Comebacks not enough for Lynx to overtake Fever in Indianapolis

Cheryl Reeve watched her gamers dig their means out of quite a few holes Tuesday night time. Sadly, the Lynx finally discovered themselves in a single gap too many, and Reeve and firm are nonetheless searching for their first win this season.

Minnesota battled again from an 11-point deficit at halftime, and once more from a seven-point hole to start out the fourth quarter, solely to look at the Indiana Fever draw back down the stretch en path to an 82-76 victory at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

“That’s precisely what it’s been,” mentioned Reeve, whose staff fell to 0-3. “We do good issues, then we give it again. We get down just a little bit and we don’t have the power proper now to form of stunt that run and seize it again.

“After we get down just a little bit, we get down additional.”

That did appear to be the sample in opposition to the Fever. After Indiana constructed a 48-39 halftime lead, Reeve switched up the lineup. Rachel Banham, who began the primary two video games however got here off the bench Tuesday, supplied her staff with a carry — hitting three third-quarter 3-pointers to assist the Lynx tie the rating at 54.

“I’m simply attempting to make use of each minute,” mentioned Banham, who completed with 14 factors and 4 assists. “I wish to be efficient in any means I can. I must be higher nonetheless defensively and offensively. But when I is usually a spark in any means off the bench, I’m going to do it.”

Indiana jumped again on prime 65-58 to start out the fourth quarter, however the Lynx once more rallied to take a 69-67 lead on one other 3-pointer by Banham with 7:01 to play, and a lead of 70-69 on a free throw by ahead Jessica Shepard with 5:47 remaining.

From there, although, the Fever scored 13 of the sport’s ultimate 19 factors. Minnesota completed the sport 32-for-77 (41.6 p.c) from the sector and had been simply 4 of 19 (21.1 p.c) from behind the 3-point line. The Lynx additionally turned the ball over 18 occasions.

Indiana, which improved to 1-2, was 9-for-20 (45 p.c) from 3-point vary.

“It simply got here right down to execution and stops on the opposite finish,” mentioned Shepard, who completed with 10 factors, 10 rebounds and 9 assists, leaving her one help shy of a triple-double. “Little issues. We allow them to get too many second probabilities and weren’t in the suitable spots on some possessions. Whenever you work that arduous to return again, you need to put within the further effort to get these stops.”

Sylvia Fowles once more led the Lynx Tuesday, ending with 26 factors and 14 rebounds. Reeve praised her play, however mentioned she shouldn’t be getting sufficient assist.

“We’re getting Syl touches,” mentioned Reeve, whose staff returns dwelling to play host to the defending champion Chicago Sky at 7 p.m. Saturday on the Goal Middle. “We have now gamers who’re higher than how they’ve been taking part in that aren’t serving to Syl. That’s the narrative of this staff. Syl can solely achieve this a lot.”

Ahead Angel McCoughtry, who has battled knee points, began Tuesday, however noticed just below seven minutes of taking part in time. Reeve mentioned that was not injury-related and simply a part of her placing the lineup she felt was taking part in greatest on the court docket.

“We have now a gaggle persistently that will get on the ground and groups go on huge runs on them,” Reeve mentioned. “Each recreation we get a 20-point swing, or an enormous deficit after being up 11 and the subsequent factor we’re down 9.

“Nobody is entitled to a beginning job. We’re going to spend our time tweaking and dealing and discovering the suitable mixtures. We felt just like the group that was on the market, sadly we gassed them just a little bit, however they’re taking part in the best way we wish a Lynx staff to play.”

Guard Odyssey Sims was away from the staff Tuesday. Reeve mentioned she was dealing with a private matter, however wouldn’t remark additional.