Lynx nearly squander a 29-point lead, hold on for an 85-81 win over the Fire
Napheesa Collier had 20 points and nine rebounds, Kayla McBride scored 19 points, and the Minnesota Lynx nearly squandered a 29-point lead before holding off the Portland Fire 85-81
PORTLAND, Ore. -- Napheesa Collier had 20 points and nine rebounds, Kayla McBride scored 19 points, and the WNBA-leading Minnesota Lynx nearly squandered a 29-point lead before holding off the Portland Fire 85-81 on Wednesday night.
Minnesota built a big lead by starting the second quarter on a 23-4 run for a 49-27 edge. The Lynx extended the lead to 64-35 — their largest of the game — with 8:16 left in the third.
Portland rallied by scoring the opening 13 points of the fourth — capping a 29-4 run spanning the third-quarter break — to get within 68-64. The Fire had a chance to tie it at 78 with 1:44 remaining, but Emily Engstler went 1 of 2 at the free throw line to keep it a one-point deficit.
McBride made a driving layup with 1:25 remaining for an 80-77 lead, and neither team scored again until Minnesota's Olivia Miles sank two free throws with 26.5 seconds left for a five-point lead.
Minnesota (28-7), which has already clinched a playoff berth, has won 13 of its last 14 games.
Miles finished with 13 points and Natasha Howard had 14 points and 12 rebounds for Minnesota. McBride, coming off a career-high 43-point performance with 10 3-pointers on Sunday, made three of Minnesota's six 3-pointers.
Bridget Carleton led Portland (13-20) by scoring 16 points against her former team. Megan DiLeo added 12 points and Teja Oblak had 11 points, six rebounds and nine assists.
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Portland had 10 players score in the first half, but none of them had more than four points.
Lynx: At Las Vegas on Saturday.
Fire: At Seattle on Friday.
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