Lynx get past Phoenix Mercury 118-107 in double overtime

Better late than never.

Tuesday at Target Center the Minnesota defeated Phoenix, 118-107, in double overtime.

But it didn't have to be this way. Not if the Lynx had been able to hold a 13-point lead with less than five minutes left in regulation. Not if they'd been able to hold a five-point lead with two minutes left in the first overtime.

But, in an unnecessary marathon, the Lynx (9-15) ended the game in a sprint. Rachel Banham scored five points and Aerial Powers scored four in the second overtime, which the Lynx began with a 7-0 run and ended with a 15-4 scoring edge.

About time, right?

"Wow, wow, wow," Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve said. "I've watched Phoenix a lot. I knew they weren't going away. With just over four minutes (in regulation) we got kind of cocky, stopped playing, stopped being focused. I don't think we can celebrate what we did. To get out-efforted in transition. Just getting out-worked. But, to do that and get a win is what is most important."

Powers scored a career-high 35 points to go with 13 rebounds (to go with nine turnovers). Banham — who has hit 17 of 34 threes over her last five games — finished with 25 points and seven assists. Jessica Shepard (13 points, 12 rebounds), Sylvia Fowles (14 points, 14 rebounds) and Kayla McBride (17) were also in double figures.

Fowles, though, played almost 37 minutes on her bad right knee, which could be an issue in Thursday's game here against Dallas.

But the Lynx needed all of it in the first league game since 2010 that featured three 30-point scorers.

Because Sophie Cunningham, whose previous career high was 23 points, poured in 36 points, including a three-pointer at the end of regulation that forced the first overtime after the Lynx players, with a foul to give, failed to commit one ("I forgot," admitted Banham. "My bad."). Skylar Diggins-Smith scored 32 points with 10 assists, including an unfettered drive down the lane for a buzzer-beating layup that forced the second overtime.

But, despite ceding 21 offensive rebounds, despite being outscored 23-4 on the break, the Lynx have now won three straight games and six of their last eight. They are still in 11th place. But they are within 1½ games of eighth place in the WNBA, the final playoff position.

"Of course we'll take the win," said Powers, who has set two career highs in points in two of the last three games. "But I know I'll look back at the film, at my turnovers, where I can be better for my team. But we needed this game."

That the Lynx brushed off two near-collapses is something in itself. A 15-0 run put the Lynx up 13 with 4:51 left in regulation, but they were outscored 18-4 the rest of the way. They led by five in the first overtime, only to see that go away, too.

But not the final five minutes. Powers opened the second overtime with a basket. Banham followed with a three. And then Shepard took a pass from Powers and scored for a seven-point lead with 3:08 left.

This time it stuck, with the Mercury (10-15) not getting any closer than five points the rest of the way.

The Lynx finished with a franchise-high 55 rebounds, becoming the first WNBA team to have three games with at least 50 rebounds in a season, and they've all come in the last three weeks. (But Reeve, looking at those 21 offensive rebounds by Phoenix, wasn't happy.) They had a 42-13 edge in bench scoring. They held a third straight opponent under 40% shooting, improving to 139-5 since 2011 while doing that.

Bottom line, they won. "It should have been over earlier," Banham said. "We gave them way too many opportunities. But we can clean that up."