Thomas helps Sun force Game 5 with win over Lynx
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UNCASVILLE, Conn. (AP) — Alyssa Thomas had 18 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds to help the Connecticut Sun stave off elimination and beat the Minnesota Lynx 92-82 on Sunday, forcing a decisive Game 5 in their semifinal series.
That game will be Tuesday night in Minnesota. The winner will face the Liberty in the WNBA Finals that start Thursday in New York. The Lynx and the Liberty already met for a championship this season with Minnesota beating New York for the Commissioner’s Cup title.
Ty Harris scored 20 points to lead the Sun, who now will try to return to the Finals for the third time in six seasons. The Sun still are looking for the franchise’s first WNBA championship.
Napheesa Collier did what she could to try and get Minnesota the win, finishing with 29 points and 13 rebounds.
Minnesota is trying to get back to the Finals for the first time since the 2017 season. That year, the Lynx won their fourth championship in a span of seven years.
Harris, who injured her ankle in Game 1 of the first round series with Indiana, finally looked comfortable again on the court. She only played about seven minutes in Games 2 and 3, but was able to play 30 on Sunday and was a difference maker.
The Sun rallied from a seven-point halftime deficit behind Thomas and Harris. The game was tied at 61 before the Sun scored seven of the final nine points of the third quarter to go up 68-63 heading into the fourth.
Harris' 3-pointer with 5:48 left made it a 10-point game and quashed any hopes the Lynx had of finishing off the series Sunday. Minnesota was only able to get within eight the rest of the way.
Collier helped the Lynx build a seven-point lead after one quarter and Minnesota was up 47-41 when DiJonai Carrington stole the ball from Natisha Hiedeman and took it in for a layup. Hiedeman answered by hitting a 3-pointer from just inside halfcourt right before the buzzer to give the Lynx a 50-43 lead at the break. Collier finished the first half with 14 points and Hiedeman had 12 against her former team.