Lynx tell Stars "We're not through yet!"

BY MIKE PEDEN

The Minnesota Lynx faced a virtual do-or-die situation Sunday night against the San Antonio Silver Stars at Target Center.

Knowing a loss would likely knock them out of the playoffs, the Lynx responded by preventing another lead from collapsing with an 84-78 win, forcing a three-way tie for third place in the Western Conference with the Stars and Los Angeles.

"We hit big shots. We made our free throws. People made plays down the stretch," said Lynx guard Lindsay Whalen, who finished with 21 points and 12 assists.

Helping the Lynx (12-19) down the stretch was 18 Stars (12-19) turnovers while committing 13, out-rebounding San Antonio 35-27, and out-shooting the Stars from the floor. The Lynx made 47% of their shots, edging the 40% output from the Stars. Four of the five Lynx starters ended with double-figures in scoring.

The Lynx started the game trailing 7-0, before taking a 15-point lead midway through the second quarter. The Stars did cut the lead to one on an Edwige Lawson-Wade three-point play midway through the fourth, but Minnesota did not relinquish the lead once they went in front.

"We have a mature team. They know exactly what it takes to win games. It's just up to us to finish it," said Lynx guard Monica Wright, who scored 20 points on 8-of-14 shooting.

"We had some lapses in the second quarter. You can't afford to do that on other people's home courts," said Stars guard Becky Hammon. "The ball didn't bounce our way. They got to a couple loose balls quicker than we did. Those little things tend to add up."

The play that clinched a win for the Lynx came with under a minute to play. With the Lynx up 76-71, Rebekkah Brunson pulled her eighth and most important rebound after a San Antonio miss, and good ball movement led to Chardé Houston coasting to a wide-open layup. Whalen took care of things from the free throw line, making all six of her tries in the final minute, and nullified Becky Hammon's efforts to keep the Stars alive.

"An uncontested layup is what you really want at that point," Whalen said.

Also nullified was Hammon's season-high 30 points in Sunday's game, including six three-pointers to keep the Lynx from running away.

From her perspective, the Lynx answered with key shots of their own.

"Wright hit some huge shots. Somebody was right in her face, and she stepped up big-time," Hammon said.

The current tie has the Lynx still outside a playoff spot because of their overall record against the teams they are tied with. The Lynx end their season with three road games, the most crucial against Los Angeles Friday, where they may have a shot at breaking the tie the old-fashioned way.

Sunday's win also had major implications. The Lynx now hold the head-to-head tiebreaker against San Antonio, which could prove very beneficial if Minnesota can avoid finishing the season in a three-way tie.

"The fact we finished the game means a lot. Hopefully we can move this to Seattle and L.A.," said Lynx forward Seimone Augustus.

San Antonio remains confident as they still control their own destiny, with perhaps the easiest schedule of the teams tied for third. San Antonio plays their last three games at home against Washington, Indiana and Phoenix. All three opponents have locked up their playoff spots, but the Stars do not plan to relax with all three battling for position in their conferences.

Even with three home games, the Stars may face adversity from within. Forward Chamique Holdsclaw suffered a right ankle injury early in the second quarter, spending the rest of the game on the bench with crutches. Her condition will be evaluated on Monday, but San Antonio may have to improvise under unfavorable circumstances.

"She's a big part of us. We're going to have to do our best to collaborate on the boards. You don't really replace her," Hammon said.