Lynx suffer curse of 2's

BY MIKE PEDEN

The Minnesota Lynx lost for the second straight game Thursday night 74-72 to the San Antonio Silver Stars at Target Center.

This July 22nd also marked the second straight loss by two points and the second straight game where Seimone Augustus missed a last-second shot, missing a three-pointer (a 22-foot jumper) this time as the clock expired.

Adding to the irony, Augustus scored a game-high 22 points on 10-of-21 shooting and the Lynx had two players finish with double-doubles for the first time this season. Forward Rebekkah Brunson had 11 points and 14 rebounds while center Nicky Anosike scored 15 and grabbed 10 boards.

"In the end, (San Antonio) executed a little bit better than we did, and that's the disappointment," Augustus said.

The Lynx (7-13) victimized themselves by missing many short-range shots and lay-ups, with Brunson sinking just three of 14 shots while guard Lindsay Whalen drained only two of 11 attempts. The fourth quarter bit them a second time as well, with the Lynx making only seven of 19 shots.

Meanwhile, San Antonio (8-13) responded quite well after a 23-point whacking in their last visit to Target Center. Five Stars scored in double-figures, led by forward Chamique Holdsclaw with 17 points. The Stars started out hot from the three-point line, going six of 12 in the first half and closed out the game making eight of their 13 field goal tries in the fourth.

"(The Lynx) were so worried about our three-point shooting, that we were able to get some slips and get some great penetration to the basket," Holdsclaw said.

"I was glad that we buckled down physically and got a win that wasn't pretty," said Stars guard Becky Hammon, who finished the night with 14 points. "Shooting 39% (from the floor) is not pretty."

There were several moments throughout the playoff-level showcase where the game appeared to absorb elements of football, hockey, rugby and lacrosse. Players scrambled for loose balls, crashed into each other, capitalized on errant passes and even missed a few pointblank baskets to keep the outcome up in the air.

"Both teams were fighting. It's hard to officiate those kinds of games," Hammon said.

The Lynx did hold a 49-39 lead with 5:36 remaining in the third, but the Stars answered back with a 9-0 run and stayed with the Lynx until they took the lead for good at the 4:44 mark in the fourth.

The game-changing moment may have come with 1:10 left to go in the fourth, when Augustus nailed what was originally ruled a three-pointer, but officials changed it to a two-point shot when they had a chance to review the play. Augustus said the right call was made, while Hammon considered the call a huge momentum swing.

"Seimone is one of the best finishers in the game, she's going to make big shots. Thank goodness for instant replay," Hammon said.

The Stars and Lynx are currently in third and fourth place in the West with the Los Angeles Sparks not far behind either team as the playoff dogfight continues. Although conference leader Seattle appears to have the #1 seed locked in, there may be no guarantee they can take advantage of their league-wide dominance.

"Both teams are getting better. They're getting to the stage where they can compete with the best teams," said San Antonio head coach Sandy Brondello. "It's about bringing that focus and intensity for 40 minutes."