' ability to get to Layshia Clarendon's miss with 3.4 seconds left in overtime, tipping it out to Kayla McBride as time expired.
With Fowles turning in a stat line singular in WNBA history and Collier coming two assists short of the first triple-double in team history, the Lynx survived a meltdown that ended regulation to beat a second-place Aces team that came in having won five straight and eight of nine. It was the kind of game that you only rarely see.
"Every time we play Vegas," said Collier, who had 23 points, 10 rebounds, eight assists, two blocks and two steals. "They have some really good post players. It's a battle every time. I'm just glad we got the win."
Fowles? In 40 minutes of playing time she had 30 points — including the eventual game-winner in overtime — 14 rebounds, four blocks, four steals and four assists. She is the only player in league history with at least 30, 14, four, four and four.
Ever.
"These are the games you look forward to," Fowles said. "When they have two bigs who will challenge you. I think we handled ourselves well."
Lynx needed all of that against the Aces (10-4), who got 18 points and 20 boards from Cambage, and 28 points and 14 rebounds from Wilson, the league's MVP last year.
"Obviously we know that's Vegas' identity, and we've kind of found it to be our identity," Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve said.
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Throwback? The teams combined to hit just six three-pointers but totaled 96 points in the paint.
The most important: Playing the pick-and-roll — something Clarendon (20 points, seven assists) did so well all night. Clarendon got the ball to Fowles for a basket with 1:24 left to put the Lynx up 90-87.
At the other end, Cambage scored with 1:06 left.
And there was no more scoring. The Lynx missed twice at the other end, then Chelsea Gray turned the ball over for Vegas with 27.5 seconds left. Out of a timeout Clarendon worked the shot clock down before shooting. Not in great position with Cambage, Fowles was able to get her fingers on the ball and tip it out.
The Lynx led by nine with 3:11 left in regulation but didn't score again, going 0-for-6 with two turnovers; Wilson sent the game into overtime with two free throws with two seconds left.
But Clarendon — a leader both on the court and during timeouts — and Fowles each scored four points in the overtime.
And now, at age 35, Fowles — by her own admission — has put together the best back-to-back games of her career: 56 points, 33 rebounds, nine blocks and six steals.
"I'm so in awe of her," Collier said. "Especially 14 years in? Unbelievable."
After an 0-4 start, the Lynx (7-7) have scrambled back to .500 thanks to a win that could provide momentum. After the battling was over, Wilson and Collier — good friends who do a popular podcast together — swapped jerseys and took a picture.
"I told her, 'Good job.' " Collier said. "She's beat us so many times. It was my turn this time."
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