Game 4: Indiana 75, Minnesota 69

Key Players (Lynx):

Maya Moore- 20 points, 8 rebounds, 2 steals

Lindsay Whalen- 16 points

Seimone Augustus- 10 points

Sylvia Fowles- 5 points, 5 rebounds

Key Players (Fever):

Shenise Johnson- 15 points, 5 rebounds, 2 steals

Marissa Coleman- 14 points

Briann January- 13 points, 3 rebounds, 5 assists

Tamika Catchings- 10 points, 4 rebounds, 2 steals, 2 blocks, 6 turnovers

Game Story:

Once again, foul trouble was a big story for the Lynx.  Sylvia Fowles picked up two in the span of about a minute and sat for the final 6:30 of the first quarter.  For the first time in a long time, Lindsay Whalen looked like her old self, nailing jumpers and driving in to draw contact and fouls.  Catchings also started with a little more offensive gas than she had in the first 3 games as she scored 6 of the Fever’s first 11 points.  The end of the first saw Minnesota go on a 12-4 run and put themselves up 20-15 with evenly distributed scoring from its players.

Fowles picked up another foul with 8:42 left in the half, sending her right back to the bench.  Indiana went on a 11-2 run midway through the second quarter in which they played stingy, full court defense, executed crisp passes on offense, and wrestled rebounds away from the flagging Lynx.  Overall, the Fever made 8 of their 11 field goal attempts in Q2 and led 36-32 at the half.  The Fever also had 8 turnovers and 4 assists, however, something that Stephanie White lost no time to address in the locker room.

Minnesota went on a 6-0 run to start the second half, but Briann January managed to draw a fourth foul on Fowles and the Fever rallied to make a 15-4 run of their own.  Shenise Johnson was a big part of that, penetrating the paint again and again and making easy layups.  The Lynx fell apart against the Fever’s ferocious onslaught and sniper-like shooting, so going into the fourth Indiana was up 58-46.

Both teams increased the defensive pressure in the final 10, limiting each other to only 4 points in the first four minutes and forcing numerous turnovers.  Unfortunately for Minnesota, they committed 5 fouls in the same number of minutes, putting Indiana in the bonus for the rest of the game.  Indiana, for the first time in the playoffs, started to struggle with their free throws, giving Minnesota a slight chance to come back.  The Fever held out, though, and managed to win 75-69.

By the end of the game, the Fever had hit 25/29 from the line against the Lynx’s 6/9.  Ultimately, their aggressive mindset on offense is what gave them the victory.

This is the Fever’s fifth win in an elimination game (one they had to win to not be eliminated) in the playoffs this year.  The final game will take place in Minnesota this Wednesday, and I fully expect an incredible game to the final second.