Minnesota LynxvsPortland Fire
MIN 85/POR 81
Things to say
The Minnesota Lynx beat the Portland Fire 85-81 on the road.
01
opener
Lynx took care of business in Portland, 85-81. Never really felt safe though. Fire hung around all night.
02
key player
Napheesa Collier just does it every night. 20 points, and she barely looked like she was trying. Best player in the league right now, it's not close.
03
hot take
Minnesota's 28-7 but they play down to their competition. A 13-20 team should not be within four with two minutes left.
04
deep cut
Natasha Howard quietly grabbed 12 boards and owned the paint. Nobody talks about her, but she's the reason Minnesota gets all those second chances.
05
exit
Anyway, Lynx are cruising to the top seed. Curious to see if anybody can actually slow Collier down come playoffs.
The recap
Minnesota grinded out a tight 85-81 win in Portland, and it was Napheesa Collier doing the heavy lifting again with a game-high 20 to keep the Lynx rolling. Portland kept it close all night behind Bridget Carleton's 16 and a slick 9 dimes from Teja Oblak, but they just couldn't get the bucket when it mattered.
Natasha Howard ate them up on the glass with 12 boards, and that muscle down low was the difference in a game where nobody could pull away. At 28-7, the Lynx are the class of the league and they proved it by taking care of business on the road.